This article provides social studies teachers with practical strategies for improving the student's ability to perceive the organizational structure of social studies materials. Sample activities are included. (Author/JR)

A 2 X 2 factorial design employing two levels each of type of method and preference for method was used to evaluate the respective effects of the factors on comprehension. (Editor)

The report presents an analysis of the underlying structure of simple stories and examines the implications of such structure for recall. Data comparing recall by children and adults suggest that story schemata differ somewhat at various points in development and that consequently there are qualitative differences in recall. (RC)

Discusses research findings that indicate that while basic reading skills are improving noticeably at the lower grade levels, there is cause for concern about the decline in more advanced levels of reading comprehension at the higher grade levels. (Author/JG)

Examines three complete basal reading programs to determine how frequently logically necessary relationships are expressed in the text and whether direct instruction in making logically necessary inferences accompanies such expressions in basals. Finds that, although basals offer a natural context in which logical understanding may be constructed,…

Describes a jigsaw puzzle activity, a two-part cooperative learning activity useful at any level of mathematics instruction, intended to teach students to become "strategic readers" of their mathematics textbooks. (SR)

Discusses three ways elementary teachers can improve student understanding expository text through reading and writing of information trade books: reading and writing about information trade books; reading and creating innovations on information trade books; and reading and writing retellings of information trade books. (SR)

This study investigated the relationship of the graphemic features of words to reading comprehension in students ages 6-12 who completed reading/decoding and reading comprehension testing. The relationship between word recognition and comprehension was high but dropped slightly for older children. (SM)

Evaluation of the metacognitive strategies used by four upper elementary gifted students with reading disabilities during a reading comprehension think-aloud task found that, although the students monitored their reading and reported use of evaluation, paraphrase, and regulation metacognitive strategies, they were not proficient in these…

The effects of color on the reading recognition and comprehension of 3 students (ages 10 to 11) with learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were assessed in 2 studies using a single-subject design. Color did not enhance sight-word learning; however, for longer reading comprehension tasks, color had an immediate positive…

Compares revisions of the same chapter from a computer manual, one revision by a group using conventional revision techniques and another revision by a group using concept mapping. Finds that revision time was not significantly different between groups, nor were an editor's ratings, but that readers' comprehension was significantly higher with the…

Teachers in Highland Park, Michigan, conducted research and began an interactive reading-instruction program for students who were not succeeding in school. Reciprocal teaching, which trains students to use four strategies (generating questions, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting) for improving reading comprehension, raised hopes,…

Fifty adults (ages 28-86) with macular degeneration were given the Low Vision Reading Comprehension Assessment (LVRCA) to test its reliability and validity in evaluating the reading comprehension of those with vision impairments. The LVRCA was found to take only nine minutes to administer and was a valid and reliable tool. (CR)

Argues against the linguistic account of children's responses to sentences with universal quantification and reports on investigations of their comprehension and production of quantificational sentences. The article concludes that young children have full grammatical competence with universal quantification. (58 references) (Author/CK)

The effects of key words and previewing on the rate of words read correctly and the reading comprehension of a language minority student (age 10) were analyzed. The student read more words correctly and answered more comprehension questions accurately after the material was previewed and key words were discussed. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)