Examines the degree to which the levels of English proficiency (high vs. low) and education (graduate vs. undergraduate) of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students were associated with differences in their reading behaviors. Finds that the subjects' level of education and English proficiency were associated with their reading behavior…

Finds that the subject's overall reading and spelling levels rose significantly but that the qualitative nature of the performance remained unchanged. Finds no evidence of mastery of the alphabetic "stage" of reading or spelling. Suggests that current reading models do not adequately account for individual variations in the acquisition…

A Catholic school program designed to improve reading had the most effect on boys. Possible reasons included explicit teaching, demonstration of the practical value of reading, highly structured lessons, worksheets, award certificates, and encouragement to read nonfiction. (SK)

Provides highlights from the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment, describing its content, its major findings at state and national levels, and students' experiences at home and at school that support achievement in reading. Discusses the mixed results from the 1998 reading assessment. (SLD)

Research on whole language suggests its effects on achievement vary markedly from site to site, and differences may be based not on whether a teacher uses it but how it is implemented. Learning-styles research suggests that little is gained from matching children to methods using learning styles. Instead, any approach needs to take into account…

Analyzed academic achievement scores of 115 African American students referred for psychological examination. Although tests purported to measure the same mathematics or reading constructs, statistically significant mean differences were present in four of six comparisons. Reading comprehension measures shared the lowest amount of common variance.…

Voluntary national exams in reading (grade 4) and mathematics (grade 8) would mobilize Americans to increase student achievement. Tests would be overseen by a public, independent governing board, based on respected National Assessment of Education Progress frameworks and standards, and given to individual students. Results would be released…

Three standardized measures of short-term memory (STM) were compared to determine their relative efficacy in predicting reading achievement for 36 primary-grade students over a two-year period. A letter sequences test was found to be the most frequently associated with reading performance. A memory-for-sentences task also showed a significant…

Summarizes recent ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) documents and journal articles that discuss issues related to children's age at entry into school. Includes details about ERIC and ordering ERIC documents. (EV)

A four-year longitudinal study examined relationship between phonological skills of 100 Chinese children and the children's success in reading. Findings indicated that prereading phonological skills assessed at age 3 predicted the children's reading performance in Chinese two and three years later, even after controlling for the effects of age,…

The reading attainment of 1,329 primary school children was analyzed to see if literacy standards changed since the introduction of Britain's National Curriculum. The relative stability of attainment across cohorts contrasts with the prediction that the curriculum would raise standards. (SK)

In one study, reading comprehension data for 62, 739 students from an Accelerated Reader learning information system was merged with the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) teacher-effects database. Results show that teachers should have students read as much as possible, gradually increasing books' challenge level. (Contains 115…

Presents evidence from a large sample of reading test scores for the validity of cloze-based assessments of reading comprehension for the discourse typically encountered in introductory college economics textbooks. Notes that results provide strong evidence that appropriately designed cloze tests permit valid assessments of reading comprehension…

Assessed reading growth, gender effects, relative-age effects, and reading probe difficulty for reading using one linear scale, the Curriculum Based Measurement words-read-correctly scale, for 1,619 students in grades 2 through 7. Found reading growth at all ages, with decreasing growth with increasing grade level and consistent, although slight,…

Investigates the relative contribution and trade-off effects of children's knowledge and reading skill in text comprehension. Finds that domain knowledge and reading skill can be traded in order to achieve similar levels of comprehension. Suggests that reading skill compensates for deficient knowledge and specific knowledge compensates for…