Compared to placebo controls, 28 individuals treated with Piracetam (a new drug thought to enhance learning and memory consolidation) showed statistically significant improvements above baseline scores on measures of effective reading accuracy and comprehension, reading speed, and writing accuracy. The medication was well tolerated and showed no…

Investigates whether the layout of type in two popular children's reading schemes was suitable for the intended reading age. Concludes that the reading development of some children might benefit from a larger text size and spacing than is currently the norm, and that no children would be disadvantaged by such a change. (SG)

Investigates how well kindergarten phonological awareness (PA) and naming speed (NS) account for reading development to Grade 5. PA was most strongly related to reading in the first two years of school, and NS's initially weaker relationship increased with grade level. Children with weak PA and slow NS were most likely to develop reading…

Evaluation of the use of repeated readings to increase the reading fluency of four elementary students with low vision found the intervention was effective in improving all four students' reading fluency without adversely affecting error rates or comprehension. Students' improved reading rates also generalized to classroom reading. (DB)

Three instructional approaches have worked well in increasing reading fluency of students with reading difficulties: previewing; hypothesis/test training; and repeated readings. However, it is crucial that students also receive instruction in reading comprehension. (CB)

A recent study of reading rates of first grade students in Israel and America indicates that increased reading speed may improve comprehension and oral reading. Based on this finding, activities to help students read faster (and better) are suggested. (JL)

Methods shown to be effective in helping less fluent readers develop fluency suggest a set of principles that teachers may find helpful in designing regular classroom activities for fluency development. These principles include: (1) repeated reading of one text or meeting target words repeatedly in a variety of texts; (2) teacher modeling of…

Investigates whether improved fluency and comprehension across different stories in repeated reading depend on the degree of word overlap among passages and whether repeated reading is more effective than an equivalent amount of nonrepetitive reading. (HOD)

Studied for its effects on the reading fluency of elementary school students, R. C. Heckleman's Neurological Impress Method has proved an inexpensive but effective method for motivating low achievement readers. Twenty-six subjects from grades 2 to 6 practiced reading in unison with a tutor during four 15-minute sessions a week. During the sessions…

This study was concerned with the development of a program for teaching high speed word recognition through training in more sophisticated decoding strategies. The method reported focused on training the student to use minimal visual information while making maximum use of contextual cues in word recognition. The emphasis was on directing…

Offers several strategies for increasing reading rate without descreasing comprehension. (FL)

Argues that reading rate should not be ignored, but rather seen as evidence of excessively slow processing of text, and thus as a diagnostic indicator. Describes how excessively slow, disfluent reading leads to less overall reading, to reading frustration, and is associated with poor comprehension. Describes authentic and engaging instructional…

This study determined the effectiveness of a rapid reading program in improving comprehension and rate of approximately 300 fifth and seventh grade students. Repeated measures analyses of variance were used to compare changes in rate and comprehension during an eight week rapid reading program with three groups of students: those instructed by a…

Investigates the effect of two repeated reading procedures on second grade transitional readers' oral reading performance with practiced and unpracticed passages. Found that reading rate, accuracy, comprehension and prosodic reading were significantly improved by repeated reading practice, regardless of training procedure employed. (SKC)

Designed to help parents in their important role as their children's most powerful guide to reading and learning, this book contains directions, guidelines, and activities to build a positive environment and a relationship that promotes learning. Chapter titles are: (1) Helping Children with Reading and Learning; (2) Creating Interest and Positive…