Describes the sophisticated reading strategies of two eight-year-old boys. Notes that the boys were thought to be about average or below average in reading achievement. Concludes that the standardized measures used to judge their reading achievement penalized the boys for their working class backgrounds and for their everyday use of Caribbean…

Describes changes in literacy engagement during Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI), a new approach to teaching reading, writing, and science that emphasizes real-world science observations, student self-direction, strategy instruction, collaborative learning, self-expression, and coherence of literacy learning experiences. Finds that…

Examines the effectiveness of a skill-based individualized reading program on the reading achievement of adults and adolescents of low reading ability. Finds a significant improvement in reading skills. Notes that the outcome was replicated in two separate experiments across two different populations. (RS)

Examines the relationship between children's reading performance and their use of cohesion in writing. Finds that good readers achieved significantly more complex cohesive harmony in their writing than poor readers, who made significantly more inappropriate use of cohesive devices. Concludes that knowledge of cohesion is related to children's…

Analyzes elementary teachers' interactions with students during guided reading of basal reader selections to determine the extent to which the interactions promote students' metacomprehension abilities. Finds that teachers assumed most of the responsibility for students' comprehension themselves rather than conducting the lessons in a manner that…

Presents a case study of a learning disabilities teacher who struggled with the traditional instructional approaches and who adopted a literature-based, whole language program. Presents the teachers' reflective comments along with references from the literature of whole language researchers and theorists. (RS)

Examines the content of the pamphlet "What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning." Asks (1) what it means to say it is "drawn from""Becoming a Nation of Readers"; and (2) whether the editors are guilty of political chicanery with reading research, as some have argued. (RS)

Investigates effects of prior knowledge, explicitness, and clause order on fifth and sixth grade readers' ability to infer causal cohesive ties in expository text. Finds significant effects for prior knowledge for fifth and sixth grade students on all variables except the cohesion cloze task. (SG)

Meta-analysis was used to assess the effect of metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension. Twenty studies from the reading research literature were compiled and quantitatively synthesized. Results affirm the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies, especially for junior high school students. Textual inconsistency awareness,…

Reports on a content analysis of four popular first-grade basal series, examining decoding and comprehension instruction in teachers' manuals, student texts, workbooks, and supplementary activity packages. Reports that none of the programs present a balanced approach to teaching decoding and comprehension with very comprehensible stories. (MM)

Tests the hypothesis that differences between first-language (L1) and second-language (L2) reading and spelling profiles could be accounted for by lack of proficiency in the L2 or differences in orthographic complexity. Finds that neither of these explanations alone sufficed to explain the development of reading and spelling in the two languages…

Investigates the Spanish literacy development of 20 low-socioeconomic-status Spanish dominant students learning in whole-language classrooms. Notes that the children used a variety of reading and writing strategies. Finds that students learned about meaning construction through the use of whole language and that meaning construction was associated…

Elaborates on issues surrounding the whole language debate, particularly the issue of qualitative research. Discusses differences in what the opposing parties mean by "research." Submits that, although it is reasonable to hold teachers accountable for learning, there are valid criticisms of traditional standardized testing. Speculates…

Describes a sustained silent reading program in a 9th-grade reading class of 60 students, most of them at-risk students. Finds that, on average, students improved 3.9 grade levels in their reading. (SR)

Analyzes research cited in "Library Literature" during the past year that concerns school libraries. Topics examined include censorship issues; information literacy and library instruction; reading; the use of technology, especially microcomputers; and comprehensive state surveys. (14 references) (LRW)