A study was conducted to evaluate the level of difficulty of textbooks (French and Sciences) written in French for use with sixth grade students. A cloze test was administered to a sample of sixth grade students in two francophone districts in the province of New Brunswick, Canada, and the Henry readability formula was applied to the same texts.…

Investigates effects of text coherence and active engagement on students' comprehension of textbook information. Finds a continuum of increased performance from original silent text, to original text with thinking aloud, to revised text read silently, and finally revised text with thinking aloud. (SR)

A new, computerized readability assessment program was developed to verify the reading levels of stories, as designated by publishers in current sixth grade reading texts. The Spache, Harris-Jacobson, Dale-Chall, Flesch, and Fry readability formulas were incorporated into one computer-based program designed for rapid calculation and comparative…

This paper describes the development of a sixth-grade "Matter and Molecules" unit using a new curriculum development model based on conceptual change research, the field testing of this unit in 15 classrooms and the field test results. The development process and the resulting unit are contrasted with the unit's predecessor, the "Models of Matter"…

The effect of pictures on reading comprehension under different levels of text organization was investigated. Sixth graders (N=132) read three science passages, presented with or without pictures representing text content. Picture condition was crossed with three levels of text organization. Multiple-choice test scores were analyzed using reading…

A study examined the role of metadiscourse characteristics and level of student anxiety as they affect learning from social studies textbooks. Metadiscourse is defined as an author's overt or non-overt presence in the discourse in order to direct rather than inform readers--the linguistic material given to readers so they will understand what is…

Results of an experimental study involving 49 sixth-grade science students suggest that teacher-constructed graphic organizers, regardless of position (before or after textual reading), are no more effective than traditional instruction in increasing comprehension and retention of science content-area information. (IAH)

Five social studies programs at the fourth and sixth grade levels were examined to determine how much and what kind of reading comprehension instruction was provided in both the students' and teachers' editions of the texts. Programs studied were those published by Follett; Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich; Laidlaw; Macmillan; and Scott, Foresman.…

Describes a study of content area textbook use, in which three teachers' explanations of their use of textbooks differed from those derived from observations, and that this ambiguity may serve to confuse students. (HTH)

An ethnographic study was conducted with the goal of comparing the botanical knowledge of nine sixth grade students with the botanical concepts developed in the elementary textbook series, Science, by Silver Burdett, 1985. The extent to which the child's conceptual framework resembles that of the scientist and the extent to which the textbook…

This is a study of two sixth-grade classes at Bayshore Middle School (Middletown, New Jersey) who were enrolled in a 7-week keyboarding class. The first class met from October 31 through December 23, 1994; the second class met from January 3 through March 1, 1995. The instruction of the first group was teacher directed, and the students typed from…

Outlines a sixth grade social studies project rewriting portions of outdated textbooks. Suggests steps by which students critically read, evaluate, and rewrite historical accounts of the Soviet Union to reflect recent changes. Explains how the project develops skills in evaluating information and making revisions. Emphasizes the active learning…

Reports on a content analysis of all pictures of music-related figures appearing in grades six, seven, and eight music textbooks published in 1988. Finds females underrepresented and stereotypes common. Calls for more research on equity in curriculum materials and gender-related issues in music education. (CFR)