A study tested the effects of an approach for improving reading fluency on the general reading and fluency development of second-grade students in regular classrooms. Subjects were from two elementary schools in a large, urban, ethnically diverse school district. There were 30 students in 2 classrooms in a school located in a working class…

Two research studies hold promise of assisting educators in developing appropriate recommendations for helping parents help their children learn to read and write. Dolores Durkin studied children who entered school already knowing how to read. She followed the students for several years and found that the early readers maintained or extended their…

This annotated bibliography summarizes approximately 600 reports of reading research identified between July 1, 1990, and June 30, 1991. The research studies described in the book are categorized into six areas: (1) summaries of reading research; (2) teacher preparation and practice; (3) sociology of reading; (4) physiology and psychology of…

A study established the extent to which certain program materials and teaching methods were being utilized in elementary and middle grades schools in South Dakota. Each district that operated an elementary grades school, a middle grades school, or both was sent a two-part survey to complete. A total of 117 of 248 surveys were returned, for a…

An action research project investigated the effect of reciprocal teaching instruction and use on the comprehension of seventh-grade general English students. Reciprocal teaching is a form of dialogue structured around four skills--question generation, summarization, clarification, and prediction. These techniques are used in small group…

A study examined the systemic reform process initiated in Maryland in 1991. The Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) consists of learning outcomes, a framework for performance assessment, guidelines for school decision making, and suggestions for staff development. One year following the initiation of the MSPAP, semi-structured…

A study explored the degree to which preservice teachers perceived that the interactive approach to language arts instruction was valuable in promoting their learning. Subjects, 63 students in two sections of an undergraduate reading course, completed a five-item questionnaire focusing on specific aspects of the course. Quantitative data analysis…

The purpose of this study was to determine if first-, second-, and third-grade science textbooks integrate strategies to enhance literacy development in their texts, thereby reflecting an integrated language-arts perspective. Five sets of popular first-, second-, and third-grade science textbooks with 1990 and 1991 copyright dates were analyzed.…

This booklet summarizes the activities of Reading Recovery programs in North America for the period 1984 to 1993. The first section of the booklet provides an overview of the program, presents a typical Reading Recovery lesson, and discusses professional staff development in Reading Recovery. The second section considers whether Reading Recovery…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of the first two years of the Reading Recovery program at the McAllen Independent School District, Texas. Thirteen campuses participated in the first year (1991-92) while 16 campuses participated in 1993. In addition, the Literacy Program, designed to expand the positive effects of Reading Recovery strategies in…

The National Assessment of Educational Progress' (NAEP) 1992 reading assessment was administered to nationally representative samples of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade students attending public and private schools, and to state representative public-school samples of fourth graders in 43 jurisdictions. Nearly 140,000 students were assessed in…

This paper summarizes a study conducted to determine whether sustained silent reading (SSR) can contribute to improvement in grammar and reading comprehension in university academic English as a foreign language (EFL) courses. A total of 186 beginning and intermediate students enrolled in the English for Academic Purposes program at the…

A program was developed for improving the reading of first-grade students in a progressive suburban community in northern Illinois. The problem was originally noted by an increase in the need for support services and low standardized test scores. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of the relationship between…

A study examined the effectiveness of the spring-semester 1993 implementation of the CONSULT-I(R) program, which uses artificial intelligence with statistical pattern recognition in constructing a diagnosis and recommending treatment of reading difficulties. Eight classroom teachers and two Gifted and Talented coordinators at South Avondale…

A study examined the effectiveness of the second year of implementation of the CONSULT-I program, which uses artificial intelligence with statistical pattern recognition in constructing a diagnosis and recommending treatment of reading difficulties. Five elementary classroom teachers, two ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) teachers, and…