Analyzes the readability of two science textbook series and suggests that teachers not only should be aware of textual material not easily handled by students but also should be sensitive to the kind of language used in teacher-made worksheets. (AEA)

Although the cloze procedure was shown to be satisfactorily reliable with deaf Ss, cloze scores did not relate to the predicted passage difficulty; therefore, the validity of the cloze procedure as a readability measure was not confirmed. (Author/DLS)

Discusses the history of high interest-low vocabulary books, from their appearance in 1925 to implications for their future use. (MKM)

The Cloze Procedure can be a useful instrument in matching student reading levels to appropriate reading selections. Additional research on ways to match students to readings at appropriate levels is needed. (Author/CJ)

Identifies variables needing research related to reading. Variables include teacher training and behavior, textbook characteristics including readability, teaching strategies and techniques, reviews of reading research, and diffusion of findings to the classroom teacher. (Author/CK)

The level of difficulty of reading instruction materials was examined along with the relationship between the material difficulty-student ability level difference scores and classroom adjustment. Students tended not to receive instruction in material at a level of difficulty equal to their tested ability. Classroom behavior improved as the…

Humorously describes the "dumbing down/smartening up" phenomenon which, on the one hand, attempts to convey complex ideas in simple language, but on the other hand may water down the material so much that readers will never have to tackle even a moderately challenging reading task on their own. (RS)

Analyzes the reading levels of students and the readability levels of textbooks at selected junior colleges in Alabama during the 1987-88 school year. Shows why the disparity between textbook reading levels and student abilities causes reading problems in the classroom. (RAE)

A word frequency study of two graded readers and an unsimplified text indicated that graded readers facilitated better foreign-language reading and vocabulary learning than did unsimplified texts. It was found that students needed to read several same-level texts to master vocabulary, and that vocabulary mastery was not necessary for successful…

Discusses how the use of wordplay, pun, and metaphor in "L'Equipe," a French sports newspaper, can pose difficulties for the second language learner. Many of the terms and expressions used tax even the native French speaker, but used with caution the newspaper can be beneficial to the more gifted language learner. (Author/VWL)

Evaluates the syntactical features (readability) and demands placed on students' memory (number of steps) by basal reader worksheet directions in the three most common basal reading series. Concludes that, with the exception of one series' demand on memory, worksheet directions are not designed according to students' competency level. (RS)

Compares the writing of two students--a competent writer and a weak one--in a technical communication course before and after discussion of design principles. Finds that a basic understanding of design principles helped them improve document macrostructure but had little effect on document microstructure. Suggests that integrating document design…

Evaluated and compared 12 science textbooks with respect to their readability levels and agreement with the intended reader level. Four of the books were determined to be unsatisfactory for their intended grade levels. (20 references) (MDH)

Describes two studies on the comprehension of pharmaceutical text containing pictorial and written instructions by mothers in rural Kenya. Comprehension of printed instructions was compared with interpretation of illustrations, propositional analysis used in the study is explained, recall protocols are examined, and implications of writing…

Investigates effects of variations in font, leading, and justification that account for differences in speed and accuracy between reading aloud from paper versus laptop computer. Finds that: (1) subjects' prior exposure to print significantly and positively related to predicting speed and miscue performance; (2) educational attainment…