Qualitative methodology was used to explore communication behaviors of 13 female adolescents with language problems residing in a correctional facility. Most participants expressed feeling dumb, disliked by friends, put down in school, and having trouble understanding jokes, and problems related to understanding the vocabulary in their texts used…

Describes how many students expect reading to be about answering literal-level questions, taking true-false tests, and figuring out what a teacher wants to know. Explains the Six Traits of Reading from Northwest Regional Educational Labs: decoding; building context; comprehending; interpreting; synthesizing; and evaluating. Notes that these sorts…

Explores whether culture-specific rhetorical conventions affect the reading recall of Chinese English-as-a-Foreign-Language college students at two grade levels. Four English passages verified as using Chinese rhetorical conventions were modified into four counterpart versions reflecting English rhetorical conventions. Taiwanese freshman and…

Presents a detailed design for a content-based unit, the focus of which is the film "Caravaggio." The unit also includes readings in art history and film and is part of a specialized English for academic purposes/English for special purposes reading comprehension course for first-year students majoring in art history and in a…

This case study addressed the meanings two preservice teachers ascribed to four expert strategies used in reciprocal teaching (questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting) and four learning principles upon which reciprocal teaching is built (cognitive apprenticeship, scaffolding, zone of proximal development, and proleptic teaching).…

Presents an analysis of the relationship between third language reading comprehension and its constituent skills for bilingual Dutch students for whom English is a third language (L3), compared to monolingual Dutch students for whom English is a second language (L2). (Author/VWL)

Focuses on the best methods and activities for promoting competence in the reading of a foreign language, especially French. The article maintains that French language teaching has a pioneer role in advancing second-language reading strategies and suggests activities that can supplement instruction in this field. (Author/CK)

Focuses on the merit of extensive reading in English as a tool for advancing the reading comprehension of non-English-speaking students. The article emphasizes that students who read more will eventually surpass their classmates who have not developed the reading habit. (four references) (Author/CK)

Describes different methods of evaluating the reading and language skills of students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Student activities include creating a slide show to illustrate a story, decorating paper bags with key scenes and placing items related to the story inside, and creating book jackets. (CR)

Notes that beginning foreign language learner-readers lack linguistic and cultural knowledge assumed in foreign language literary texts, gaps often resulting in possible "mismatches" between the readers' actual cognizance of linguistic and cultural norms and the level of understanding assumed in the foreign text. (40 references) (Author/CK)

Presents strategies for reading visual images. Illustrates how visual systems inform the process of listening for the meaning of foreign language words and phrases. Suggestions are provided on how these strategies apply to a larger curricular program that integrates media into its overall learning objectives. (35 references) (Author/CK)

Separates the effects of prior knowledge and topic interest on second language reading comprehension. English-as-a-Second-Language students in an English for academic purposes program read passages and took multiple-choice comprehension tests on topics for which they had all four possible combinations of high and low topic interest and high and…

This follow-up study of a classroom experiment with university English-as-a-Second-Language students that demonstrated incidental acquisition of new lexical knowledge through the reading of thematically-related texts explores how vocabulary knowledge may be acquired as a by-product of reading for comprehension. Findings are interpreted in terms of…

Describes a staff development effort at a small, predominantly Native American elementary school. Staff developers attempted to improve teachers' ability work on reading comprehension, but their development methods were unsuccessful. They realized that they had to match their work with teachers with the school culture and to listen to the teachers…

Interviews Michelle Winslow, a fourth-grade teacher, and Pat Previte, a sixth-grade teacher in Massachusetts. Explains that the two teachers have a common vision for all students: one of engaged, strategic readers who can apply reading skills across all areas of the curriculum. Notes that the pair has transformed their reading instruction by…