Examines intertextual relationships in "The Wedding Ghost," a children's book written by Leon Garfield and illustrated by Charles Keeping. Concludes that, as a top-down component in reading, intertextuality has significant implications for how texts are approached and can be seen as an element which promotes the development of high-level…

Examines the relation between question characteristics and awareness of comprehension. Finds that readers have great confidence that their answers to thematic questions in both short-answer and multiple-choice formats are correct, even when they were wrong. Suggests that readers of challenging, inconsiderate texts are unaware of gross…

Describes two related experiments into the effect of prereading on the text comprehension of a population of second-language (L2) learners at three proficiency levels. Indicates that the more constraining, schemata-provision formats used in experiment one are more effective as aids to text comprehension. (MG)

Investigates the effect of cooperative completion of a cloze passage with subjects who are relatively sophisticated in both language use and group interaction strategies. Finds that groups produced more responses than individuals; gave fewer idiosyncratic or illogical responses; attended to larger chunks of text; and used every available clue. (RS)

Investigates the effect of repeated readings on college students' recall. Finds that reading a text twice increased factual retention, but that good readers benefit quantitatively and qualitatively from repetition while poor readers only benefit quantitatively from the opportunity to reread. (RS)

Describes seven myths concerning reading-level-match designs, in which individual differences in reading acquisition are compared for groups of different ages matched on some aspect of reading performance. Gives examples from the reading literature to illustrate these myths and to suggest more realistic alternatives. Summarizes relevant…

Compares (in two experiments) thematic and mnemonic strategies with respect to: (1) the amount of prose information remembered by students; and (2) the students' structuring of that information. Finds mnemonic strategies more beneficial for recall and organization only when several passages were presented, and thematic strategies more beneficial…

Investigates whether second- and fifth-grade children already know the meanings of reading vocabulary presented as "new" vocabulary in their basal readers. Finds that, on average, children already knew more than 70 percent of the "new" words in basal readers one and two years beyond their grade level. (SR)

Investigates the importance of using student interviews in the development of Chapter 1 diagnostic reading profiles. Finds that the type of information most often recorded in the existing reading profiles was from standardized measures. Finds that teachers and students were able to state unique and pertinent information. (RS)

Examines the ability of students to answer questions accurately about their own reading comprehension difficulties. States that students were often able to assess their own comprehension difficulties and that a comprehension checklist could serve as a useful diagnostic tool for clinicians and classroom teachers. (RS)

Investigates whether analogical reasoning is included in four major basal reading series and, if so, the nature of such instruction. Finds that three of the four series examined taught analogical reasoning directly, but that the nature and extent of each series' instructional recommendations varied widely. (RS/JAD)

Examines whether writing in combination with reading prompts more critical thinking than either activity alone, or either activity combined with questions or with a knowledge activation activity. Finds students who both wrote and read made more revisions (prompted by more critical thinking) than students in other treatment groups. (RS)

Examines the relationship between pre-service teacher attitudes toward reading and the number of reading methods and other reading- and language-related courses they have taken. Finds pre-service teachers possess only moderately positive attitudes about reading. Finds no relationship between reading attitude and the number of courses taken. (RS)

Extends and partially replicates a study comparing a segment from a high school history text with revised versions by linguists, composition teachers, and "Time-Life" writers. Finds that revisions by composition teachers were most effective. Suggests that textbook writers revise texts based on comments made by readers as they read. (RS)

Examines and supports the notion that many of the problems evidenced by poor readers are related to their passive response to the interactive task of reading. (MM)