This article reports that educators and experts across the country who work with English-language learners (ELLs) are moving toward a consensus that the federal Reading First program needs to be refined to become more effective for children acquiring English. Administrators in several big-city districts with large numbers of such students are…

A study examined the effects of instruction versus no instruction of comprehension monitoring strategies and the effects of direct instruction of a written or checksheet comprehension monitoring strategy on the metacognitive awareness and reading achievement of students. Subjects, 57 fifth-grade and 51 third-grade students from 6 intact classrooms…

Intended to serve as a resource for the many and varied groups concerned with improving students' reading proficiencies, this report from the Nation's Report Card provides a long-term perspective on students' reading skills and strategies based on a series of five national assessments conducted from 1971 to 1988. Each chapter of the report…

Forty 4th and 5th grade remedial reading students from two schools participated in a study that investigated whether providing remedial readers with information on the value of using a particular strategy would influence their self-efficacy and comprehension. In addition, the study explored the effects of emphasizing the general or the…

This comprehensive resource can be used by teachers to align instruction with current standards and to give students the best possible foundation for reading achievement. Organized around the five essential components of reading instruction identified in the report of the U.S. National Reading Panel, this book: (1) Lays the groundwork for creating…

Examines fifth grade students' metacognitive response to ambiguous literacy tasks and explores the relationship between that response and academic achievement. Finds that a relationship exists between the depth and functionality dimensions: the greater the depth of metacognitive plans, the more likely they are to lead to academic success. (MG)

Investigates the relationship between the reading comprehension and information processing strategies of fluent oral readers of Oriya (a language spoken in India) orthography. Notes that Oriya has some significant differences from English orthography. Finds that good comprehenders were relatively more intelligent that the poor comprehenders and…

Literacy games are just another strategy in the ultimate goal to increase reading and overall student academic performance. Activities such as the Fall reading game, which focuses on the Fall season, which encourage reluctant readers to take the beginning steps toward developing the skills they would need to become accomplished readers are…

A study examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) on the reading achievement of sixth graders. Subjects were 72 Chicago Public School students, nearly 100% minority. In the school year of 1994-95 no students received DI. A sample of 30 students who performed poorly, with stanines of 1, 2, and 3 on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) were…

A study examined the position of phonics instruction or direct skill instruction within the context of a whole language, meaning-based approach to reading instruction. A total of 22 first-grade students participated--12 students received instruction in phonics while 10 followed a meaning based curriculum. All were administered a phonics test and a…

The disparity between male and female career-bound students' abilities to read, comprehend, and use written information is a problem for high schools and their feeder middle grades. A primary reason for the difference is that teachers and administrators expect too little of male students. Educators need to recognize the importance of communication…

This paper explores what a reading teacher might do to guide students to achieve and be successful in reading. The paper first points out that there are selected programs of reading instruction which are individualized for optimal student success, and then discusses some of these programs, such as: individualized reading; the experience chart;…

This action research project investigated various reading strategies to increase reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. The targeted population consisted of students from three elementary schools and one junior high school, located in lower to middle socioeconomic neighborhoods. Two elementary schools and the junior high school are located…

Explores reading strategies used by two groups of readers differentiated in terms of academic performance subsequent to their first year in law school. Finds that students in the top quartile used different strategies than students in the bottom quartile. Suggests that attention should be paid to literacy requirements and practices as students…

Investigates effects of teaching text-comprehension strategies to children with decoding and reading-comprehension problems and with a poor or normal listening ability. Finds no differential program effects for the two listening levels. Finds no stable evidence of transfer of comprehension strategy-training to standardized general listening and…