Reviews research on the accuracy with which teachers make judgments about their students' reading achievement. Shows that the average teacher is fairly accurate in this regard, though individual differences among teachers are considerable. (SR)

Suggests that the majority of poor readers are poor at discriminating similar letters/words and at letter recognition. Argues that general sensory perceptive training does not improve subsequent reading development but that specific letter/word training in discrimination and recognition has a favorable effect. (RS)

Problem-solving teams substantially influence organizational performance in restructured schools. This article examines the concepts of teamwork and team effectiveness, as related to functions of problem-solving teams. A case study of a successful team effort to improve elementary students' reading scores provides a framework for developing…

Attempts to isolate student and family characteristics that might have an impact upon student achievement in the Chapter 1 reading program. Finds that the most important characteristics are student's self-concept; ability to take a risk; effort; study habits/time management/organizational skills; and attitude toward reading. Finds parent's…

The study examined the range of reading skills in 2,812 general education students in grades 1-6 attending 34 elementary schools. Results documented a wide range of reading skills both within and across grades. Findings are discussed in terms of relations between general and special education. (Author/DB)

This study explored whether visual discrimination problems impair achievement in children with and without learning disabilities. Children (N=66) with learning disabilities were tested for visual discrimination problems, tracked throughout elementary school, and compared to a normally achieving sample. Results indicated lower reading and general…

Assesses fifteen 7- to 12-year-old blind children using standardized measures of intelligence, spelling and reading. Finds they performed poorer when reading than their chronological age would predict. Compares blind and age-matched children's ability to segment heard words, which are written in Braille with and without contractions. Finds words…

Discusses the desirability of creating lifelong readers and suggests that the use of formulas to measure the reading levels of books and tests that assign reading levels to students do not help. Offers suggestions for school librarians to encourage reading, including helping students select books through readers' advisory. (LRW)

Discusses the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) survey of fourth grade student achievement in reading. Considers gender differences, ethnic differences, the Bush administration's Reading First Initiative, and educational funding; and provides an annotated list of pertinent Web sites. (LRW)

A Wisconsin program aimed to amplify the achievement benefits of class-size reduction by requiring supplementary pupil services, a standards-based curriculum, and related staff development and accountability. In one urban school district implementing the program, the program's achievement gains were marginalized by high per-student costs and…

Considers oral reading fluency as an indicator of overall reading competence. Summarizes several studies substantiating that oral reading fluency may reflect overall reading competence. Provides an historical analysis of the extent to which oral reading fluency has been incorporated into measurement approaches during the past century. Concludes…

Tests the developmental lag hypothesis, which assumes that a surface pattern of reading difficulties should be attributed to a general developmental delay. Compares a sample of very low birth weight children with a group of same-age, normal readers. Provides further evidence that a surface pattern of reading difficulty should be attributed to a…

The aim of this study was to investigate differences, if any, in reading achievement among Swedish pupils 9 years of age with respect to school size and location. Data from the IEA reading tests for approximately 3400 children in 124 different schools were used for the analyses, which were carried out using a structural equation modelling…

The causal effects of a voluntary summer reading intervention on children's reading activities and reading achievement were assessed in a randomized experiment involving 331 children in Grades 1-5. Children were pretested in the spring on a standardized test of reading achievement (Stanford Achievement Test, 10th ed.), on the Elementary Reading…

Besides phonological information, printed words also contain visual, semantic, orthographic and often also syntactic cues. Skilled readers have acquired the command of this variety of cues incidentally, as a consequence of language development. Two naming task experiments assessed the effect of congruent versus incongruent phonological or…