A study investigated Chapter 1 students' activities and experiences during the time allocated to reading instruction. Subjects, 119 fourth and fifth grade students in a large city school system (66 subjects receiving remedial instruction in an in-class setting and 53 in a pullout setting), were observed systematically over a four-month period…

A longitudinal study examined the factors that facilitate or hinder Native American children's literacy acquisition. Subjects, 18 three-year-old children attending Headstart classes on the Lummi Reservation in northwest Washington, were observed during their daily hour of free play for an entire school year. The subjects' experiences with drawing,…

Intended to help professionals remain knowledgeable about current research in reading and to serve as a relatively accessible bibliographic source of research on a specific topic, this annual report summarizes approximately 800 reading research reports identified between July 1, 1985, and June 30, 1986. The summaries are arranged into six major…

There are 10 papers in this collection from the Division of Education and Research: (1) "The Importance of Basic Training in Marketing for Librarians and Information Professionals" (French and English versions; Rejean Savard); (2) "Information Management Education: Some Interdisciplinary Approaches" (Marianne Broadbent); (3) "Educational…

A study examined the effect on reading achievement, mathematics achievement, and ACT scores when computer based instruction (CBI) was compressed into a 6-week period of time. In addition, the effects of learning style and receptive language deficits on these scores were studied. Computer based instruction is a primary source of instruction that…

A naturalistic study (last of a three-part project) investigated how the reading and writing of children was affected by previous textual experiences. Subjects, first-grade students in one of seven classes in a small independent Christian school, were observed for about 2 hours weekly during their language period. Data consisted of detailed field…

A study investigated the results of the use of Form E (Vocabulary and Comprehension subtests) of the Nelson-Denny Reading Test (NDRT) with six successive cohorts of freshmen entering a midwestern state university. The purpose of the study was to determine the relationships existing between NDRT scores and other indicators of academic success such…

Initial general discussion of reading and writing is followed by discussions focusing on the process of learning to read, methods and texts, and ways to promote reading. The topic of the way one learns to read is addressed in terms of: (1) a definition of "knowing how to read"; (2) the distinction between teaching and learning; and (3) basic…

The "Doctor Bird Readers" represent a first attempt by the Jamaican government to produce readers for children in grades four-six by using Jamaican authors and artists. This study examined whether cultural relevancy was achieved in the development of stories for the "Doctor Bird Readers." A quantitative questionnaire combined…

A study focused on families whose children were successful but not exceptional students in kindergarten. Subjects were eight parents (all mothers) whose children had been enrolled the previous year in a kindergarten program that maintained a whole language curricular orientation. The children (four girls and four boys) were highly successful in…

A study examined whether or not high school teachers could name or list the reading skills needed by their students. The three skills categories were comprehending expository text, understanding content area vocabulary, and applying word analysis skills. The questions used to elicit information from teachers were (1) What must students do to…

A study examined whether teaching a specific reading strategy could improve the reading comprehension and memory of young (18 to 32) and older (62 and older) high school educated adults with average to high vocabulary test scores. The "plan strategy" was identified through an examination of what more than 1,000 adults wrote down as they…

Defining readability in both the narrow sense of formula use and refinement and the broader sense of the processing and comprehension of language, this paper argues for the need for more research focusing on readability as a way of improving the match between reader and text. Following a brief introduction, the paper reviews current readability…

Using two original children's books and adaptations of these books created by basal reader publishers, a study investigated (1) whether children prefer original, unadapted stories that may have longer sentences and more vocabulary items than are permitted by readability formulas for their grade level, or the adaptations of those stories, which…

A study examined three different basal reading series (MacMillan, Harcourt-Brace, and Scott Foresman) at four different levels for the types of stories found in the readers, as well as for acts of reading portrayed in the stories. Subjects, 12 second grade students at a New Jersey elementary school, completed a teacher-constructed inventory on the…