Discusses research on young adults' reading interests, their nonfiction reading interests, interest in nonfiction across ability levels, sex differences in nonfiction reading interest, pleasure versus curriculum, and the role of teachers and librarians. (RS)

Examines the literature linking phoneme awareness and reading acquisition, and looks at the nature of this relationship in terms of learner and task. Summarizes findings from correlational and phoneme awareness training studies and discusses the relationship of phoneme awareness to reading. Presents explanations for low phoneme awareness skills in…

Although experimental results indicate that smaller classes promote higher achievement in early elementary school, the broader literature on class-size effects is inconclusive. This seeming contradiction raises questions about the generalizability of experimental evidence, an issue that this article addresses by examining the effects of class size…

This monograph uses longitudinal, student-level achievement data provided by the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to examine differential achievement effects in the 45 privately operated schools, in the 21 schools that were restructured and given additional resources in 2002, and in the 16 schools (known as the "sweet 16") that…

On July 14, 2006, the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a study that compared the performance in reading and math of 4th and 8th graders attending private and public schools. According to the NCES study, students attending private schools performed better than students attending public schools.…

This paper discusses literacy, language education, language achievement, and bilingual education policies and practices in Japan. The paper first describes the Japanese writing system (consisting of the "kana" and "kanji" scripts) and notes that students typically study English from grade 7 to the first 2 years of college. The…

According to a review of current reading research, components of language experience, whole language, and computer-assisted instruction need to be incorporated into the core basal reading program to make reading meaningful and enjoyable for all students. The basal reading approach continues to be used by the majority of teachers in elementary…

In the past two decades, computer assisted reading instruction has developed substantially. From educators using large mainframe computers located at a distance from keyboard terminals in classrooms, today reading educators are capable of using computer-assisted instruction (CAI) on typewriter-sized equipment portable to any location and usable…

Educators must become aware of the need for helping students overcome excessive television viewing and develop selective, purposeful television-viewing habits. This study provides information to help educators select and implement educational programs with these aims. Brief annotations of 77 research articles are organized under the following…

A review of the research concerning the relationship between children's reading achievement and television viewing reveals many contradictions. For example, the findings show that the amount of television viewing that affects reading achievement in one child may not affect another in the same way. What a child watches on television also seems to…

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results indicate that most students understand the fundamentals of reading, writing and mathematics; and that achievement levels have remained stable across time for older students and may be improving for younger students, particularly in the areas of reading and writing. However, NAEP data…

Features of a model of reading that is both sensitive to individual differences and consistent with the assumption that reading processes are interactive are discussed in this report. A description of how this model accounts for individual differences in reading skill suggests three types of reading problems: slow word decoding, slow sentence…

The development of certain cognitive skills to a certain level may be necessary to acquire beginning reading skills. A review of research on cognitive skill development and beginning reading revealed that only a few studies investigated the need for ascertaining the presence of some cognitive processing abilities before reading instruction is…

Literacy instruction does not end with reading success in early grades. As students move to middle and high school, new challenges emerge that can affect literacy achievement. Even for students who achieve early reading and writing success, the literacy demands of middle and high school can pose substantial challenges. Older students must be able…

This paper summarizes 10 research-based principles for improving children's reading achievement. The principles are: (1) home language and literacy experiences that lead to development of key print concepts are plentiful; (2) preschool programs are beneficial for children who do not experience informal learning opportunities in their homes; (3)…