Examines children's comprehension and learning of expository texts on micro-, local-, and global-level processing skills. Finds a gradual increase in higher level processing skills with age. Notes that critical developmental patterns from nine-year olds onward took place in local- and global-level processing. Finds that developmental patterns were…

Presents results of a cross-sectional study of a sample of Year 2 children in reading. Finds an improvement in the attainment level of children in 1992 compared to 1991. Concludes that there is a need to view apparently rising standards in England, as measured solely by the Standard Assessment Task results, with a degree of caution. (PA)

States that 46 children aged 12-16 were shown a page of meaningless text covered with plastic overlays, including 7 that were various colors and 1 that was clear. Explains that each child selected the overlay that made reading easiest. Notes that children who read with a colored overlay complained of visual discomfort when they read without the…

Investigates the relationship between cognitive abilities at age four and reading at age seven. Shows that reading ability was positively correlated with knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondence, visual memory, auditory sequential memory, and Draw-a-Man scores (intelligence). Suggests that cognitive deficits predate reading problems. (PA)

Examines the metacognitive reading strategies of five children, four to six years of age, who were reading fluently prior to grade one. States that fluency was judged on whether the children could conduct meaningful reading with relative smoothness. Suggests that each of the children used a variety of metacognitive reading strategies and showed…

Studies the segmentation performance of children who had not yet learned to read and students in the early stages of reading using whole word acquisition combined with letter-sound learning. Finds that segmentation ability progressed from phonemes to initial consonants to onset/rime--the reverse order predicted by hierarchical models based on the…

Finds that the processes involved in syllabic analysis of speech or in rhyme manipulation cannot be applied to its phonemic structure. Finds also that training with nonlinguistic visual analysis did not entail any progress in metaphonological ability, thus providing evidence that phonological awareness cannot be promoted by analysis abilities…

Determines whether reading aloud the same story to six first-grade students increased their story comprehension. Finds a positive relationship between repeated read-alouds and story comprehension. Discusses implications for instruction. (RS)

Survey finds: (1) recreational and academic reading attitudes became gradually more negative over the elementary school years and were steepest for least able readers; (2) girls possessed more favorable attitudes than boys; (3) ethnicity played little role; and (4) extent of teacher's reliance on basal readers was not a factor. Suggests that…

Brings together viewpoints on the qualitative and quantitative research paradigms with regard to educational research in general and to literacy research in particular. Elucidates some of the persistent disputes in the research community. Discusses research traditions in literacy research. Considers the contexts in which new paradigms arise.…

Discusses one seven-year-old girl's responses to three feminist folktales. Finds that for each tale, the girl was drawn to the female protagonist and named her as her favorite character, but the girl did not wish to emulate the female protagonists because of their unconventionality. Suggests that such tales may offer alternative models of female…

Explores the abilities of third graders to interpret literature that serves as an extended metaphor for real life. Finds that using literature to focus children's attention on the similarities that can be drawn across diverse domains provides an avenue for higher-level thinking. (RS)

Interviews 16 volunteer adult literacy tutors, finding that many of them do not implement strategies and practices currently recognized as most effective, but tend to implement strategies to which they themselves were exposed as learners, possibly leading to feelings of frustration and defeat for their clients. (SR)

Finds that the new basals are different from the old basals, that students' rating and rankings of the old and new basals are consistent with the researchers', and that teachers varied in the ways that they used basal materials and in their views of the construction of knowledge. (SR)

Argues that reading educators need to objectively appraise the whole-language instructional philosophy in relation to what is known about reading methodology. Discusses the whole-language philosophy, its history, the "whole sentence method," and whole-language weaknesses. Advocates developing a "balanced reading program," which would emphasize…