Although literacy achievement has improved in Chile, adolescents' underperformance in reading comprehension is still a serious concern. In English, core academic-language skills (CALS) have been found to significantly predict reading comprehension, even controlling for academic vocabulary knowledge. CALS are high-utility language skills that…

A study determined the effectiveness of the "Direct Instruction" program on the reading achievement of sixth-grade students. "Direct Instruction," known as "Distar" in the 1960s, is a phonic-based method that uses scripted lesson plans engaging students to learn by memory and classroom responses. Subjects were 30…

Incentive programs in the form of token economies (the granting of points or counters which can later be exchanged for tangible rewards such as free time, listening to records, or candy) are widely used in schools today. The Pizza Hut restaurant chain promotes a motivation plan called "Book It" with free pizza as the reward for increased…

A study compared cognitive style (field dependence/independence) and learning style (reflection/impulsion) with reading achievement. Twenty-six sixth grade students were administered the group Embedded Figures Test to determine field dependence/independence and the Matching Familiar Figures Test to determine reflective and implusive students.…

THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE HANDWRITING, READING, AND SPELLING PERFORMANCE OF FOURTH- AND SIXTH-GRADE CHILDREN TO THE TRANSITION TIME FROM MANUSCRIPT TO CURSIVE WRITING WAS STUDIED. THE FOUR TRANSITION TIMES WERE EITHER THE FIRST OR SECOND SEMESTER IN GRADE 2 OR THE FIRST OR SECOND SEMESTER IN GRADE 3. HANDWRITING LEGIBILITY WAS MEASURED BY THE…

In order to discern whether sixth grade students with differing levels of reading achievement (as measured by the Paragraph Meaning subtest of the Stanford Achievement Test) also differed in the level of syntactic maturity evidenced in their response to a sentence combining task, a syntactic structure inventory of eight sentence-combining stimulus…

A study assessed dimensions of children's reading motivations by giving them a revised version of the Motivations for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ). The MRQ is designed to assess 11 possible dimensions of reading motivations, including reading efficacy, several intrinsic and several extrinsic reading motivations, social aspects of reading, and the…

Concludes that there is a strong positive relationship between an elementary school's organizational climate (whether the school is "open" or "closed") and student reading performance, with achievement being greater in the more open schools. (FL)

Presents the results of a research study which was designed to determine gains or losses in reading proficiency during summer vacation, investigate the characteristics of those students whose proficiency increases or decreases, and aid in planning summer reading programs which maximize gains and minimize losses. (RB)

The major concern of this study was to investigate the reading interests of sixth grade pupils. A questionnaire was developed to determine the reading interests of the children. Comparisons were made between the expressed reading interests of the pupils and the content of five sixth basic readers. Some of the conclusions were: the interests of…

Indicates that male teachers had no significant effect upon the reading achievement of 193 sixth-grade boys and suggests pursuing other strategies to help such boys improve their reading achievement scores. (RL)

This study explores the relationship between reading attitudes, self-perceptions and reading achievement among second and sixth graders. The sample consisted of 84 second graders (39 females, 45 males) and 71 sixth graders (32 females, 39 males). Participants responded to the Estes Attitude Scales for reading, math and science and the "About…

Examines how dimensions of reading motivation related to students' reading activity and achievement. Finds that the strength of the relations between reading motivation and reading achievement was greater for girls and for white students. Demonstrates that reading motivation is multidimensional and should be regarded as such in research and in…

The third in a series of studies to assess the reading achievement of Indiana students, a study compared the reading achievement of sixth and tenth graders in 1944-45, 1976, and 1986. The same edition of the Iowa Silent Reading Test (ISRT) was administered to sixth- and tenth-graders in 1944-45, 1976, and 1986. The 1944-45 sample consisted of 25%…

This study reports the findings of a 1971 assessment of the reading achievement of 22,000 sixth grade students in Texas. The study used the Prescriptive Reading Test (PRT) and a Pupil Identification Form (PID). Results from the PRT are reported in terms of the percentage of pupils who achieved each of 48 reading objectives. Nineteen objectives…