Concludes that literal and inferential comprehension scores were not higher for sixth-grade students taught by moral dilemma questioning techniques than for those taught by the directed reading activity method or those participating in regular classes. (FL)

Contains representative selections from issues of "Elementary English," a precursor to "Language Arts," from its fifth decade of publication. Includes articles, editorials, and ads reflecting contemporary concerns of English education still relevant today, such as literacy, the increasing interrelationship between politics and…

Describes how a popular publication with a newspaperlike format and content geared to teenage interests can be used to motivate reluctant readers and teach critical reading skills. (AEA)

Describes the shared book experience, which involves having a teacher enlarge a story book, place it on an easel where everyone can see it, and then read it aloud to students. Discusses the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. (FL)

Reconceptualizes the diagnosis of reading problems, suggesting that a focus on process, prior experience, and observation during assessment will permit a more valid evaluation of readers' abilities. (FL)

Provides several types of prereading activities that combine into one strategy stressing vocabulary, oral language development, and prediction. (FL)

Suggests that incorporating content area words into the weekly spelling routine by means of the S2RAT technique will challenge high ability students while encouraging those of low ability. (FL)

Provides a rationale for incorporating the use of trade books in the elementary school reading program and offers suggestions for establishing classroom conditions that encourage students to read silently, promoting an interest in books, and assessing individual student success with silent reading. (HOD)

Concludes that instruction in notetaking, literal comprehension, and critical reading all helped to improve the social science grades of college freshmen. (FL)

Establishes the importance of context to reading and proposes the use of context support methods to make learning to read easy for the learner. (JL)

Discusses a study in which learning disabled or educationally handicapped middle school students received a daily treatment of 20 minutes of phonics instruction and demonstrated gains on both the Wide Range Achievement Test and the Gray Oral Reading Test. (AEA)

Presents achievement scores of students in a replication school of the Northern Cheyenne Behavior Analysis Model of Follow Through. Reveals grade level or above achievement for kindergarten children in all subject matter areas tested and similar findings for first grade students, who scored below grade level only in spelling. (FL)

Recommends that computer assisted instruction (CAI) be used for teaching reading, language arts, and mathematics to children who have difficulty achieving basic academic skills. Computer programs which have been used with low academic achievers in several parts of the U.S. are discussed. Seven references are listed. (Author/MER)

Examines four important outcomes of reading instruction--to enjoy and appreciate reading, to understand reading's communication function, to find information, and to develop word recognition and comprehension strategies--and illustrates how direct instruction varies qualitatively from outcome to outcome. (RL)

Seventy-one elementary and middle school principals in northern Illinois responded to a questionnaire on their backgrounds in reading instruction, their preferences for certain approaches, their duties in relation to the reading program, and their feelings of competence in these matters. Responses are collated by school size. (SJL)