When English instructors functioning simultaneously as researchers study the reading and writing processes of their own students, it is important that they fully describe the context within which the study takes place and the effect that the dual instructional/research environment has on the participants, who are, similarly, functioning as both…

A study examined the retelling performance of the novice compared with that of the expert and the effect of retelling practice on comprehension for both proficient and less proficient readers. Thirty-six fourth graders (20 proficient and 16 less proficient readers) were randomly assigned to one of four story sessions. Across the four sessions all…

J. P. Guilford's "structure of the intellect" provides a system that explains the intellectual abilities of students and identifies major types of productive thinking. A study was conducted to examine whether one of these types--divergent production, which focuses on responses of an individual's own creations--could be enhanced through…

In the past two decades, sustained silent reading (SSR) has gained attention as a component in many schools' reading programs. Some advocates of SSR differ slightly in their recommendations of specific rules, but most agree on the following guidelines: (1) no interruptions; (2) everyone reads, including the teacher; (3) students choose their own…

Noting that four of the six most common readability formulas use the McCall-Crabbs Standard Test Lessons in Reading as the independent criterion of difficulty to establish validity, while the other two often site their correlation with the first four to determine validity, a study examined whether these lessons consisted of passage selections…

A study examined basal readers and trade books in terms of reading ease as estimated by readability formulas and the incidence of figurative language. Based on an earlier study, the study had three major goals: to (1) assess and compare two reading series ("A" and "B") at each of two grade levels; (2) assess and compare…

Forty 4th and 5th grade remedial reading students from two schools participated in a study that investigated whether providing remedial readers with information on the value of using a particular strategy would influence their self-efficacy and comprehension. In addition, the study explored the effects of emphasizing the general or the…

The differences between the media of books and computers lies partly in the way in which information is displayed, rather than in the content of the information itself. The term "legibility" denotes how specific physical characteristics of a display affect visual fatigue, reading speed, and ultimately comprehension. Some of these…

A comprehensive review of science education research revealed the lack of studies related to the act of reading. Reasons for the apparent lack of research attention to the reading area include: (1) reading is not needed in science teaching; (2) reading is needed but it is not frequently used; and (3) reading is needed and used but not identified…

Reading comprehension, viewed from a psycholinguistic perspective, is a process of mapping new information into existing knowledge structures and is similar to general thinking, reasoning, and problem solving. Reading comprehension is an active process--a dialogue between writer and reader--and an integration of the printed page and the reader's…

Conforming to the U.S. Department of Education's Chapter 1 Evaluation and Reporting System which requires local education agencies to report periodically on the sustained effects of participation in Chapter 1 programs, a sustained effects study evaluated student performance in New York City's Chapter 1 English-language reading programs during the…

A study investigated the reading preferences of senior level special education majors, noting which professional journals students chose most frequently for article summaries completed for a senior level curriculum and methods course. The summaries were collected over the course of 19 semesters, from fall 1973, through spring 1982. One hundred and…

Reflecting current themes that scholars in reading/language research, by their selective attention, have indicated are important in the field of literacy and learning in natural settings, this yearbook presents a collection of 62 selected research articles from the National Reading Conference for 1984. Included are the following articles, listed…

A study measured the effects that direct instruction in narrative text structure using a story map (called "macrostruction") had on the comprehension of average and above average sixth-grade readers. A 2 x 2 x 2 repeated measures design was used with time, text, and treatment as the independent variables. The number of story grammar idea…

Based on the best available research, this publication describes the most effective methods of vocabulary instruction for the improvement of reading comprehension. Examples of useful approaches to vocabulary instruction aimed at students past the initial stages of reading are presented for use or adaptation by classroom teachers. The publication's…