A study examined the reading practices in various secondary content classrooms. As part of assigned observations in secondary schools, students in three sections of an undergraduate class in secondary teaching methodology which included a literacy component were instructed to complete a data sheet for each class they observed. Observations from 38…

A taxonomy of teacher responses to pupils' connected reading was developed to characterize the instructional decisions and development of teacher interactions with individual readers. In developing this instrument, content analysis procedures were used to investigate actual teacher responses to readers. The X axis (reading categories) of the…

A case study assessed the effectiveness of Reading Recovery as a reading intervention program for students in the first grade. The subject was a 6-year-old boy in the first grade who was experiencing difficulty in learning to read. The student was selected to receive tutoring based on his scores on informal reading assessments as well as on his…

Two studies examined the effectiveness of the Multicultural Reading and Thinking Program (McRAT), in which teachers infuse higher-order thinking strategies and performance-based assessment into classroom instruction. Four broad categories of thinking skills are included: analysis, comparison, inference/interpretation, and evaluation. In the first…

Practitioners and researchers argue about how reading should be taught, about what students should read, and about how best to organize reading instruction in the classroom. Diverse methods are used to teach reading. These range from isolated skills-based (intensive phonics/basal reading programs) to integrated, whole language approaches that…

The purpose of this study was to determine if reading aloud to children regularly would have an effect on their motivation and desire to read independently. Subjects, 100 fourth and fifth grade students in Wayne, New Jersey, participated in the study. One fourth and one fifth grade class were read to on a daily basis for 30 minutes. The second…

This paper attempts to bring information to a broad audience on children's utilization of semantic and syntax context clues in reading. It reviews the research of several contemporary theorists who indicate that semantics and syntax are overlapping processes. The simultaneous use of these processes enable young, particularly struggling readers to…

This report presents the results of the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. Results in 1998 are compared to those in 1994 and 1992. It provides results for subgroups of students defined by various background…

This report presents highlights from the 1998 NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) reading assessment of 4th-, 8th-, and 12th-grade students for the nation and for participating states or jurisdictions. Results in 1998 are compared to those in 1994 and 1992. The report provides results for subgroups of students defined by various…

This study offered a means of evaluating the long-term effects of the Beginning with Books gift packet program on literacy experiences provided by the family, on the children's literacy and language abilities, and on the skills of the children involved in the program as perceived by their kindergarten teachers. The program is a nonprofit…

A practicum was implemented to provide low-achieving first-grade students with individualized instruction that would teach strategies to assist them in becoming independent readers. Secondary goals were: (1) to implement and develop a Chapter 1 Reading Improvement Plan targeted for low achieving first graders; (2) to improve reading self-esteem;…

A study focused on the background factors that are most closely related to reading instruction and reading performance, including instructional approaches, reading experiences, home influences, and demographic characteristics. Data for these assessments were collected in the spring of 1988 and 1990 from a nationally representative sample of…

A series of eight videoconferences was designed to help educational professionals improve schools by applying knowledge gained from research. During the videoconference programs, which are transmitted by satellite to facilities with receiving capacity, viewers can interact by telephone with the program presenters. Each program covers a specific…

An exploratory case study examined the distribution patterns and subsequent use of "Research within Reach: A Research Guided Response to Concerns of Reading Educators" in three states during the period October 1978 to February 1980. Copies of the book were distributed at regional conferences, state workshops, inservice workshops, and via…

Building on one aspect of a large-scale longitudinal investigation, a study examined first graders' engagement with literature. Subjects, five Euro-American students (two males, three females), were videotaped during two 30-minute storybook reading sessions one week apart. During the reading session, child and adult sat side-by-side in an effort…