For decades there has been a divide between educational research and practice. Sometimes the blame is placed on teachers for not following research-based strategies or not being trained well enough to read the literature. Just as frequently the blame is placed on researchers for not (a) studying topics important to teachers, (b) writing them so…

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)

Describes an experiment investigating the reading comprehension performance of fifth grade readers under three reading conditions: listening, silent reading, and round robin oral reading. Finds that comprehension declined from listening, to silent, to round robin oral reading. (RAE)

Content area reading is extremely challenging for English language learners (ELLs). Although their English is not fully developed, they are faced with reading subject matter content in English that is typically written in academic language. Reading academic discourse is very challenging for ELLs because it is characterized with complex syntax,…

The greatest challenge inhibiting the ability of English-language learners (ELLs) to read at the appropriate grade level is perhaps a lack of sufficient vocabulary development. While extensive reading is beneficial, these students must acquire the necessary vocabulary in order to read extensively. Both vocabulary breadth and vocabulary depth are…

Experts agree that reading is the most important skill children must acquire. However, as the popular press often chides, there are millions of U.S. students who struggle to read and comprehend adequately. As a result, these students risk both school and workplace failure. Research confirms that good readers actively comprehend and simultaneously…

According to research findings in English-language teaching, vocabulary acquisition is not given enough attention. As a result, second-language learners are caught in a difficult situation in reading comprehension. This paper proposes helping English-language learners develop basic vocabulary so that that they can read effectively. The approach to…

Reports that recent research on strategies for increasing learning from reading suggests that developmentally appropriate instructions to create mental images, to verbally elaborate, and to relate new information to prior knowledge may increase students' recall of what they read. (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…

A fourteen-item test designed to measure knowledge of the meanings of words used in directions for non-prescription medication was constructed to illustrate the use of criterion-referenced measurement in reading. (TO)

Argues that teachers should provide their students practice in answering different kinds of comprehension questions. Suggests the Barrett Taxonomy of Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of Reading Comprehension as a model for use in generating diversified questions. (FL)

Presents a model of the attributes of the literate reader. Expands the traditional skills and schema views of reading comprehension by including evaluation of text as a goal. Discusses the attributes of maturity, attitudes and disposition, intellectual abilities, and knowledge and experience. Discusses the need for a new assessment system for…

Reports that when given only the choices to reading comprehension items, some students are able to identify the correct choices without reference to the associated passage or the item stems, a characteristic that threatens the validity of reading comprehension tests. (Author/FL)