In 2 experiments involving 64 undergraduates words central or peripheral to a script appeared in scripted and nonscripted versions of a story. Efficiency of lexical access was measured by word reading time or naming latency. Data provide little evidence of script-related facilitation of lexical access, thus supporting the modularity theory. (SLD)

Introduces a multistate probabilistic causal chain notation for describing the knowledge structures implicitly represented by the subjective conditional probability distribution. Proposes a psychological process model of how story comprehension and recall processes operate using causal chain representations. Compares the model's story-recall…

Instructional implications of recent reading research are reviewed along with the issue of text readability and the intermediate/advanced language student. A generic approach to the teaching of literary works in a third-year transitional course is then proposed. A student worksheet and recall protocol exercise are appended. (Contains 19…

Describes how a group oral final exam was designed and administered in a block of two teacher education courses taught within the social constructivist perspective. Advocates such group oral exam practices as consistent with valid assessment guidelines. Discusses limitations. (HB)

Finds that orthographic information dominated word recognition of both good and poor readers and that both semantic contexts and text difficulty influenced the reading of target words. Shows that good readers used orthographic information more than did poor readers, whereas poor readers used semantic context more than good readers. Finds support…

Shows that both middle school and high school students improved in reading and writing as a result of a 55-day program which used newspapers and newspaper-based instruction as classroom supplements to traditional reading materials. (SR)

Examines elementary students' reading preferences, habits, and behaviors. Reveals four powerful influences on elementary students' motivation to read: prior experiences with books, social interactions about books, book access, and book choice. (SR)

Discusses a startlingly current 1953 article called "Recent Trends in the Teaching of Reading" by Virgil Herrick, and a 1992 book by James Moffett called "Harmonic Learning: Keynoting School Reform." (SR)

Two experiments studied the role of phonemic information in children's comprehension during silent reading. A sentence acceptability task indicated that readers required more time to read and comprehend sentences with word-initial phonemes (the "tongue-twister effect") than control sentences. When the first task was added to a digit…

Reports the findings in two dyslexic brothers each of whom showed a marked improvement in reading facility when reading print material either through a semitransparent tinted plastic sheet (overlay) or through tinted spectacle lenses. (MG)

Defines a type of literacy task, the search task (locating specific information). Explains why it is of concern, describes research on high school and college students' searching, and offers suggestions for search instruction. (SR)

Reports on a survey of 135 future teachers who were asked about their memory of round robin reading when they were learning to read. Suggests 19 alternatives for oral reading techniques. (MG)

Presents open-ended and semistructured interviews to assess reading comprehension. Highlights the potential value of interviews in aligning assessment practices with instruction and learning theory. (MG)

Uses measures of readability and syntactic complexity to verify that U.S. teen books are easier for young people reading English as a Second Language than British ones. (SR)

Describes the information gained during a study of 11- and 12-year-old remedial readers. Reflects upon the ways in which adolescents who are considered to be underachievers as readers' perceive their own reading abilities. (MG)