A meta-analysis examined a series of studies by F.M. Dwyer on the effect of illustrations on text comprehension. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the four posttests used by Dwyer to more fundamental factors of learning, followed by analyses of variance. All nine studies (involving secondary-school and college students) in which…

A study examined whether informed training and computer mediated text improved reading comprehension levels, whether computer mediated text is effective when it is preceded by informed strategy training, and whether informed strategy training leads to higher levels of metacognitive awareness and more frequent use of computer assistance options.…

A study examined the effectiveness of the Reading Recovery program in the Irving, Texas, Independent School District. Subjects were students discontinued from the Reading Recovery program because they scored at or above the 40th national percentile, selected students from Chapter/Title I programs on campuses that did not implement Reading…

A study examined language learners' ability to integrate information from sentence contexts and semantic decomposition in interpreting novel kanji compounds (i.e., words consisting of two or more Japanese characters). Subjects, 59 English-speaking college students learning Japanese, inferred the meanings of 72 unknown compounds consisting of…

A study examined the predictive validity of two methods of prior knowledge assessment: free association and prediction. Subjects, 72 sixth graders from suburban public and private schools, were divided into four groups: standard free association; standard free association plus prediction; definitional free association; and definitional free…

Focusing on how teachers can integrate computers into reading/writing instruction, this ERIC digest presents guidelines for helping language arts teachers match their use of computers with what is known about the reading/writing process. The guidelines for computers and reading presented in the digest point out that computer instruction in reading…

A study determined if there would be any significant difference in comprehension test scores when learning disabled students were instructed with and without graphic organizers while reading novels. Subjects were five male fifth-grade learning disabled students reading on the fourth-grade level, who came from the same middle-class suburban school…

Since a robust curriculum is needed to combat illiteracy in Nigeria, a study investigated whether the 4P's model of reading instruction enhanced the performance of reading comprehension teachers, promoted classroom interactions, and enhanced the language competence of students more than the classical method. Subjects were final year students and…

This paper examines whether an experimental treatment that encourages generativity and meaningful encoding can facilitate spontaneous analogical thinking, measuring the spontaneous generation of a relevant analog in solving a problem rather than the amount of factual material learned. Sixty-eight undergraduate students participated by reading the…

A study examined the effects of the level of knowledge of a second language (linguistic factor) and of the level of familiarity of texts based on cultural scripts (cultural factor) on comprehension. Subjects, 111 young adults whose average age was 23 years, were divided into 3 groups according to their different levels of linguistic knowledge. Two…

These reading comprehension exercises, based on authentic Russian texts, are aimed at developing reading strategies in lower-level students of Russian. The exercises are designed for students reading at the Novice and Intermediate levels as determined by the American Counsel on Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Educational Testing…

"Utilizing current trends in reading comprehension used in educational classes," this paper discusses "some forms of communication practiced by early black Americans and their implications for innovation in critical thinking and comprehension strategies.""Utilizing an anthropological approach, this work provides an intense…

This text, like the earlier edition, is based on an interactive view of ability and disability. It differs from the previous edition in its focus on reading and writing together as integral dimensions of literacy. The interactive approach suggests that reading or writing disability may reflect the match between the learner and the conditions of…

Published by the state of North Carolina, the purpose of this booklet is to assist teachers as they plan instruction to help students become proficient readers. The booklet contains matrices for comprehension, word identification, and instructional strategies to assist in planning and helping students be successful on the End-of-Grade (EOG) Tests…

A study examined the effects of word type and frequency of exposure on the incidental learning of unknown words in context. A target word pool of 60 words was selected to ensure unfamiliarity to the subjects, 110 male and female average fifth-grade students attending three private elementary schools in New York City. Students were randomly…