This paper examines the place of reading in the acquisition of information capability among young people and considers the extent to which this is nurtured and aided by works of the imagination, whether in print or electronic form. Information capability presupposes a range of skills that, in addition to technological skills and the knowledge to…

States that there is concern in Western nations that literacy rates are falling. Asserts Reading Recovery programs can reverse this trend. Reports on evaluation studies of Reading Recovery and contends that the short-term gains that result from Reading Recovery programs require further research. (CFR)

A study examined reading performance, metacognitive knowledge about reading, awareness of the conventions about print, perceptions of reading ability, and causal attributions for success and failure in reading of children with reading difficulties in Year 2 in Australia. One hundred children from the Brisbane region were involved in the…

Computer-based reading programs have been used at the City Educational Clinic in Canberra, Australia, to improve the reading skills of children who are "reading disabled." Children interacted with the computer via a graphic display, touch sensitive screen, and synthesized speech. The first program taught a basic sight vocabulary and…

Suggests a variety of activities and projects which integrate functional literacy instruction into the curriculum. (MM)

Reports on a study that found that children who read, write, and discuss whole texts of their own choice show remarkable insights into literature and its making, and that the insights match those of experienced adult literary critics. (SKC)

This document is intended as a support kit for workplace coaches and mentors working with new apprentices and trainees in Australian work organizations. The guide begins by listing characteristics of good workplace coaches/mentors, including taking a personal interest in the apprentice/trainee's development; communicating well and developing a…

This book emphasizes the process of learning in immersion programs, particularly those related to reading. It explores language learning processes and experiences among French late immersion grade 9 students and Australian teachers completing a university-based Chinese immersion graduate diploma. Using students from each group as key informants,…

This study investigated the mediating effect of self-talk between positive and negative statements made by teachers and students' academic self-concepts (reading, mathematics, and learning). Participants were 269 students in grades 3-7 at a middle-class, metropolitan, Australian elementary school. A research assistant administered the following…

The main aims of this project were the identification of learning difficulties in 107 Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children, using six months of direct instruction in the Distar program. (BW)

Defines some of the minimal conditions for effective instruction in reasoning and rhetoric. Argues that instructors must take account of the learner, pay regard to the cultural embeddedness of knowledge and the means by which that knowledge is assessed and transmitted. (PRA)

A 12-month longitudinal study was conducted in Brisbane, Australia, to investigate the interaction that takes place when a parent and young child read together. Parent-child book-reading episodes that took place in the home at the end of the preschool year of 25 randomly selected children and at the end of Year 1 at a State Primary School were…

Describes Australia's first bilingual program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Students use Australian Sign Language for face-to-face communication and English for reading and writing. Discusses the phases that occur as students progress within the early stages of reading, writing, and spelling. (CR)

The concurrent validity of three types of reading ability assessments was evaluated with 312 Australian primary-level children. Results suggest that the nature of the skills required for success in reading changes in the primary years, and that both teacher-based and test-based assessments concur more closely as children progress through the…

Suggesting that students in the intermediate grades can explore the world around them and practice valuable skills in spelling, reading, writing, communication, and language, this book presents cross-curricular units designed to integrate language-arts activities into the study of Asian and Australian cultures. The units in the book reach diverse…