This report describes comparative evaluations of the Distar I (first grade) and Distar II (second grade) programs which were carried out in 1972-1973. Results showed: (1) the Distar program for first grades had no conclusive advantage over traditional instruction for the development of oral language or reading achievement; and (2) second grade…

This study was designed to compare two teaching methods in order to determine which one would better result in (1) increasing reading speed, accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension among sixth-grade pupils living in a culturally disadvantaged neighborhood; (2) decreasing regressions and fixations and improving reading comprehension; and (3)…

The effect of individualized instruction programs on academic achievement and attitudes of elementary school children was evaluated. It was hypothesized that students in individualized programs would have significantly higher achievement scores and more positive attitudes toward school and self and greater self-direction when compared to their…

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)

Describes the process of acquiring a computer-assisted instruction system by the Linton-Stockton School Corporation (LSSC). Discusses problems that made the acquisition difficult. Presents the results of a standardized achievement test given to students before and after experience with the system. Emphasizes gains in reading comprehension. (CW)

Examines the strategies first grade students use when reading two types of materials--basal and student-authored. Finds that children used more efficient strategies and had better comprehension when reading student-authored stories. (MM)

Reading ability of fourth- and eighth-grade Hungarians was assessed as part of the national CTD-80 (Curriculum Theory Department) survey. The texts used in the reading tests are analyzed, as are the reading tasks involved. Resulting achievement test results are presented and described in terms of the text characteristics. (GDC)

A study examined how two international studies--the 1991 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Reading Literacy Study and the 2001 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS, also conducted by IEA)--compared to each other in the aspects of reading literacy each assessed, the types of texts they…

This study described a program designed to increase student reading comprehension in order to improve academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of third and eighth grade students in two schools located in Northern Illinois. Evidence for the existence of the problem included scores from the Stanford Test, low academic performance on…

This book contains a collection of formal and informal reading assessments for use with students in Grades K-8. These assessments assist the teacher in targeting areas of strength and weakness, in monitoring student reading development, and in planning appropriate instruction. The book's assessments (some in both English and Spanish) range from…

Extensive research over the past 30 years has established the classroom and home experiences that support independent reading by the end of third grade. This set of eight six-page pamphlets draws on this research in providing teachers with practical suggestions on improving children's reading achievement. It includes practices easily incorporated…

Concludes that linguistic concept knowledge contributed the greatest amount of unique variance to oral comprehension, silent comprehension, and word recognition at the first grade level, while cognitive style contributed the greatest amount of unique variance to silent comprehension at the third grade level. (FL)

Sixteen children with severe reading problems in first grade received a year-long individual tutorial intervention. Growth curve analyses found significant gains on measures of orthographic and phonological coding, word identification, word attack skills, reading comprehension, letter automaticity, and spelling and marginally significant gains in…

Twenty-four resource room teachers were trained in either teaching Question-Answer Relationships (QARs) or traditional methods of reading comprehension instruction, including literal questions, locating supporting details, and drawing conclusions. Results indicated that QARs readily accommodated to content area reading material and elevated…

Two experiments tested whether the orthography of readers' first or second language affected their reading time and comprehension in each. English and Hebrew bilingual graduate students and faculty read texts translated into both Hebrew and English. The English native speakers read the English texts significantly faster than the native Hebrew…