Research has shown that the use of pre-reading activities, such as graphic or advance organizers can positively affect student acquisition of vocabulary and meaning when reading new concepts presented in text. One particularly effective strategy, semantic mapping, can significantly impact students who previously had a lack of prior knowledge on…

This study investigated the effects of an instructional procedure which incorporated lexical cohesion and macrorules to promote main idea comprehension of Thai EFL students. One hundred and six undergraduate students taking a reading module were randomly assigned to one of three teaching conditions: the combined use of lexical cohesion and…

Presents changes in the original comprehension taxonomy that make it more functional for teachers to use. Changes include regrouping and renaming the evaluation components. (FL)

Precision in language usage can be thought of as an ego boosting activity, a snobbish pastime, an arrogant trait; or it can be interpreted as an attempt to aid audiences in understanding exact meaning, an effort to reduce ambiguity, and/or as a positive role model for others in one's language community. This essay argues that the latter set of…

Concludes (1) that both learning disabled and "normal" primary school students can learn automatic prime contrast relationships of space, time, and amount and (2) that what they learn remains with them over time. (FL)

Notes that the Title I Program at the Upper Darby School District (located on the western boarder of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) created the T.O.A.S.T. (Title One After School Tutorial) program from the need for extended learning time and opportunities to assist struggling young readers. Concludes that students increased their sight word…

Reports on a study that investigated what constitutes metaphor and simile for sixth- and eighth-grade children. Discusses the implications of the findings for reading and language arts curriculum development and instruction. (FL)