This study investigated the effects of graphic advance organizers and schematic cognitive-mapping organizers upon the comprehension of 146 ninth grade students of below-average reading ability. Students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: graphic advance organizer, schematic cognitive-map organizer, and control. A 15-item, informal…

To examine the effect on comprehension of mistakes made while reading, a three-experiment study was conducted. A secondary aim was to determine whether the unskilled reader would make hypotheses about what words in the text should be. In the first test, 80 nine-year-old students with average or above average reading abilities read narrative…

In discussing word recognition, Kenneth Goodman argues that preoccupation with words, leters, and sounds cuts off children from the meaning-seeking function of reading; that oral and written language are parallel modes of obtaining meaning from language; and that reading is a selective rather than a precise process of word perception. A review of…

Analysis of the requirements for diagnostic testing of the early stages of reading competence shows that diagnostic testing needs to focus on decoding, word knowledge, and sentence processing. Reading diagnostic tests also need to assess "entry" skills for the assignment of pupils to instruction, and "exit" skills at each grade…

The amount of print that 42 college students apprehended in 40 millisecond tachistoscopic flash presentations was monitored for strings of random letters, unrelated words, and words in context (sentences). The results indicated that mean apprehension spans per flash were 3.7 letters for random letters, 9.3 letters (2.0 words) for unrelated words,…

Items from a widely used standardized reading achievement test were rated by trained judges according to the degree to which they required an understanding of hierarchical classification. Two subtests were constructed from subsets of items that were identified by their extreme ratings. Subtest A was judged to require classification operations from…

Research shows that effectively used writing plans (models of text organization) promote understanding of messages and that students can learn to use these plans. Writing plans include overall plans (antecedent/consequent, comparison, description, and response), emphasis plans that highlight certain subtopics, and cohesion plans that refer to the…

Reviews of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (N-D) for college students indicate that the test may not be appropriate for all college students. Although the N-D is easy to administer and score, some of its traits make it questionable for use in evaluating open admissions students: it is timed; it measures vocabulary, rate, and comprehension in a mere…

In a study of the readability of Air Force regulations, the writer-estimated reading grade level (RGL) for each regulation was rechecked by using the FORCAST readability formula. In four of the seven cases, the regulation writers underestimated the RGL of their regulation by more than one grade level. None of the writers produced a document with…

The purpose of this investigation was to discover whether any significant differences in reading comprehension would occur when either a "product" or a "process" cloze procedure was used as a teaching technique. The product approach is based on one correct answer per cloze blank, while the process approach considers all answers relative to the…

A review of the literature on miscue analysis supports the assumption that reading is a language process. All three language cue systems--graphophonic, syntactic, and semantic--must interact if reading for meaning is to occur, and a whole language environment is necessary for a student to develop reading proficiency. (AEA)

THE STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO DETERMINE WHETHER SCORES FROM A CLOZE TEST WOULD DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY FROM SCORES ON SELECTED STANDARDIZED SILENT AND ORAL READING TESTS. PUPILS IN GRADES 1 THROUGH 6 IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE MIDWEST (N-178) SERVED AS SUBJECTS. THE MEAN INTELLIGENCE QUOTIENT FOR THE TOTAL GROUP WAS 101.7. THE VARIABLES CONSIDERED…

THE IDENTIFICATION AND RECTIFICATION OF PERSONAL READING NEEDS THROUGH INDIVIDUALIZED READING PROCEDURES ARE DISCUSSED. THE SHIFT OF CORRECTIVE READING FROM GROUP TO INDIVIDUAL NEEDS IS URGED. REMEDIATION SHOULD BEGIN WITH TOPICS AGREEABLE AND ENJOYABLE TO THE LEARNER. THROUGH PUPIL CONFERENCES AND AN INFORMAL READING INVENTORY USING THIS TYPE OF…

This paper discusses discourse comprehension with respect to individual differences. First, some general principles of discourse structure and the processing of discourse are presented. These principles emphasize the role of sentence and thematic structure. Second, possible sources of individual differences in discourse processing are discussed.…

Developing prerequisite learning skills and strategies and providing knowledge necessary to further learning in a particular discipline are the dual roles of a middle-grade content-area teacher. This paper demonstrates how these dual roles can support each other in developing readiness for learning. The importance of readiness for learning is…