To determine the effectiveness of mathematical vocabulary training on the problem solving ability of third and fourth grade students, 66 students were placed into either an experimental or a control group. All were pretested and posttested with an experimental mathematics vocabulary test and with a standardized mathematics test. Mathematical…

This paper reviews recent research to determine why children encounter problems understanding what they read. Four points are discussed as especially relevant to children's problems in reading comprehension: (1) reading differs from early language experiences, and an analysis of these differences can indicate likely sources of reading difficulty;…

To determine specific objectives for language arts programs in Alberta schools, a study was conducted in which a comprehensive list of specific objectives was compiled for use in developing tests of reading and writing in grades three, six, nine, and twelve. Measurable objectives were ranked in terms of their importance to the total program, and…

Using mathemagenic-based research as a guide, this study attempted to determine whether the location of a picture (pre- or post-reading passage) or the type of picture (overview or specific incident) could affect reading comprehension. Ninety-two college students were randomly assigned to one of the cells in a two-by-two factorial design and…

The "Direct Instructional System for Teaching Reading" (DISTAR) is a highly structured, synthetic method of teaching reading that was developed to provide beginning and remedial reading instruction to primary school children who have had difficulty learning from other materials. To determine DISTAR's effectiveness as a teaching method,…

To ascertain what variables contribute to success of adult literacy programs, a study of 107 adult students in a literacy program was undertaken over a period of two years. Program success was defined as an attendance rate of 65%. It was hypothesized that the four characteristics of age, sex, employment, and marital status would be predictors of…

A study was undertaken as part of the process of trying to develop an instrument for systematically coding reading and other language arts activities in the secondary content area classroom. Six teachers chosen from five secondary schools were each observed while teaching four randomly selected classes over a two-week period. All observations were…

This study was conducted to determine if the low reading achievement of a group of Creole-speaking first and second graders was caused by lack of comprehension (due to dialect interference) of their Standard English texts. The materials used were three stories in Creole and three stories in Standard English. Because they had never encountered…

Both teachers and parents assisted in a study of the effect television viewing has on reading achievement. Second-grade teachers in the Montclair (New Jersey) school district identified students who read at least one year above grade level (high achievers) and students who read at primer level or below (low achievers). Parents of these students…

To ascertain whether subjects spanning the range of reading acquisition exhibit semantic constructivity when confronted with a silent reading task, a study was conducted involving 120 second, fifth, and seventh graders, and 30 graduate students. For purposes of the study, semantic constructivity was defined as the uncued production of inferences…

To analyze the process involved in maintaining conversational coherency, the study described in this paper used a construct called a "context space" that grouped utterances referring to a single issue or episode. The paper defines the types of context spaces, parses individual conversations to identify the underlying model or structure,…

Research by developmental psychologists has investigated metaphor comprehension without its surrounding context. This research has the positive feature of being unidirectional, all indicating that the older the child, the greater the possibility that metaphor will be understood. The disadvantages of the studies for educators include the fact that…

Conceptions of Reading (COR), a research project within the Institute for Research on Teaching, has modified the "Role Construct Repertory Test" (Rep Test) to tap teachers' conceptions of reading. Developed by psychologist George Kelly to aid in discovering personal belief systems, the Rep Test has been modified by other researchers to…

Sixteen kindergarten children were instructed in grapheme-phoneme correspondences according to two methods that were identical except that in one method the children were instructed individually and in the other the children received group instruction. The number of learning trials given to each child was the same in both situations. However, in…

The eight articles in this journal issue focus on reading in the content areas. The topics covered are inservice workshop suggestions for learning content material, study skills for advanced learners, research on actual student reading done in the classroom, 12 ways to build a positive reading environment, a method of teaching note-taking,…