Indicates that each instructional unit was composed of several mini-lessons rather than representing an integrated and related unit organized around a central purpose. Finds that lesson parts failed to make logical connections to previous or following parts. Concludes that the nature of reading lessons could be a contributing factor to the…

Measures the effects of infusing writing components into a university reading laboratory. Reports that reading improvement was significant with writing infusions but that results are inconclusive due to lack of true experimental design. (AEW)

Explicates D. Trudell's poem about two men, unknown to each other and both approaching middle age, who shoot baskets in a moment of camaraderie. Describes use in the classroom of the poem's evocative potential to introduce students to aesthetic experience and the idea of a controlling metaphor. Quotes student responses to questions about the poem.…

Examination of two "simplified" adaptations of literary texts for less advanced learners of English as a second language found that attempts for lexical and linguistic simplification and linguistic standardization sometimes rendered the texts more difficult to comprehend and resulted in loss of narrative interest. (Author/CB)

Continuous discourse tracking, when used as a test of the effectiveness of aural rehabilitation strategies, has numerous uncontrolled variables related to the sender, the receiver, the text materials, and repeated presentations. Tracking is inappropriate for across-subject designs, and acceptable for within-subject test designs only when stringent…

Examines parents' level of education as a factor in readability of communications sent to parents. Concludes that a significant number of parents are unable to read these communications, and that readability and layout of materials should be prime considerations. (RS)

Discussion of ways in which second-language learners' processing of and interaction with narrative and expository texts affects their performance on cloze tests suggests that researchers and teachers interpreting these tests should not assume that such tests only assess language ability. (CB)

Describes how the use of a simple phonetic system adapted to the local language taught English comprehension through the recognition of keywords, and the rudiments of producing direction-giving and information-giving answers to Spanish-speaking policemen in less than 10 hours. (Author/CB)

Reports on a study that examined the relationship between understanding of specific cohesive items and general reading comprehension ability, as well as differences in performance of girls and boys. Makes suggestions for the classroom based on the findings. (ARH)

States American schools are not producing critical readers. Discusses factors involved in critical reading failure, including lack of instruction and a school environment that stresses information recall. Asserts (1) critical reading skills are best taught directly; (2) content area teachers should emphasize critical reading; and (3) speaking,…

Investigates the effect of reading ability on graphically and contextually constrained oral reading errors of fourth grade readers at differing degrees of reading difficulty. Indicates that, at both low and high levels of difficulty, better readers relied on contextual information and poor readers relied more on graphic cues. (MS)

Investigates the readability level of written materials (such as notices or newsletters) sent by six all-day kindergartens/child-parent centers to parents of disadvantaged children. Found that the readability of the materials ranged from sixth grade to higher than college level, and that the mean level was midtenth grade. (ARH)

Investigated the reading strategies of 24 first grade students. Found that the "talk aloud" procedure (Olson, Duffy, & Mack, 1983) is a feasible tool for comprehension process research with young readers, and that it is possible to differentiate between the strategic preferences of good and poor beginning readers. (ARH)

Describes how to use RE-WORD, a method for practicing reading skills with a word processor, and outlines kinds of assignments and examples of tasks. Advantages and disadvantages of the method and student attitudes toward it are discussed. (Author/LMO)

Argues that the tests used to measure reading achievement do not reflect recent advances in the understanding of the reading process, and that effective instruction best can be fostered by resolving the discrepancy between what is known and what is measured. (FL)