Designed to assess the ability to interpret the major types of figurative language or tropes such as similes, metaphors, proverbs, and personification, the two forms of this instrument each contain 50 items in a two-part, multiple-choice format. Part I tests the meaning of figures of speech in isolation; part II tests the meaning in the context of…

Because current research offers little conclusive evidence that explicit metacognitive knowledge is necessary for effective reading, a study was designed to determine (1) if comprehension could be enhanced by activating subjects' awareness of appropriate strategies, and (2) which strategies, based on subjects' spontaneous reports, were most…

Fourteen poor-reading college students were assigned to a dyslexia group or a nonspecific reading-disabled group based on intelligence quotient (IQ). The groups were compared to controls on cognitive and reading-related skills. Results showed that poor decoding skill characterized the dyslexic reader, whereas the nondyslexic poor reader displayed…

Designed to describe which strategies subjects use while making inferences, this instrument identifies 10 of these strategies: (1) rebinding, (2) questioning a default interpretation or a direct or indirect conflict, (3) shifting of focus, (4) analyzing alternatives, (5) assigning an alternate case, (6) confirming an immediate prior…

Designed to assess a reader's achievement in various reading skills for the purpose of instructional placement, the instrument contains three forms (A, B, C), each of which contains 50 items. The items test comprehension of idioms and direct statements, with emphasis on drawing inferences. Administration time for each test is 25 minutes. (This…

Research studies have pointed to a similarity between reading and listening that may imply that listening to writing is likely to be a useful means of evaluating it. Therefore a study was designed to determine the extent to which holistic scores assigned to student essays by readers correlate with holistic scores assigned to the same essays by…

Investigates the difficulties that college students (n=83) have in reading and comprehending physics texts. Students were taught the skill of formulating clear questions on textual material. The strategy stimulated students' awareness of the difficulties in reading comprehension and could be used by students as a self-monitoring technique to…

Describes a study of reading skills improvement among 362 Morgan State University freshmen who were assigned to a corrective reading course after scoring below the tenth grade level on the McGraw-Hill Reading Test. Posttest scores showed significant improvement in reading skills. (PAA)

Major historical work or chronicles of the field of college reading and study-skills instruction are identified, and 10 directions for further historical research are proposed. One approach for recounting the field's history is extensive chronicles that integrate a multitude of primary and secondary historical sources. The second major category of…

Three sets of experiments compared skilled and unskilled college and school age (sixth through eighth grade) readers' processing of spoken and printed sentences in isolation and in story context. The two types of readers differed in their processing of the structural, thematic, and schematic properties of sentences in both reading and listening.…

To determine if integrating course content with reading study skills would (1) increase student learning of course content and (2) improve students' general reading achievement, one section of a reading education course for preservice teachers was taught reading study skills along with course content; two sections were given no classroom…

Reports on a study of effects of critical reading and writing skills among 16 college psychology students. Finds that students receiving critical thinking instruction were better able to use argumentative language in term papers. Includes two tables of statistical data. (CFR)

This study examined the relationship between teacher education students' scores on basic skills admission tests and graduating seniors' scores on the National Teacher Examinations (NTE) at Eastern Kentucky University. The 1981-82 basic skills test scores for 262 teacher education students were compared with their NTE scores taken in 1984-85 during…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 17 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the effects of metacognitive comprehension monitoring strategies on fourth grade students' reading comprehension and recall performance; (2) elementary school…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the effects of cognitive strategy training on reading achievement and Piagetian cognitive level among high risk college freshmen; (2) the impact of a college reading program on…