A study examined young children's emergent reading abilities through analysis of their assisted storybook interactions. Twelve storybooks were read to 41 preschool children during a two-week period preceding interviews. During the interviews, each child was asked to "read" a favorite storybook aloud to a stuffed animal and to the…

This study assessed the usefulness of the dynamic testing approach to optimize testing procedures by reducing or eliminating bias, conceived of as error in measurement attributable to factors entering into performance which were not the target of the assessment. The study examined: (1) whether the dynamic assessment approach yields information…

A questionnaire on reading was administered to every student in the St. Joseph, Missouri, "Rainbow" program for gifted and talented readers. The same questionnaire was administered to a cross sectional sample of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in regular classrooms in the same district. Among other things, results showed that (1) 75% of…

International students travel in many ways. First of all geographically: they move from one country to another. Secondly, they travel through their own identities: they have to find a new place in a new context by familiarizing themselves with new values and customs, while making sure they meet the requirements their studies ask of them. Writing…

The construct validity of four self-concept (SC) traits (general SC, academic SC, English SC, mathematics SC), as measured by three different scales (Likert, semantic differential, Guttman) for low- (n=252) and high-track (n=588) Canadian high school students, was assessed using both the Campbell-Fiske criteria, and a comparison of hierarchically…

Drawing from the literature on reading research and theories, this paper discusses the problems of community college students with severe reading/writing deficits, reviews the advantages and limitations of various approaches to reading instruction, and suggests a new method of word decoding. First, the paper explores the difficulties facing the…

General findings from an analysis of district-wide and school-level efforts to develop highly able, economically disadvantaged students' academic skills and creative talents in mathematics and science are described. Data were collected from 29 school districts or schools located throughout the United States. Telephone interviews were conducted…

Articles in these two issues of the newsletter on teaching adult literacy in English as a Second Language (ESL) address the following topics: (1) using time cards and paychecks in the classroom; (2) phonics and reading instruction; (3) dyslexia and ESL adult literacy; (4) a conference session on directions in adult literacy research; (5) literacy…

"Now Johnny CAN Learn to Read" is an easy-to-read book intended for anyone involved in helping others learn to read. An initial section of the book focuses on how to make reading a socially stimulating, successful activity. In this section, viewpoints are shared from a child and a parent, and a reading specialist tells of the successes…

A study examined the relationship between reading instruction method, sex of learner, word learning proficiency and reading achievement in the first grade. Subjects were 78 males and 88 females chosen from two white, middle class suburban schools, one having a sight vocabulary instruction program, the other a phonic basal program. Students were…

These materials were developed in the course of research on "Cognitive Growth through Peer Collaboration." Materials were developed and adapted for teaching spatial reasoning and logical reasoning to fourth grade students. The document contains: (1) descriptions of the various tasks involved; (2) outlines of each of the activities which were…

The results of a study of six rural Appalachian high schools in Kentucky and Tennessee are presented. Multiple data sources were used to identify the relative effectiveness of these schools. Data were collected via administration of the: Wayson School Climate and Context Inventory to a stratified random sample of 20 faculty; Likert's…

A study examined the identification of distinct subgroups of learning-disabled young adults based on their ability to generate written language. Two subgroups of learning-disabled college students, the language strong/visually weak (N=22) and the visually strong/language weak (N=10), were identified based on evaluation of 32 essays. Subjects were…

A course of study was researched, designed, and implemented to improve the writing of fifth-grade students. Objectives of the program were to develop more positive feelings about writing while increasing the quantity, quality, and variety of writing. Cooperative learning and process writing was discussed with the participants, their parents, and…

A study examined the relative comprehension difficulty and the influence of reader and text characteristics on reading comprehension for texts presented in traditional print or on the microcomputer screen. Two urban samples of mixed ethnicity were used, 95 low reading level high school students (grades 9 through 12) and 112 high ability eighth…