Three experiments examined the comprehension effects of manipulating the spatial configuration of prose materials with readers who differed in lateral preference. In each investigation, adult readers of normal verbal facility who differed in their lateral preference patterns were presented with prose passages which varied orthographically. Thirty…

A study examined the roles of reading in a community by describing the reading activities of individuals and demographic subgroups of individuals. After the preliminary, trial phase to determine the feasibility of the survey, 109 adult wage earners from 4 occupation groups, in a community of 6,000 households, responded to an inventory designed to…

A study investigated the conditions and processes that stimulate questions in adults. During the experiment, the amount of effort required to assimilate a prose text was manipulated and the influence of this factor on the number of questions asked as well as on the capacity of retaining information was examined. This was done by activating…

Using Atkinson's Keyword Method--an imagery mnemonic for vocabulary learning--as a vehicle, this paper argues that even the most well-reasoned and explainable psychological outcomes need to be validated empirically. The paper provides 12 examples of applications of the keyword method in which an eminently reasonable cognitive outcome was…

A study of formula fiction books was conducted to determine how these books fit into women's lives, what images they bring to mind, and what uses they serve. Seventy-two women from the ages of 18 to 70 read a Harlequin Romance novel by Sue Byfield. Then the group participated in several focus group discussions, a qualitative indepth technique that…

Reviews the literature on the importance of linguistics in reading instruction at the elementary level. (RB)

Reviews the literature in teaching reading as a second language. (RB)

Indicates that the two tests measure distinct factors in reading comprehension. (RB)

Our understanding of a story is highly dependent upon our ability to recognize the underlying purpose for actions described in the story. We need to view those actions as steps in, or reactions to, plans. This paper sketches some of the components of a model for the understanding of plans and social actions. The model is first applied to narrative…

Analysis of variance applied to measured working times indicated that the Flesch takes significantly longer to use than Automated Readability Index and the Fog Count. (RB)

Discusses the literacy problem in Britain, presents research on reading skills, and examines a variety of efforts to improve the reading skills of youngsters. (RB)

Briefly reviews some of the literature on the reading habits and interests of high school age students, and describes the different kinds of literature they read. (RB)

Article describes the development of a simple recorder of reading behavior, and an experiment in which it is used to investigate the effect on reading behavior of altering the spatial relationship between a diagram and its reference point within the test. (Author)

Concludes that monosyllabic words are easier for beginning readers to read than are polysyllabic words and that children just learning to read should be taught phonics skills with monosyllabic words. (RB)

Examines the scoring and interpretation practices of well qualified reading specialists in oral reading. (RB)