The effects of affective and cognitive variables, and of socioeconomic status, on academic ability were studied using 171 Israeli seventh-grade boys. Some effects were noted for affective variables, reading comprehension, and socioeconomic status. (GDC)

Outlines a two-day lesson designed to illustrate how using a tape recorder can improve listening, reading, comprehension, and writing skills. After listening to "The Arrival of Africans to the American Colonies," students answer questions using the notes they took while listening. (KC)

Describes research conducted in France on text readability and suggests that readability formulas give high scores to redundant texts that have no great interest and penalize texts with original information. Argues that a coefficient should be incorporated into readability formulas that reflects the nature of the text. (MKM)

The ability of elementary children to read texts distorted to reduce sound, shape, or orthographic cues was observed. Good readers (reading age of over seven years) found distorted orthographic cues more difficult than reduced sound or shape cues. Poorer readers were not differentially affected by the three types of distortions. (Author/SJL)

Indicates that second, third, and fourth grade children performed significantly better on an easily discriminable word identification test than on a highly confusing version. (FL)

Discusses elements other than reading level that can affect ease of understanding vocational materials. Groups these elements into four major areas: (1) vocabulary, (2) sentence structure, (3) organization (the way sentences are arranged into paragraphs), and (4) relevance (the way the author relates the topic to the reader's experience). (LRA)

An investigation was conducted to identify and compare the reasoning strategies used by above-average and average readers in reading comprehension. Findings indicated that both groups used various types of reasoning strategies in comprehension, but that there were significant quantitative differences between the groups in application and success…

Discusses the common problems encountered by Israeli students in reading specialized English discourse in four different disciplines. (CFM)

The effect of cheat-sheets on later test performance was investigated. Results indicated poorer test performance when a cheat-sheet was made and not used, compared to when it was made and used, not made, or made with the awareness that it could not be used during testing. (Author/MH)

Common misconceptions about children's reading difficulties are discussed, and practical suggestions for classroom remedies are presented. (LH)

Reports that reading rate gains that may have been derived from a film-aided speed reading course were not retained when the subjects encountered difficult reading material. (FL)

Explores two approaches to discourse structure and comprehension. Illustrates that prior knowledge is ued in conjunction with cues to construct the macrostructure of the story. Provides evidence that text comprehension is based on the presentation of the propositions of the story. (PMJ)

Describes a question-answering procedure for probing the reader's internal representation of prose. Examines two dimensions of a reader's conceptual organization of plot: hierarchical level and relational density of propositions. (PMJ)

Suggests that books written for English-speaking children can be used effectively in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom. The teacher may choose one particular text to use effectively in many different ways. (CFM)

A schools council study concludes that: secondary students are not being taught to read thoughtfully, texts and worksheets are too difficult, insufficient time is allotted to silent reading, and reading comprehension should not be taught as a discrete skill. The SRA Reading Laboratories are suggested as one tactic for improvement. (SJL)