THE FINDINGS OF A PILOT STUDY OF THE PERSONAL USE OF BOOKS BY ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND OF THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THEIR READING ARE PRESENTED. CHAPTER I, "READING--A PERSONAL VIEW," PRESENTS EXCERPTS OF INTERVIEWS WITH BUSINESSMEN, HOUSEWIVES, AND STUDENTS OF THE CHICAGO AREA WHO WERE CHOSEN AT RANDOM AND WHO WERE WILLING TO…

This volume suggests not only that the reading process is more complex than previously assumed but that, like so many other cognitive and linguistic skills, the richness and depth of the complexity increase the more closely it is examined. Each chapter focuses upon various aspects of the reading process and provides for possible innovations and…

This handbook is designed to give background information on the Mini-Assessment of Functional Literacy, a criterion-referenced test designed to determine the extent of functional literacy among seventeen year olds in America. The five format categories identified for the test were passages; drawings, pictures, signs, etc.; charts, maps, graphs;…

A survey of research indicates that a high correlation exists between the attending behavior of beginning readers and their ability to learn to read. Level of attention can be associated with ability to ignore unrelated stimuli, interest in the reading material, perceptual problems, and the sex of the reader. It is suggested that sex differences…

Forty fourth-grade students participated in a study of the effects of intact-group versus small-group discussion on type and level of verbalization and on reading attitudes. The experimental group, divided in subgroups of five pupils each, discussed seven stories; the control group discussed the same stories as an intact class with teacher…

Presents a framework for conceptualizing development of individual differences in reading ability that emphasizes the effects of reading on cognitive development and on "bootstrapping" relationships involving reading. Uses the framework to explicate some persisting problems in the literature on reading disability and to conceptualize…

Reports on a study of six fourth grade reading groups that were observed to see if vocabulary instruction was a priority, what kinds of vocabulary instruction occurred, and what shaped teaching decisions. (JC)

Third in a series of four articles devoted to parents and reading. Focuses upon parental involvement in reading and examines research and activities that can be beneficial at home and at school. (HTH)

Indicates that segmentation significantly aided the comprehension of narrative and expository materials for hearing impaired students who read at a second-grade level. (NKA)

Briefly summarizes popular perspectives on the native-language reading process; presents pertinent studies of second-language reading; and analyzes these studies for pedagogical implications in three categories: organization of prior knowledge during the pre-reading phase; development of metacognitive skills during the reading act; and careful…

Describes a study indicating statistically significant differences between the two groups of intellectually superior four- and five-year-olds in the areas of story recall and print awareness, and that the accelerated readers of this age group tend to have mothers who have deliberately provided their children with reading instruction. (HTH)

Lists suggestions for alternative methods of evaluation that will bring teaching and evaluation methods into close correspondence (as opposed to following creative teaching with a memorization test). Contends methods of evaluation should become part of the learning process, not just measure recall of information given by the teacher. (SKC)

Notes that expository text, the predominant form of writing in content textbooks, is generally more difficult for students to comprehend than narrative, which predominates in basal readers. Recommends the use of extended anticipation guides as a strategy for helping students build background knowledge for understanding content area texts. (SKC)

Examines the word-reading strategies of a sample of second- and third-grade students in normal classrooms, focusing on the students' relative reliance on decoding versus sight-word associations. Suggests that lack of efficient decoding skills will begin to take a toll on reading comprehension by grade 3. (SR)

Evaluates Moira Juliebo's research report (same issue) on early literacy development. Asserts that basic concepts and attitudes toward literacy, reading, and writing must be reformulated, focusing on what "non-readers" know and can do in interactions with print rather than on what they can not do. (MM)