Intended for students taking Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in English 33 in Alberta, Canada, this reading test contains 70 multiple choice test items related to the 10 selections in an accompanying reading booklet. The questions examine students' skills in (1) understanding meanings; (2) understanding and interpreting the relationships between…

The paper describes the development of the "Test of Thought and Language" (Total) which is intended to allow first grade teachers to determine if students are ready for phonics instruction or if, for some students, the curriculum should first develop language concepts, structures and thinking processes. Background information for the…

Two studies examined the effects of writing on subject learning. For the first study, 322 ninth and eleventh grade students read passages from high school social studies and science texts and engaged in six writing-to-study conditions. Students who wrote essays scored lower on immediate topic knowledge posttests, while the students who used study…

Two studies investigated: (1) aspects of the language of native-English-speaking (ES) and non-native-English-speaking (NES) parents of children learning English and (2) the demands made on the listening of young children learning English from native-speaking parents and non-native-speaking parents. Information in the parent study was drawn from…

This report examines student performance on a test composed of items developed to be aligned with the Charleston County School District (CCSD) Language Arts Comprehension Curriculum. The report contains a data analysis section that explains the relationship between two basic concepts of the Rasch measurement model, item difficulty and student…

Project CHIME (Children with Hearing Impairments in Mainstreamed Environments) was developed to create a curriculum for use by professionals who are providing mainstreaming opportunities for hearing-impaired preschoolers. The CHIME curriculum is divided into five activity areas that are part of the growth and development process for all…

A study of the effect of regular sustained silent reading (SSR) periods on the reading comprehension and vocabulary of a group of adult students of English as a second language is reported. Sixteen foreign students from 10 countries enrolled at the University of South Florida participated in one of three groups. One group engaged in SSR for ten…

A study was conducted at Cuyahoga Community College to test the relationship between student scores on timed and untimed reading comprehension and vocabulary tests, and to investigate the relationship between those scores and intelligence. The study sample included 72 students enrolled in classes at developmental, freshman, and sophomore levels.…

As a first step in developing a research program that united several individual strands of comprehension research, this paper describes studies that relate to the effectiveness of direct instruction. Various sections of the paper discuss the following topics: (1) variables in the direct instruction model, (2) teacher performance variables, (3)…

To assess the compatibility of miscue analysis and recall analysis as independent elements in a theory of reading comprehension, a study was performed that operationalized each theory and separated its components into measurable units to allow empirical testing. A cueing strategy model was estimated, but the discourse processing model was broken…

The sixth report required by the Maryland Educational Accountability Act contains information about goals for Maryland public education and progress toward those goals. The first section explains accountability, the Maryland Accountability Act, and limitations of current instruments for measuring learning progress. The central purpose of the…

The seventh report required by the Maryland Educational Accountability Act contains information about goals for Maryland public education and progress toward those goals. The first section explains accountability, the Maryland Accountability Act, and limitations of current instruments for measuring learning progress. The central purpose of the…

One area explored in the second (in-depth) phase of the Learning in Science Project was "children's science," defined as views of the world and the meanings for words that children have and bring with them to science lessons. The investigation reported focuses on the concept of "plant" held by 29 students. Data were obtained by…

Four papers to be used in conjunction with video-tapes developed by the Learning in Science Project are presented. Topic areas of the papers focus on: (1) animals; (2) electric current; (3) force; and (4) science activities. The first paper presents transcripts of class discussions focusing on the scientific meaning of the word animal. The second…

A study was conducted to determine if covert reader-generation of interspersed prequestions would affect recall of science-oriented prose. Sixty college freshmen in a basic skills reading course were divided into three groups: Group I received 5 hours of training and practive in the construction of self-generated questions, including recognition…