A study investigaged: (1) whether learners of English as a Second Language can attend to meaning and form simultaneously; (2) how the nature of the linguistic form might affect processing for meaning; and (3) whether the learner's ability to focus on particular linguistic features is affected by whether or not those features have been acquired.…

This paper investigates the intentional creation of ambiguity by composers of cryptic crossword puzzles. Taking a research question of "what makes a cryptic clue more difficult to solve than a simple crossword clue," it compares a sample of cryptic and quick crosswords from "The Guardian" and attempts to isolate the linguistic…

A study examined children's memory of stories under three varying conditions and focused on how different interaction styles and children's innate abilities affect literacy development. The three conditions tested closely mirrored the three story-reading styles evidenced by teachers of young children were: (1) a control condition where there was…

A content analysis was conducted of think-aloud protocols of a teacher who used the Mathematics Assessment Questionnaire (MAQ) to explore the mathematical dispositions of her students. The teacher used the MAQ four times over a 2-year period with geometry students at various levels. On the first occasion, the teacher used a direct instruction…

A study examined a comparison of the effectiveness of cooperative learning in small groups with whole classroom instruction using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) during reading. Subjects for the 8-week study were 53 sixth-graders from 2 classes in Brooklyn, New York. The stories used all came from the same basal reader. A reading…

Intended for students taking the Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in English 30, this "questions booklet" presents 70 multiple choice test items based on 8 reading selections in the accompanying readings booklet. After instructions for students, the booklet presents the multiple choice items which test students' comprehension of the poetry,…

Intended for students taking the Grade 12 Diploma Examinations in English 30, this "readings booklet" presents 8 reading selections from fiction and nonfiction. After instructions for students, the booklet presents (1) Robert Penn Warren's poem "Summer Afternoons and Hypnosis"; (2) an excerpt from an interview with William…

Organized around the content literacy model, this book provides scholarly and pragmatic information about teaching in the content areas and suggests a variety of successful strategies for incorporating reading, writing, listening, and speaking that can become part of a teacher's repertoire. The content literacy model used in the book arises from…

This paper describes a computerized listening comprehension text created using an authoring system and designed for intermediate students of Chinese as a second language. The 12 lessons, enhanced with sound, animated visuals, and feedback, guide students in using appropriate top-down and bottom-up processing strategies to improve listening…

Two studies focused on children's reading but employed very different procedures and techniques. The first study examined the link between the levels of children's reading comprehension and the quantity of reading they did. Subjects, 198 children chosen at random from years 5, 6, and 7 of a single elementary school in Adelaide, Australia,…

This project report describes the development of a literacy curriculum that introduced the elements of democracy. After reviewing existing print and video materials, a curriculum design team of literacy practitioners and civic activists prepared a draft curriculum and pilot tested it in six adult literacy classes. Based on feedback from teachers…

A writing exercise used in one college-level introductory Spanish literature course has been found helpful in converting student frustration into a challenge and changing perceptions of the teacher from adversary to ally. When the first reading assignment is due, the teacher tells the students how frustrating the class can be and lets them begin…

A study investigated how a knowledge or lack of knowledge of basic text structures, such as comparison and contrast and cause and effect, contributes to the reading process in remedial adolescent readers. By observing a group of graduate students and through the close study of a few adolescent case studies, a researcher attempted to determine if…

Based on current research in reading, this book presents an informal reading inventory designed to assess reading ability at emergent through junior high levels. It includes narrative and expository passages at each level, questions to assess prior knowledge, and word lists. It focuses assessment on specific questions regarding word…

Highlighting the important innovations embodied in the 1992 National Assessment of Educational Progress' (NAEP) Reading Report Card, this report provides information on how the NAEP's large-scale reading assessment is evolving in response to changing perceptions of reading development and assessment procedures. Included in the report is an…