Describes a natural student writing evaluation method in which students write letters to their teacher about their reading. Shows examples of letters from four typical students. Speculates on the function of the letters for each student. (RS)

Seeks to identify difference between six proficient and less proficient college freshmen in their use of personal evocations and reflections in the reading transaction. Finds that, although proficient readers integrate textual cues and prior knowledge in a process of reflecting about stories and characters, less proficient readers seem to approach…

Examines the effects of 2 levels of prior knowledge and 2 types of text structure on the recall and question performance of 90 fifth graders who were average readers. Finds that prior knowledge has a greater effect on question performance than on recall performance and that it only enhances the recall of one section of the text information. (MG)

Discusses the global impact of "The Reading Teacher" on literacy education in seven countries. (MG)

Examines parental perceptions of young children's literacy development. Explores the relationship between parental literacy level and perceptions of the importance of literacy artifacts and events in preschoolers' literacy development. Finds that parents with lower literacy levels think literacy artifacts and events are even more important than do…

Compares remedial readers to more proficient readers in their meaning-making processes during the reading of literary text. Reveals that the remedial readers spend a disproportionate amount of being out of "envisionments"--either attempting to step into one or failing to step in. (MG)

Investigates the kind of print-related knowledge that emergent readers must possess to learn to point to the words of a text as they recite it from memory (fingerpoint-reading) and to remember information about the print from this activity. Reveals that different types of print knowledge facilitate different aspects of fingerpoint-reading. (SR)

Discusses the impact of the cognitive revolution in psychology on reading research. Cognitive perspectives of reading have revealed complex processes ranging from simple peripheral visual processing in letter recognition to high order processes in text comprehension. It is also argued that a full account of reading skill should include…

Reports on a survey of two groups of prison inmate-students and tutors about their reading, past and present, and to what factors they attribute their current reading levels. Finds that reading-proficient inmates see reading as having a purpose, whereas those who did not develop reading proficiency may have been influenced by physical or…

Reviews two handbooks of research and focuses on what they have to offer professionals in the field of reading and language arts. (MG)

Uses an ecologically valid environment to study where marginal gloss was employed as an adjunct comprehension aid in a college introductory education course. Finds that the gloss underpinned by phenomenological theory when combined with traditional gloss type is effective for long-term incidental learning and total test score. (RS)

Presents an interview with Donna Wiseman. Discusses current programs and activities of whole language, criticism of leaders in whole language for being above any question or criticism, the existing research base for whole language, and the future of the whole-language movement. (RS)

Determines the type and number of words that are in the environmental vocabularies of a selected group of second-grade students. Discusses the importance of parents and teachers assisting children to develop their environmental vocabularies. (RS)

Examines the written responses of Hispanic, African-American and Caucasian elementary students after listening to various African-American stories to see whether engagement with text is related to student's ethnicity. Finds that students were equally capable of engagement in the African-American stories regardless of their ethnicity. (RS)

Compares preschool and first grade children's ability to make three types of inferences: script-based inferences, invited inferences, and logical inferences. Finds preschoolers better able to make script-based inferences and first graders better able to draw script-based and invited inferences. Suggests that children's ability to draw inferences…