The concept of language proficiency and the process of language skill development are discussed, and classroom activities that build proficiency in the four language skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) are described. General considerations in using the activities are noted. Skill development activities for all skill areas have…

This descriptive study investigated the reading instruction service provided by Chapter 1 teachers in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Subjects, 105 Chapter 1 teachers who had reading groups, completed a survey concerning the reading instruction given to their Chapter 1 students. A proportional random sampling procedure was used to select 12…

This workbook provides practice in helping children acquire pre-reading skills. The activities within the workbook are presented in sequence of difficulty, and directions precede each activity. Since language development is an important part of reading readiness, some pages of the workbook require presenting the child with a series of questions or…

Research indicates that using the manual alphabet in classes of non-deaf students is effective both for spelling and vocabulary instruction. Teachers appreciate the way signing physically involves the students, acts as a self-cueing system, is inexpensive, and helps with writing problems like "b" and "d" reversals. Other advantages are: (1) it is…

A literature review examined research on the acquisition of word identification and vocabulary understanding. One of its major themes was that children's understanding of words is best understood from the perspective of developing sensitivities to the English language. A second major theme is that acquisition of word identification skills and…

This case study describes a project designed to improve science vocabulary and comprehension of migrant sixth-grade students in a rural farming-community middle school. The project combined intensive direct teaching of science vocabulary with the national unified curriculum implemented in 1984. The subjects of the project were migrant children…

Using extensive data gathered from a follow-up study on an early reading program which tested the reading competence of high school seniors who had received formal beginning reading instruction in kindergarten, an ancillary study investigated the effects of early formal reading instruction on bilingual students. Three of the dependent variables…

A study was made of the effects of group size and time-on-task on the ability of 259 fifth- and sixth-grade students to learn in the context of computer assisted instruction. Predominantly Jewish, subjects attended one of three schools in an upper-middle-class area of Montreal. After the Basic Word Vocabulary Test and a background/demographic…

Indian languages seem to have emerged from a phase of total dependence on English for new input. Several Indian languages have now evolved vocabularies and structural nuances to handle several new registers and styles necessary for modern society. Some of the change has occurred through conscious language policy encouraging multilingualism and the…

Uniformity, and thus internationalization, of concepts and terms in special-purpose languages is desirable for reducing language barriers in the transfer of scientific and technological information. This is important for both industrialized nations and countries with small economies. Training of skilled personnel in developing nations has always…

In order to accurately assess the learning of vocabulary words, a criterion of learning achievement must be set for each word or group of words. This criterion would reflect: (1) the amount of semantic, grammatical, and phonological information the learner had to possess in order to have learned the word; (2) the receptive and productive processes…

Before working with middle school gifted students, the teacher should be aware of the characteristics and learning style preferences of these students. For example, the years from 9 to 13 are a time of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive change--also called an "age of ambivalence." Many of these students tackle decision making sooner and…

The teaching activities presented in this pamphlet present some ways of helping children acquire a few "mechanisms" to support exploration, growth, and search in language learning and, more specifically, in spelling awareness. The pamphlet begins with a discussion of the context for learning strategies to use in exploring language. Then…

This paper explores a wide range of issues associated with research on mental models. Based on a functional perspective, mental models are defined as the mechanisms whereby humans generate descriptions of system purpose and form, explanations of system functioning and observed system states, and predictions of future system states. Specifically,…

Intended for use in undergraduate and graduate courses in reading methods, as well as by classroom teachers, this book brings together teaching strategies and materials suggested by recent developments in the study of reading comprehension. Each of the eight chapters includes the background and rationale for the practices described. The first…