Describes how poetry can be used with the different types of creative drama, including finger plays, pantomime and movement, Readers Theater, sensory awareness, storytelling, choral reading, action poems, role playing, and characterization. (MG)

Characteristics of the range of intensities yielding maximum word recognition scores and of the threshold for monosyllabic words were investigated in 110 elderly subjects with mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss, using Auditec W-22 word recognition function. The range decreased as the magnitude of hearing loss increased. (Author/JDD)

Twelve learning-disabled (LD) children (ages 9-11) with language impairments performed more poorly on 3 verbal metaphor tasks and a visual metaphor task than 12 LD children without language impairments, who, in turn, performed more poorly than 12 nondisabled children on all but the visual task. Context variations had no effect on performance.…

Twenty-four 12- to 19-month-old children were studied to examine the cognitive basis for the emergence of verbs. Substantial increases in verb comprehension across contexts, abstract cognition, and the ability to engage in symbolic action were observed, suggesting a relationship between underlying cognitive development and increased verb…

Interviews Marilyn Jager Adams about her book "Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print." Discusses the critical issues of phonics versus whole language and what she hopes teachers will gain from the book. (MG)

A story telling contest was used with 21 inner-city learning-disabled students (ages 9-15) to improve writing, reading, and comprehension skills. Measurable improvements in writing, organizational, and vocabulary skills were noted as was the development of student feelings of accomplishment. (DB)

The article reviews cognitive psychology's contributions to understanding the development of reading skills. Key concepts are phonological and linguistic awareness, schemata, learning strategies, metacognition, and learning as a social interaction. (Author/DB)

A study investigated aspects of reading comprehension for familiar and unfamiliar topics among native and nonnative English-speaking college students enrolled in French and Italian courses. Results suggest that, as comprehension proficiency improves, qualitative differences appear rather than just quantitative ones. Background knowledge was found…

Explores some of the current thinking on the cognitive processes involved in reading in a foreign language and describes alternative learning activities based on an analysis of these processes. (49 references) (GLR)

Focuses on the performance levels of the Test of English for Educational Purposes (TEEP) and English Language Testing Service (ELTS) tests. It is concluded that more attention should be paid to the process underlying test performance. (15 references) (GLR)

The ethnographic study of four successful intermediate level resource teachers working with high risk urban children found similarities in their instruction of reading comprehension (e.g., using activities personally meaningful to the child) and changing students' miscue patterns. Significant differences also emerged as well as nonuse of some…

Among 68 rural learning-disabled students in grades 5-7 having moderate decoding fluency and high decoding accuracy, a paraphrasing cognitive strategy increased reading comprehension of main ideas more effectively than repeated readings or control training. Paraphrasing plus repeated readings was no more effective than paraphrasing alone. Contains…

Examines the "levels effect" (the theory that more important text elements are more likely to be remembered than less important elements) in children and adults when reading expository text. Finds differences between adults and children in the extent to which they engaged in the type of processing that resulted in levels effects. (MG)

Discusses the problems of teaching critical reading and the lack of progress toward the solutions to the problems. Suggests a definition of critical reading and methodologies for its teaching. Presents a classroom observation checklist to evaluate students' critical reading processes. (MG)

Discusses how reading comprehension can be improved, how reading fluency is positively affected, and how reading motivation is increased by using drama in the reading classroom. Presents eight practical ideas for incorporating drama into the classroom. (RS)