Comparison of the differential text structure skills in reading and writing of elementary level learning disabled (N=42) and three groups of regular class students indicated significant differences between learning disabled students and their peers in the use of text structure in both reading and writing of expository prose. (Author/DB)

Argues that the use of semantic webs (a means of organizing a subject visually) can help students focus on the social issues in their reading and discussions of literature. (Author/FL)

A technique for teaching children to gather new facts and ideas or to confirm previously selected information for the purpose of writing reports is described. Semantic mapping, a model for enhancing passage comprehension, is an entire process of reading, recalling, notetaking, organizing ideas, and paragraph writing. (JD)

Focuses on what sixth-grade students know about the organizational features of prose and whether the use of specific organizational patterns (top-level structures) facilitates written recall of expository prose. (HOD)

The purpose of this study was to isolate factors responsible for the discrepant results reported in the advanced organizer literature, and to identify processes children employ when attempting to recall connected verbal materials. The subjects were 64 middle-class children randomly selected from a local school system. An equal number of male and…

Offers guidelines for a homework assignment in which parents and children collaborate to construct a "personal timeline" of the child's life. Suggestions are offered regarding the introduction of timelines, timeline topics and strategies, timelines as advance organizers, and other ways to use timelines in the curriculum. Research on…

Utilizes the information processing model of human memory to provide teachers with suggestions for improving the teaching-learning process. Briefly explains and specifies applications of major theoretical concepts: attention, active learning, meaningfulness, organization, advanced organizers, memory aids, overlearning, automatically, and…

This study investigated a psycholinguistic model of reading comprehension which attempts to relate readers' conceptual backgrounds to their ability to process syntactic structures. Specifically, the questions addressed involved the interaction between cognitive organizers and active and passive voices of verbs. Subjects included 409 third graders,…

Thirty-six learning disabled children (9-12 years old) participated in a modified Directed Reading Activity, a modified Concept Analysis Activity, and a Worksheet Activity (control). Results indicate that evaluative reading comprehension was more affected by both the modified Concept Analysis Activity and the modified Directed Reading Activity…

Young children's intentional preparation for future recall of the location of an object was examined within the context of a delayed-reaction paradigm. Children older than 3 years stored the object at distinctive locations and thereby facilitated retrieval. Feedback, viewing consequences, and suggestions for strategy positively influenced…

A study explored the effects of prequestions (questions provided prior to reading) and the influence of a prediction strategy upon the amount and types of information recalled by children in grades three through six. Subjects, 188 students in grades three through six who were reading at third grade level or above, read a 900-word expository…

A study tested the effects of using a graphic advance organizer before, during, and after reading on the comprehension of written text. Subjects were 197 sixth-grade students who were assigned to a graphic advance organizer group or a reading-only control group and who were also designated as below-level, at-level, and above-level readers. The…

Presents a study which examined elementary science textbooks (grades four and six), noting (1) text organization and structure; and (2) the degree of problem solving required in chapter activities (according to Bloom's taxonomy). Reports a need for a more varied use of text structures and the inclusion of activities that utilize higher-level…

Reports on a study to determine whether questions asked prior to reading or questions asked before and after reading would improve elementary school students' word recognition and reading comprehension performance. Concludes that no significant differences existed in favor of the prequestion task on word recognition or comprehension performance.…