A project was conducted at Cumberland County College to determine (1) whether remediation of basic skills deficiencies has an effect on the successful completion of selected vocational courses; (2) the levels of basic skills competencies in reading, writing, and mathematics necessary for entry into selected vocational courses; and (3) the most…

Highlighting similarities in the processes of reading and writing can help teachers establish a more unified program allowing students to develop skills that transfer from one process to another. One activity to help students develop reading skills focuses on the "who, what, where, when" types of patterns that recur in sentences and…

As human understanding is largely metaphorical, what metaphor is, how children use it, and how they can be taught to use it more effectively are important educational concerns. A direct or indirect comparison between two apparently unlike things, metaphor consists of a topic, a vehicle of comparison, and ground--or traits--linking the topic and…

A unit to help junior high school students become aware of the importance of written communication contains teacher and student materials. The teacher's section contains a description of objectives, materials, and evaluation methods. In the student section, a reading on becoming a good correspondent precedes sections on personal letters, thank-you…

Research indicating a strong correlation between reading and writing skills has been used to create effective teaching activities; this paper summarizes research findings and describes teaching activities in three classrooms. (1) As students' reading comprehension and recall have been shown to improve following instruction in summary writing, a…

Conditions of language and literacy are considered by a Texas educator and presented at a 1982 hearing held by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. It is noted that a 1979 policy at the University of Texas system established a freshman-level remedial English course for credit. At the University of Texas, San Antonio, this course is…

This workbook contains a wide variety of material directed at teaching and learning in the areas of word recognition, vocabulary, comprehension, and study skills by providing reading and writing activities which use sports as a backdrop. The activities include a clear statement of the exercise's purpose, directions for the activity, materials…

Studies show that while most clinicians agree on seven critical reading activities--instant word recognition, word meanings, oral reading, silent reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and attention/motivation--they reveal little agreement on the diagnoses and suggestions for remediation of reading problems. The computer assisted…

Using techniques of inference appraisal suggested by T. A. van Dijk and R. J. Sternberg, a study investigated whether by assigning particular writing tasks it would be possible to influence the way readers produce inferences about a text. Subjects, 52 ninth grade students, read especially prepared booklets and completed either a paraphrasing,…

Designed for elementary school teachers, the document presents a compilation of sample dittos, models, checklists, and creative ideas for implementing learning centers in the elementary school classroom. Separate sections provide the following: (1) a description of the purpose and types of learning centers, (2) a beginning classroom management…

A study of students in a linked reading/writing course team-taught by a reading instructor and a writing instructor was conducted to describe the effects of reading instruction upon the composing processes of freshman basic writers. Data were collected from direct observation, interviews, writing samples, and audio- and video-tapes of composing.…

This handbook for kindergarten through grade eight provides instructional objectives for student mastery in the basic skills of reading, mathematics, written communication, and oral communication. The section on reading is divided into the following strands: word identification skills; vocabulary skills; comprehension (literal, inferential, and…

In this article, the author discusses the benefits of using songs and poems to teach young learners. The author explains how songs and poems can be used in English class and what their benefits are. The author explains how teachers can use actions or puppets to accompany the selected songs or poems, or allow young learners to create ideas…

Based on the experiences of a literacy center in Texas, this handbook is intended to assist adult educators in developing a similar program in their community. The purpose of the literacy referral system is to provide educationally and economically disadvantaged adults with an individualized educational and employment plan based on an assessment…

The booklet, fifth in a series, examines the assessment and remediation of reading difficulties in adults with learning disabilities. The section on assessment concerns touches upon reading recognition difficulties, and includes a list of questions for investigating auditory, tactile, and visual processes. Reading comprehension difficulties are…