An inclusive kindergarten class of students with and without hearing impairments is described. The "Education Together" program used total communication, a combination of whole language and basal instruction, behavior management techniques, and extensive teacher collaboration. Issues such as communication problems, discipline,…

This practicum was designed to allow first graders the opportunity to read and write in a more natural and authentic manner than that permitted by using the basal reading series as the basis for reading instruction. The first grade reading program was transformed from a basal-oriented approach to a whole language approach. Through the use of…

Like so many slogans, "Whole Language" is a dangerous term because its meaning varies with each educator. Whole Language is not a method of teaching, nor is it a program; it is a philosophy or viewpoint. Nine major characteristics of a Whole Language approach as culled from a variety of sources, with most agreed upon by a majority of…

A study examined the existence in elementary school children of (1) sentence constructivity, (2) developmental differences in constructivity, (3) differences in constructivity across performance levels, and (4) differences after a one- or two-day delay. The study was intended as a partial replication of work by C. Z. Blachowicz (1977-78), which…

Societal trends and related pressures on children have generated a greater need for school support of independent reading, which can help students develop lifetime literacy and prevent school failure and dropping out. Providing opportunities for free reading during the school day is a qualitative way of filling a literacy gap for children.…

To investigate whether teachers asked questions during reading lessons in order to evaluate rather than teach comprehension, the discourse of 11 reading lessons was audiotaped in four elementary school classrooms. Transcripts of the lessons were analyzed to identify the function and source of teacher questions and the accuracy, cognitive level,…

The results of a series of investigations into the effect on children's learning and recall of interest are summarized in this report. The report describes investigations using sentences, showing that interest has a pervasive effect on learning that is independent of the relationship between attention and learning. It then presents two compatible…

Students Asking Questions (SAQ) has proved to be a simple, effective method for teaching urban third grade students to generate literal, inferential, and critical questions from their readings of instructional materials. Teachers using the SAQ method prepare students for reading a selection from a basal reader by offering one literal, one…

A study was conducted to investigate selected reading instruction process variables employed by third and sixth grade teachers and their effect on pupils' reading achievement, to explore the difference between third and sixth grade teachers' reading instruction process variables, and to investigate the relationship between selected pupil variables…

The effects of two components of formative evaluation, frequency of measurement and use of data, were compared. Fifty-two learning disabled and educable mentally retarded students in grades 2-6, enrolled in regular class programs and receiving reading instruction in a special education resource room, were randomly assigned to either (1) a…

A group of six feminists undertook this study because they felt it important that people learn about racial and sexual discrimination in textbooks used in Baltimore City and other U.S. schools. The task force chose five series of basal readers widely used in Baltimore. These series are used in most, if not all, Elementary Secondary Education Act…

The content of books chosen independently by fourth, fifth, and sixth, graders was compared with the content of four selected basal reading texts at the same three grade levels. The selections of the children and from the texts were classified into twenty-one categories, and then the percentages of the children's choices within these categories…

This article discusses a widespread failure of schools to match reading instruction to children's needs, identifying large class sizes, dependence on basal reader programs and questionable testing practices as contributing factors. Basal materials are seen as contributing to standardized curricula and impeding efforts to shift teacher behavior…

This paper reviews the literature and reports on three studies evaluating the use of hypermedia computer study guides or supplementary reading materials with regular students, remedial students, students having learning disabilities, and poor readers. Introductory material explains what hypermedia is and describes typical features. Research…

Since an author does not provide all critical information, a text is never fully explicit; it demands that the reader/listener supply missing elements in order to form a coherent and logical whole. A study was conducted to explore both the types of responses urban first grade students made when asked to predict a narrative ending and differences…