Differences between metaphors and similes have often been overlooked in the experimental literature, and the comparison theory addressing comprehension of simile may be less appropriate to the more transformational properties of metaphor. It is proposed that one of the variables associated with the difference is affective response, leading to the…

According to S. K. Langer, people create meaning through presentational and discursive symbolism. Presentational symbolism, Langer suggests, is an abstracted sense of experienced life, while discursive symbolism is a series of subordinating or coordinating positions that set in motion the relation of ideas and permits the discussion of causation.…

To test the hypothesis that a large proportion of school children's vocabulary growth occurs through incidental learning from written context, a study was conducted using 57 eighth grade students of average and above average reading ability. The subjects read a 1,000 word expository or narrative text. After reading, subjects completed two…

A study investigated the relationship between text organization and children's reading comprehension of expository material. Upgraded and downgraded versions of both macrostructures and microstructures were combined to produce four texts on the topic of insect-eating plants. Forty-three seventh grade students were randomly assigned to one of the…

Designed to help the teacher introduce study skills to students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades, this teacher's guide describes a series of 14 activity-oriented units, most of which require one period of class time. The units in the guide focus on such topics as (1) learning to listen, (2) tuning into directions, (3) putting ideas…

The 14 activity-oriented units described in this study skills guide for students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades are designed to assist in the development of necessary study skills at most levels of competence and to reinforce already existing skills. The units in the guide also attempt to incorporate as much student activity as possible,…

To determine the effects of repeated readings with cues on reading fluency and comprehension, a study was conducted on 30 third grade students reading at or above grade level, utilizing three equally difficult passages. Half the children were told to read for meaning, and the other half were cued to read for speed and accuracy. These cues were…

The Grid Systems is a phonetic learning device designed by McGinley (1982) to develop adult vocabulary. The name is derived from the fact that the student workbook is set up on a grid, with the top of the page showing the vowel sounds and the left side the consonant sounds. Words are formed on the grid where these sounds combine (some of the…

To investigate the relationships between television watching, spare time reading, homework, and scholastic achievement, the National Assessment of Educational Progress gathered data on television viewing habits. Younger students were more avid viewers than older ones. Half the 9-year olds watched over 3 hours of television daily; most 13-year-olds…

A study examined how the text variables of organizational plan (top-level structure), emphasis plan (implemented through signalling devices), and presence of details influenced the selection of reading strategies by adults. Subjects--149 young, middle aged, and older expert readers--read and recalled in writing two expository prose passages of 388…

A study was conducted to determine if instruction in the cloze procedure could affect standardized reading comprehension test scores. Subjects were 33 high school sophomores enrolled in two separate remedial reading classes. One intact class served as the experimental group, the other as the control. All subjects were given the Gates MacGinitie…

A proposal that the English as a second language (ESL) curriculum should initially focus on psycholinguistic reading is discussed. It is claimed that effective reading is difficult to achieve using the present ordering of the ESL curriculum. This is because of the heavy focus on learning active command of grammatical detail during the early,…

A guide to assist teachers of Polish language arts as the first language of students in the Chicago public schools' transitional bilingual education program follows objectives parallel to those set out for English language instruction, to preserve the integrity of the Polish language. Lessons are presented as suggestions for teaching toward the…

A computer program written for the Apple II was designed to teach college students how to map expository information. The program consists of five lessons, the first beginning with a definition and illustration of mapping. In this introductory lesson, students are asked to answer three basic questions when reading expository text: identify the…

A study examined whether (1) subjects' comprehension and recall of an expository passage would improve if they were given information about the organization of the passage before they read it, (2) the effects of being given such information would be similar across various hierarchical levels of the passage, and (3) the effects would be similar…