Presents a theory of reading and a justification in the form of a defense of a highly generalized approach to the different forms of reading and of a lexical approach to receptive grammar. The article also addresses the question of the usefulness of models in general and this one in particular, specifically with relation to foreign-language…

Charts the process by which, over some 10 years, one reader came to read a particular text "with full understanding." Indicates how crucial in that process were the complex, interacting influences of other, simpler literary texts, of the reader's own life experience, and (paradoxically) of "family" experience not consciously…

Focuses on how reading comprehension can be facilitated with a multimedia application for second language learning. Results indicate that a dynamic visual advance organizer does aid in overall comprehension and that annotations of individual vocabulary items consisting of both visual and verbal information help more than verbal information only.…

Describes a technique that combines the use of a story grammar strategy with cooperative learning procedures to promote greater reading comprehension. Step-by-step instructions for cooperative story mapping are provided, along with an illustration of a story map. The implications for special and remedial education are also discussed. (Author/CR)

Contends that talking about texts in a conversational environment, during and after reading, allows students to think about a text and think about their thinking. Explains "conversation sparks," which push students to make a variety of type of comments that include predictions, questions, clarifications, and inferences. Concludes that giving…

The "fourth grade slump" in reading comprehension still exists. Among poor children, low comprehension ruins their chances for academic success. Among all children, comprehension scores are stagnant. Research indicates that key to both problems is systematically building children's vocabulary, fluency, and domain knowledge. To improve reading,…

Describes development and testing of maze-like semantic maps for assessing reading comprehension of content-area information. Results involving 144 students (38 with learning disabilities) showed that maps could be produced and scored with high reliability. Criterion-related validity based on a standardized test was weak, but moderate-to-strong…

Discusses the cognitive characteristics, neurobiological bases, and language and reading abilities of individuals with hyperlexia. A study of 12 children (ages 7-13) with hyperlexia is summarized that illustrates the dissociation between decoding and comprehension and the limited use of meaningful context to aid decoding. (Author/CR)

Reviews research demonstrating that reading texts with a particular perspective facilitates comprehension and increases reader interest. Suggests approaches to the teaching of texts that provide learners with purpose, including student-generated text collections, communicative tasks with reading components and interest tasks. (31 references)…

Examines the types of readings students are likely to encounter in the "real" world and how they will interact with them. The four approaches discussed include reading in a daily-life context, reading for information, reading for pleasure, and participatory reading. (21 references) (Author/CK)

This article reports on two experiments designed to study the impact of electronic text on the reading comprehension of third-grade students. Reading comprehension is compared for reading print books versus CD-ROM books, and the results suggest that the reader's comprehension can be increased by electronic texts. (Contains 59 references.)…

Examines 339 Israeli first graders, divided into three experimental and one control group, who were read aloud to. Asks teachers of experimental groups to read interactively--that is, to interact with students before, during, and after reading to help them understand the story. Indicates that classroom story reading led to increases in decoding,…

Fourteen orally communicating children (ages 7-14) with hearing impairments were able to provide story retellings following repeated reading of two stories and role-playing of one of the stories. Results showed the children were capable of narrative production and that sophistication and complexity of retellings improved with role-play. (Contains…

This comparison of the reading comprehension, decoding, and spelling skills of 404 children with low vision and a norm sample found children with low vision with no additional disabilities performed less well than the sighted children only on decoding, whereas those with additional disabilities performed less well on all tests. (Contains…

This partial replication of an earlier study that found second language (L2) learners of Spanish have trouble simultaneously attending to meaning and form of aural input addresses the effect of modality on attention to meaning and form by including a written mode and using English as a Second Language. Revealed listening was more difficult than…