Asserts that the inference that a "hump" in the statistical distribution of reading achievement data represents retardation is unwarranted. Contends that the use of any particular cutoff point to identify severe underachievement in reading is arbitrary, and thus that the issue of reading retardation prevalence is inseparable from its definition.…

Reviews the literature in an attempt to show the effects of inattention upon reading achievement. (RB)

More than 1,000 students received additional reading help in elementary schools of the Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, during the 1998-1999 school year as part of the Elementary Reading Improvement Initiative (ERII). Additional resources were allocated to support reading and school development and to implement reading programs based on their…

A review of research examines the relationship between visual perceptual skills and reading achievement using meta-analysis to integrate statistically the results from 161 studies. It was concluded that visual perceptual skills should be included in the complex of factors predictive of reading achievement. (Author)

Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) scores, taken at the kindergarten level were correlated with the acquisition of sight vocabulary and later measures of reading achievement (Stanford Achievement Test scores). Correlation coefficients ranged from .61 to .87. (Author/GK)

Thirty-four children (6 to 7 and 10 to 11 years old) diagnosed as brain injured and enrolled in a school for brain injured children and 40 children in regular classes took part in a study of variability and instability in perceptual and reading functions. (Author/SBH)

The self-esteem of 15 eight- to ten-year-old children with dyslexia was compared to a matched control group of normal or above average readers. Relationships were examined among the following six constructs: good at reading, kind, hard working, intelligent, happy, and successful. (PHR)

Suggests that a syllabication system not based on pronunciation is as unrelated to reading achievement as is the current syllabication system. (FL)

Finds evidence for a relationship between children's ability to use word recognition generalizations and their reading achievement, although they may not need to be able to verbalize those generalizations. (Author/FL)

Aims to show a connection between authentic assessment practices and qualitative research techniques to aid reading teachers in their authentic assessment endeavors. Contends that awareness of an issue can change models and open minds to new ways of thinking. (PA)

Notes that the main problem with using Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs) for measuring reading growth is that running records and miscue analyses are gathered on variable levels of text that are appropriate for each child. Presents several possible solutions to the measurement problem beyond the simple profile descriptions usually reported from…

Uses data from the National Child Development Study to estimate the effects of class size. Finds a significant and sizeable association between smaller classes and higher attainment in reading in the early years of schools when using instrumental-variables estimates, with class size instrumented by the interaction between school size and school…

Details an intervention study which investigated whether children with Down syndrome (DS) would benefit from an "analytic" approach to reading instruction, which encompassed explicit training in phonological awareness. Concludes that DS children benefited from this type of instruction, even though their auditory-verbal memory is poor.…

Reports investigations of some of the factors that affect novice readers' decoding of nonwords. Finds that children aged 7, 8, and 10 assigned more correct pronunciations to nonwords with many orthographic neighbors than those which had few. Discusses results in light of current models. Suggests that a connectionist model with word-level…

Distinguishes between two meanings of literacy that have been conflated: the ability to read and write, and the broader concept of being educated. Presents three arguments: literacy is not social; literacy is not political; and the comprehension part of literacy is a relative matter, while the ability to decode is not. (RS)