Longitudinally examines the stability of the association between maternal behavior and preschool children's cognitive abilities. Outcome measures included both school readiness (assessed at ages five and six) and achievement on mathematics and vocabulary subtests of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills at grade six. (Author/RH)

Responds to Dunn's paper on Hispanic-Anglo differences in IQ scores. Argues that vocabulary use influences ethnic group IQ scores, that mainland Hispanic-American vocabulary scores decline after school entrance, and that native language proficiency achieved in a true bilingual program facilitates acquisition of English language skills. Contains 34…

With bootstrap methodology, the stability of the Angoff delta item bias index was investigated. Data from item responses of 400 Black and 400 White fifth-grade students taking the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills indicated that the Angoff delta statistic had only moderate stability. (SLD)

This report examines student performance on a test composed of items developed to be aligned with the Charleston County School District (CCSD) Language Arts Comprehension Curriculum. The report contains a data analysis section that explains the relationship between two basic concepts of the Rasch measurement model, item difficulty and student…

Created by contributing teachers to provide Indiana teachers with new ideas for classroom reading activities, this set of cards (which can be kept in a resource file) may be used to motivate, challenge, and reinforce reading skills. The first card lists considerations for developing games, while the remaining cards describe approximately 40…

ARROW (Aural-Read-Respond-Oral-Written) is a multisensory teaching approach where children listen to their own voices on tape recorders. Advantages of the ARROW program as demonstrated at four sites in Blackford, Somerset (England), with elementary/secondary students presenting moderate to severe learning difficulties, reading/spelling/vocabulary…

Examines vocabulary growth and development, looking at conventional vocabulary instruction and its outcomes. Evidence that word list drills do not promote vocabulary growth effectively is presented, and suggestions are given for fostering increased vocabulary. Promoting wide reading is advocated as the best approach. (SLD)

Discusses the promotion of language and literacy skills in young children through the use of computers. Describes specific courseware that can be used to develop vocabulary and writing skills. Includes sample lessons that demonstrate how courseware can be effectively integrated into a school curriculum and provides a checklist for teachers to use…

Designed for teachers of students in grades K-6, the guide presents a reading and literature continuum which covers the basic reading skills, as well as the essential elements of oral and written expression. Arranged by grade level, a major description and rationale are provided for each identified skill area. Following the introduction is a brief…

Intended to help students improve their vocabulary and word usage skills, this book of games offers students an opportunity for group interaction and the option of reinforcing skills in an interesting manner. The first part of the book contains ideas for determining and building content vocabulary, using a dictionary, and previewing texts, and…

The aim of Goal 1.4, an objective of the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public Schools for 1986-87, is to make literacy a major focus for students identified as needing special assistance. It was planned to increase the scores on standardized tests for identified students. Those scoring below the 32nd percentile (40th NCE) on the reading vocabulary,…

The writing skills item bank contain 82 objectives each represented by two writing prompts with criteria for holistic scoring. Grade levels covered are one through eight. The objectives deal with aspects of composition such as grammar, vocabulary, punctuation, logic, and creativity. The "items" are writing prompts to which the student…

This curriculum guide suggests activities for teaching basic reading skills to elementary school students. The activities are grouped according to six major skill areas: reading readiness, word recognition, word analysis, word meaning, content reading, and reading comprehension. Within each group, the activities are listed according to the grade…

Two considerations are brought to bear on the reading approach presented here. First, because the major focus in a teaching method designed for use with bilingual education students is to increase both language facility and reading ability, the approach is designed to provide the student with the opportunity to read, use, and listen to a standard…

This rationale for the German immersion program of the Milwaukee public schools (grades K-5) sets forth general and specific program goals as well as criteria for evaluating communicative competence. A list of sample exercises for specific communicative acts (e.g., telling, informing, requesting) is included. Topics for oral and written…