Explains that teachers must understand that discussion is not a simple collection of listening and speaking skills but a dynamic event that requires children to orchestrate a number of language skills. Offers suggestions for improving discussions. (FL)

Indicates that (1) readers determine topic interrelations as they encounter new topics during reading, (2) better recallers are more consistent about inferring topic interrelations, and (3) better recallers are more flexible in their processing of topic information. (NKA)

Results from reading tests and demographic variables indicated that knowledge about books and print conventions is strongly related to reading achievement, and is predictive of comprehension involving the inferential linking of two pieces of information separated in the text. Students in a subskills-emphasis program outperformed those in a…

Explores parallels between new paradigms in the sciences, particularly quantum physics, chemistry, and biology, and new paradigms in reading and literary theory, particularly a socio-psycholinguistic, semiotic, transactional view of reading, and a transactional view of the literary experience. (HOD)

Investigated the different levels of response 60 primary children had to literature in the classroom and examined the differences in terms of stages in cognitive development. (DF)

Reviews the literature relevant to investigating the effects of textual phrasing on the efforts of children to comprehend and addresses the issue of whether the use of a word processor can have an impact on helping children improve comprehension. (FL)

A study involving 36 (10-12 years) learning disabled (LD) students with reading problems and 36 regular class students matched with LD subjects for reading age demonstrated the benefit of training LD students to use metacognitive activities in reading comprehension. (Author/CL)

Studies examining phonological skills in children with reading disabilities are reviewed. Reading disability appears to be characterized by a severe deficit in phonological skills. Phonological skills are very slow to develop in reading disabled children, while the visual route to the identification of meaning appears to develop significantly…

Thirty-six learning disabled children (9-12 years old) participated in a modified Directed Reading Activity, a modified Concept Analysis Activity, and a Worksheet Activity (control). Results indicate that evaluative reading comprehension was more affected by both the modified Concept Analysis Activity and the modified Directed Reading Activity…

A meta-analysis examines studies concerned with the effects of vocabulary instruction on the learning of word meanings and on comprehension. It is concluded that vocabulary instruction has a significant effect on the comprehension of passages containing taught words, but significant effects are not found with all teaching methods. (Author/LMO)

Reading disabilities are examined from an interactionist perspective. A brief historical perspective of events, a review of selected literature, and a discussion of implications lead to the thesis that research on reading disability must move away from the search for causative factors and toward the specification of conditions for learning.…

Individual differences in the reading comprehension standards of 90 undergraduates were examined. Students were classified as having a dualistic or relativistic conception of knowledge by attitude measures. Data suggest that epistemological beliefs may dictate choice of comprehension criteria and that these epistemological standards may control…

Semantic webbing is suggested as a method to enhance student reading comprehension by creating graphics. Four basic components are: (1) core question; (2) web strands; (3) strand supports; and (4) strand ties. Step-by-step directions are given for teaching students this technique. (DH)

Describes an experiment that examined the degree to which self-instructional training influences elementary school aged children's comprehension monitoring during reading, and notes that such training does, indeed, increase comprehension monitoring. (HOD)

Describes how reading instruction in comprehension will be much like instruction in thinking and problem solving due to the capacity of computers to store data and retrieve literal information instantly. (CRH)