Much debate centers on motivating student in reading achievement. Should students feel motivated from within (intrinsic motivation), or is it better to have extrinsic motivation whereby external stimuli are used to help learners achieve optimally in reading? This paper aims to analyze the two points of view about motivating students in reading…

Housed within the Center for Curriculum and Technology at the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) is the Literature Signature Area, with the primary purpose of improving the reading achievement of all students by providing assistance to state education agencies, intermediate state educational units, and local school districts in…

The 1970 International Educational Achievement (IEA) survey placed New Zealand's nine and fourteen year olds first in reading achievement in comparison with all other participating countries. Literacy educators the world over have studied New Zealand's methods and classroom environments, and its approaches to reading/writing instruction have been…

"The Achiever" is published monthly during the school year for parents and community leaders. Each issue contains news and information about school improvement in the United States. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) President Establishes National Advisory Panel on Math: Experts to Advise on "Best Available…

This manual contains typed texts for each level of the Summative Booklist for Narrative Texts. The 38 typed texts are included for use with running records and oral reading strategies analysis. Each form and/or procedure is accompanied by specific explanations, directions, and where appropriate, examples to guide usage. The manual is intended to…

A study examined the effect of computer assisted instruction on the reading achievement of third- through sixth-grade students in a low socio-economic status community. Subjects were 23 students randomly selected from 41 students who received computer-assisted instruction and 23 students randomly selected from 28 students who did not receive…

This paper explains the creation and validation of the Narrative Comprehension of Picture Books task (NC task), an assessment of young children's comprehension of wordless picture books. Study 1 explored developmental improvements in the task, as well as relationships to other measures of early reading. Subjects, 158 K-2 students, were…

What do students need to achieve in reading? Students need to master phonics elements as needed. Ten cautions in teaching phonics are outlined, which also offer a framework for reading across the curriculum. Reflective thinking in reading is important, and students should be taught to ponder and probe ideas gleaned during and after reading…

This study investigated children's profiles on four constructs fundamental to areas of children's early literacy acquisition: auditory processing, crystallized ability, processing speed, and short-term memory. These areas were measured using six tests: Memory for Sentences, Visual Matching, Incomplete Words, Sound Blending, Oral Vocabulary, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a student's level of interest in a nonfiction topic affects his or her comprehension of that topic. An additional objective was to find out if the student's ability level had an impact on this interest-comprehension relationship. Three first graders (one low, one average, and one high ability)…

Based directly on the findings from the National Research Council's report "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," this guide offers a "checklist" that will help teachers and principals recognize at a glance the key characteristics of quality reading programs identified in the research. The guide does not describe any single way to…

Based directly on the reports of the National Reading Panel ("Teaching Children To Read") and the National Research Council ("Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children"), this guide is designed to be an accessible and practical document that delivers research findings about effective reading instruction that may serve as guidelines for…

The reading performance standard descriptors in this document support the sections of the English/Language Arts Content Standards adopted by the Alaska State Board of Education. It begins with listing competencies associated with being a competent and thoughtful reader; thinking logically and reflectively; and understanding and respecting the…

Boise State University, Idaho, now has a better idea how well entering freshmen perform in reading, writing, and mathematics because of an Academic Profile instrument administered to freshmen at Boise State and other institutions. In general, Boise State students performed somewhat below other freshmen. The testing was initiated in response to the…

This bulletin outlines the reading and mathematics improvement goals for the Washington public schools. In 1998, the Washington legislature required that school districts establish 3-year reading improvement performance goals for elementary schools to be achieved at the end of the 2000-01 school year. Additional improvement goals were adopted by…