The construct validity of measures of reading comprehension was discussed. A word deletion procedure was proposed consistent with a model of comprehension which emphasizes the importance of context. The procedure assures sensitivity to context by allowing only highly constrained words to be deleted and by increasing the information value of…

The distinguishing characteristics and relationships found among the "Analytical Reading Inventory," the "Durrell Analysis of Reading Difficulty," and the Spache "Diagnostic Reading Scales" in terms of readability levels, oral and silent reading results, and independent and instructional reading levels were examined in a study involving 117 first,…

Reading comprehension tests usually contain reading passages followed by multiple choice questions about the passages; but one potential weakness of this format is that the questions may be "passage independent," answerable without necessarily reading the passage first. When examining this phenomenon by assessing a particular test, the…

To determine the validity of the Boehm Test of Basic Concepts in predicting reading achievement as measured by the reading scores of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the Boehm test was given to 55 kindergarten children and the Iowa test was given to 42 of the same children in second grade. The results indiciated that the Boehm test appeared to be of…

A model for the measurement of reading skills was used as the basis for the development of the Decoding Skills Test. The model emphasizes that decoding skills are based on one of two processes: word recognition through phonic/linguistic decoding or through basal word recognition. Word lists appropriate for the elementary grades were used to…

Organized as a question-and-answer booklet, this parents' guide explains scores on standardized reading achievement tests. Examples illustrate the meaning of certain grade equivalent scores. The grade equivalent method is described as a poor way to report scores; raw scores, percentiles, and stanine ranges are discussed as alternatives. The…

A study was undertaken to determine if the removal of black English dialect as oral reading errors would influence the scores obtained on three oral reading diagnostic tests: the Gray Oral Reading Test, the Gilmore Oral Reading Test, and the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales. In addition, the study investigated whether there were differences in the…

The variable nature of literacy is discussed in chapter one of this paper, including problems of arbitrary standards, instruments, and criteria. In the second chapter, some of the historical roots of the concept of literacy are traced both to show how the concept of literacy evolved and to show how literacy has always been closely tied to the…

SEVERAL DEVELOPMENTAL HYPOTHESES DRAWN FROM THE SUBSTRATA-FACTOR THEORY OF READING WERE TESTED AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL. TO ELABORATE ON THEORETICAL ASSERTIONS THAT READING ABILITY IS AN AUDIOVISUAL PROCESSING SKILL OF SYMBOLIC REASONING, THE SUBSTRATA FACTORS ACCOMPANYING DEVELOPMENT OF SPEED AND POWER OF READING WERE DEPICTED IN…

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DEVELOP, TRY OUT, AND EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF BEGINNING READING METHODS FOR FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN WHOSE SCORE FELL BELOW THE 60TH PERCENTILE ON THE METROPOLITAN READINESS TEST. SEVEN METHODS FOR TEACHING BEGINNING READING WERE SELECTED FOR INVESTIGATION--(1) LANGUAGE APPROACH, INVOLVING READING, WRITING,…

A study was conducted to compare the effects of two types of word-attack correction procedures within the context of the "Decoding B" component of the S.R.A. corrective reading program and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program with remedial students. Ten teachers and 58 students (aged 7 to 14) were randomly assigned to one of two treatment…

This paper provides a brief survey of current theory concerning reading comprehension and suggests that the role of the reader's knowledge has been largely neglected. Factors that influence the assessment of information or idea gain are the nature of the learner, the nature of the material, the nature of the purposes for reading, and the means…

Three studies were conducted as part of a series designed to identify the subskills of word identification that correlate most highly with reading comprehension and to examine various methods of assessing these subskills. In the first study, the prototype of a decoding (word identification) test was administered to 282 first, third, and fifth…

Students receiving certificates and Associate of Arts (A.A.) degrees from Cerritos College in spring 1977 (241 A.A. and 48 certificate students) were asked to take the Comparative Guidance and Placement reading test. Forty-four degree and 8 certificate students complied. The A.A. students averaged a reading grade level of 12.6, had an average age…

The Nelson-Denny Reading Test was administered to 525 community college students in English courses to determine the relationship between reading test scores, success in English courses, and overall grade point average (GPA) and to examine how expectancy charts could be used to predict which students were likely to experience academic difficulty.…