This study addressed four research questions: (1) Can first graders comprehend and explain cohesive ties in reading?; (2) Can first graders comprehend and explain ungrammatical or ambiguous cohesive items in reading?; (3) Is the control of cohesive elements in reading related to measures of reading achievement in first grade?; and (4) What…

This technical report updates the Chapter 1 Evaluation and Reporting System (CHIERS) used by the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District to gather and report student information related to compensatory education programs funded under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981, with information about 1988-89 projects.…

This study investigated the use of art lessons to enhance the comprehension of specific concepts taught in a school curriculum. Reading and mathematics achievement measures were administered as pre- and posttests to 87 fifth graders. Students in the treatment group were taught art lessons by an art teacher. In these lessons, the concepts of area,…

Two separate research methodologies, quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, were employed to determine the differences in second grade children on method of reading instruction. Fifty children in two classrooms from one school in North Carolina were subjects. One of the two teachers employed a literature based methodology, while the…

A study examined what children write when responding to literature they have read in school. The study investigated whether girls' writing differed from that of boys in the same classroom, as well as whether a classroom teacher responded differently to her children's journal writing based on gender or reading proficiency. One sixth grade class,…

Two studies investigated the role of phonological activation in children's silent reading and listening comprehension. The first study addressed the interaction of reading skill level and phonological sensitivity. Subjects, 32 second-grade students, read eight short passages (four rhymed and four not rhymed) and chose one picture (out of three…

Although reading has been studied extensively over the past few decades, its measurement and amelioration continues to be problematic. This paper explores the reasons for this within a psycho-educational perspective and offers several new alternative theoretical positions from which to view prose processing and enhancement. Implications for…

A study examined three issues concerning reading comprehension: amount of instruction in comprehension strategies; cultural backgrounds of students; and transfer and self-initiated automaticity. Two methods of creating transfer--students either taught a strategy they had learned to younger classmates, or created their own strategic lessons and…

Sharing concerns and interests of New York State educators in the improvement of literacy, this annual journal raises educational issues such as appropriate, effective instruction and assessment for all of New York's children. A central thread found in many of the articles is the importance of authentic or meaningful experiences that invite…

A practicum was designed to solve the problem of the lack of desire to read and the poor quality of the reading of 65 inner city underachieving basic skills students. Objectives were to increase motivation to read among the students and to improve the quality of their oral, silent, and reading comprehension skills. Incentives for reading enjoyment…

A study determined the relationship between life stress and reading comprehension test scores on the IOWA Tests of Basic Skills. Subjects, 41 middle-school students attending Lincoln School in Garwood, New Jersey, were surveyed as to the amount of life stress prevalent in their lives. In addition, the Iowa scores for reading comprehension were…

A study investigated whether a teacher-pupil conference could serve as a vehicle for gathering data from children on the self-assessment of learning. The "Worksamples Interview" (a 10-item questionnaire that focuses on different dimensions of children's work) was used with 93 children in Years 4, 5, and 6 in one school in a large city in…

A program was developed for improving the reading of second-grade students in a progressive suburban community in northern Illinois. The problem was originally noted by an increase in the need for support services and low standardized test scores. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of the relationship between…

A program was developed for improving the reading of first-grade students in a progressive suburban community in northern Illinois. The problem was originally noted by an increase in the need for support services and low standardized test scores. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of the relationship between…

A program was developed for improving the reading level of primary special education resource students in a progressive suburban community in the midwest. The problem was originally noted by an increase in the need for support services and low standardized test scores. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked knowledge of the…