This article proposes a four-component framework for understanding the literacy of individuals with visual impairments, and defines two levels of literacy--basic (or academic) and functional (or practical) literacy. Implications are drawn for development of self-advocacy skills, development of standards for judging literacy in this population, and…

The study examined word recognition abilities of readers at instructional and frustrational reading levels with 32 learning-disabled readers in grades 2, 5, 8, and 11. Findings indicated that only in the category of linguistic acceptability (syntactic and semantic) did readers produce significantly fewer acceptable responses when reading…

Second-grade children (n=603) were rated by teachers, and ratings were correlated with reading, spelling, and intelligence in the third grade. Results indicated that teachers were quite accurate in their judgment of low achievement but less so in their judgment of specific reading difficulties. (DB)

The objective of the present research was to investigate the effects of test-wiseness training on achievement. The study involved 208 Black, White and Hispanic students in grades three and five. An experimental training session was employed to test whether four aspects of test-wiseness (following directions, guessing, answer changing, and use of…

The study investigated retention of gains in reading/language skills after one year by 378 eighth-grade students in 18 health studies classrooms. Six classrooms were assigned to each of three groups, two experimental and one control, taught by health science teachers who were: (1) trained in reading/language techniques; (2) not trained in…

Statistical evaluation indicated the effectiveness of 10 software packages used in a 3-year project to improve the reading and language skills of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Native American students. The project was implemented in four Rapid City (South Dakota) schools in which 79% of the Lakota (Sioux) Indian students (grades 3-6) were found…

This longitudinal study followed reading progress in 208 children with language impairments (either specific or nonspecific) compared to normal and low IQ controls from kindergarten through fourth grade. Children with language impairment in kindergarten, especially nonspecific language impairment, were at high risk of reading disabilities in…

Measurement of cognitive abilities using the Inventory of Piaget's Developmental Tasks of 94 learning disabled fourth- and fifth-grade children found that a linear combination of reading and mathematics achievement yielded a significant positive correlation to cognitive ability. No sex differences were found. (Author/DB)

Discusses a study of variations in Scottish elementary school children's reading attainment. Reports that, although individual student achievement varied with socioeconomic background, variations among schools did not appear to relate to schools' socioeconomic composition, size, location, or denominational status. Cites the need to evaluate such…

Parents of 42 children (ages 2-32) with Lesch-Nyhan disease were questioned concerning the subjects' behavior patterns. Grouping of responses into nine categories of cognitive skills indicated that only one boy showed any significant cognitive impairment. Despite evidence of good cognitive and emotional skills, subjects were academically delayed,…

Forty adolescents with reading/spelling disabilities were assigned on the basis of IQ/achievement discrepancy scores to either a dyslexic or slow learner group. Significantly more females than males were in the slow learner category. Despite having lower IQs, the slow learning group had higher achievement levels, but group differences on…

Comparison of scores of 35 third- and fourth-grade students with learning disabilities on 3 major achievement tests found high positive correlations among the reading subtests. Agreement across all 3 tests for learning disability eligibility in the basic reading skills area was found in 20 of 35 cases and 9 of 35 cases in reading comprehension.…

Two studies compared the inclusion only, pull-out only, and combined services models for elementary students with mild disabilities, using a survey of 80 teachers and comparison of reading improvement in 240 students in the 3 models. Teacher satisfaction and student progress in reading were significantly greater for the combined services model.…

Nine adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) and nine age- and IQ-matched adults with PWS completed standardized tests of long-term and short-term memory, visual and auditory processing, and reading and mathematics achievement. Contrary to previous findings, long-term memory in PWS subjects was strong relative to IQ and there was no evidence that…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of age, verbal ability, education, reading habits, and recall strategies on prose recall among adults. Subjects were 422 adults in three age groups--young (18-28 years), middle (40-54), and older (62-80). They were asked to read and recall in writing two 388-word prose passages and to answer questions…