This study investigated the validity of 3 curriculum-based measures for predicting the performance of 184 secondary students (including 13 with mild disabilities) on content-area tasks. Reliable correlations were found between oral reading, maze, and vocabulary measures; and students' performance on comprehension, acquisition, and retention of…

Investigates college/university professors' views on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' difficulties with listening/speaking tasks. Findings show that respondents felt that their ESL students have great difficulty with class participation, asking and responding to questions, and general listening comprehension. (55 references) (Author/CK)

Low-achieving second graders experienced a year of transactional strategies instruction (n=30) or highly regarded, more conventional second-grade reading instruction (n=30). The group receiving transactional strategies instruction had greater strategy awareness and use, greater acquisition of material read, and superior performance on standardized…

Examined the effect of background knowledge and second language proficiency in relation to two sets of specific reading materials. One came from an IELTS reading module related to science and technology; the other was from a highly-specific popular science text. Results showed that both language proficiency and background knowledge predicted…

Describes a study of first-year medical students that tested the effects of problem-based tutorial group discussion on learning new information from a text. Highlights include effects of small-group instruction on cognition; randomized experimental and control groups; recall; and results that showed the positive effects of problem-based group…

Examines the effects of course-based reading strategy training--student application of reading strategies to their own college readings--on developmental college learners' reading comprehension skills. Explains that this study gave one group of students learning strategies instruction and gave no such instructions to a control group. Reports…

This article explores evidence related to the idea that children with language impairments present co-occurring limitations in data-driven and conceptually driven processing. It concludes that together, these limitations contribute to a heightened sensitivity to increasing task demands in children with language impairments. Assessment and…

A study examined the reading performance of 16 individuals (ages 6-16) with Asperger syndrome. The Classroom Reading Inventory found students exhibited reading levels commensurate with their grade levels on Instructional, Frustration, and Listening Capacity. Silent Reading and Independent Reading levels, however, were below grade level. (Contains…

Reports a study of children in a comprehension-based English-as-a-Second-Language program. After 6 years students performed as well as comparison students on measures of comprehension and measures of oral production. Describes gaps in the written language of students in the comprehension-based program, includes a follow-up study with secondary…

This review describes the theory behind two new measures of spoken word recognition for children with sensory aids, the Lexical and the Multisyllabic Lexical Neighborhood Tests. It then summarizes data concerning the tests' word familiarity, interlist equivalency, and test-retest reliability. Results indicate that deaf children with cochlear…

Contends that young children show surprising awareness of other's feelings. Provides background research concerning children's understanding; addresses levels of understanding of perception, emotions, desires, and beliefs; advises how parents and teachers can support children's development of understanding; and notes the powerful role and…

Compares Chinese Students' listening comprehension rates for video texts using a variety of techniques: advance organizers, captions, a combination of both, and none of the foregoing. Results showed that more effective comprehension occurred when a combination of techniques were used. (Author/VWL)

Compares an integrated reading approach called Communicative Reading Strategies (CRS) with a skills-based comprehension approach for college freshmen with reading difficulties. Finds that CRS is the better approach, as it produces earlier reading improvement. Adds that students may be failing their course by the time skill-based intervention is…

Finds that (1) children taught in Spanish did not differ from those taught in English on English reading and writing but were significantly stronger on Spanish reading and writing; (2) being taught literacy in Spanish contributed to performance in Spanish reading comprehension; but (3) being taught in English did not have the same positive effect…

This article presents the interactive, collaborative teaching and learning model developed to teach content area reading to students with learning disabilities or other learning problems. It identifies interactive and collaborative aspects of the model and explains its theoretical underpinnings, instructional decisions, the role of the teacher,…