Describes how a sixth-grade teacher modified the reciprocal teaching strategy to use with a group of struggling readers. Describes implementing the strategy, reviews data on effectiveness with her students, and recommends modifications for students engaged in silent reading. (SR)

Extensive research on reading in a first language has shown the critical role fluency plays in successful reading. Fluency alone, however, does not guarantee successful reading. Cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies and schemata that readers utilize also play important roles in constructing meaning from text. Most research, however,…

Using methods from conversation analysis, this microethnographic longitudinal case study traces the development of interactional competence which results from adult learners' socialization into literacy events in a modified Sustained Silent Reading (mSSR) program. The investigation focuses on two learners who participated in the mSSR program in an…

A study used the Reading Retelling Profile to examine the effectiveness of the holistic instructional approach called "reading workshop," which involves increased time for sustained silent reading, authentic literature in the reading program, a choice of books to read, written response journals, group discussions, and a supportive…

Twenty-seven second-grade students were observed during two reading periods to examine the nature of instruction and academic responding time for students in high, middle, and low reading groups. Across all groups, it was found that students spent about 20 minutes of a 120-minute typical reading period actively engaged in academic responding, and…

To ascertain whether subjects spanning the range of reading acquisition exhibit semantic constructivity when confronted with a silent reading task, a study was conducted involving 120 second, fifth, and seventh graders, and 30 graduate students. For purposes of the study, semantic constructivity was defined as the uncued production of inferences…

To determine which of four modes of reading (oral reading to an audience, oral reading to oneself, silent reading, silent reading while listening) best facilitated reading comprehension, 48 subjects read a passage in each of the modes and answered post comprehension questions. Results supported equivalent comprehension following silent and oral…

Discusses the hypothesis that pupils who read and understand a first language text (in this case, Romanian) fairly well, will be able to improve their reading and understanding of a second language (German) text after having learned and exercised certain reading strategies in both languages. (SED)

This report describes a program for increasing reading fluency through the implementation of leveled books. The elementary students of the three targeted regular education classes exhibit low fluency rates which impedes them from becoming independent readers. Evidence for the existence of the problem includes words read per minute on a grade level…

Suggests reasons why a sustained silent-reading program failed to work at a San Diego high school. (JT)

Investigated effects of 3 routine classroom arithmetic and reading tasks upon the heart rate reactivity of 30 fifth grade children. Results indicated that some children showed large increases in heart rates during the three tasks, and that these children should be considered at risk for coronary heart disease. (Author/TE)

Investigates: (1) whether differences exist in comprehension when children listen, read orally, and read silently; and (2) whether such differences exist for all readers. Finds that relationships between the three modalities vary as a function of level of reading competency. (SR)

Examines fourth- and sixth-grade children's strategies (using think-aloud protocols or silent reading) for processing informational text. Finds that silent readers engaged in more physical backtracking to previously-read sentences, while think-aloud protocol processing tended to focus on the local, sentence level. Illustrates complex relations…

A study examined whether the integration of whole language with the basal reader would increase the use of language and comprehension of literature. Twenty students and one teacher in a split third/fourth grade classroom in a predominantly white, lower socioeconomic school in Ottumwa, Iowa, participated in the study. For 16 weeks, students wrote…

The assumption that phonological processes support comprehension guided two experiments in manipulating the similarity of the consonant code both within silently read sentences and between these sentences and concurrently vocalized phrases. The first experiment examined whether tongue-twisters would take longer to read than phonetically…