A study investigated how students' mental representation of an expository text and the inferences they used in summarizing varied as a function of text difficulty and of differences in the task. Subjects, 96 college students and students from grades 6 and 10, wrote summaries of expository texts and answered orally several probe questions about the…

A study examined the processes and results of children's involvement in interrelated reading/writing activities. First, descriptions of 23 children's reading and writing behavior were drawn from a group of case studies of children who were participating in Reading Recovery, an early intervention program that targets first grade children at risk of…

A cost benefit study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of a computer assisted instruction/computer management system (CAI/CMS) as an alternative to conventional methods of teaching reading within Chapter 1 and DPPF funded programs of the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools. The Chapter 1 funded Compensatory Language Experiences and Reading…

The Bradford Book Flood--an experiment in which large numbers of additional books were made available to middle school children in England to see whether easy access to books improved reading skills and developed a taste for reading--is detailed in this book. The first chapter discusses the purpose and methodology of the experiment, while the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 22 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the relationship of reading achievement to self-concept in third and fourth grade gifted students; (2) perceived teacher effort and student achievement in…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 23 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: relationships among attitudes, intelligence, and reading achievement; the purposes and processes of reading as described by elementary school children; evaluating…

The two chapters of this monograph deal with the issue of the existence of a perceptual grammar that influences reading proficiency, particularly initial reading proficiency. The first chapter indicates the importance of studying reading and writing in terms of readers' and writers' knowledge of visuo-spatial processing rules. It discusses…

Focusing on reading comprehension instruction at the word, sentence, paragraph, and larger unit levels, the articles in this volume were drawn from a variety of sources. The three articles in the first section deal with theoretical bases and conceptual concerns. Specific topics covered include the argument for a discourse analysis model, the…

The first of a two-volume set, this monograph concentrates on a rapidly developing area of reading research, comprehension. Eleven articles cover theoretical aspects, ways of measuring comprehension, and strategies for teaching. Sense of story and its effect on comprehension and the facility to read, listen to, retell, and create stories are…

The eight studies on reading reported in this publication focus on research in the areas of greatest concern to the general English teacher. The findings and conclusions of systematic empirical investigations as well as descriptive analyses, status studies, and surveys are presented on (1) preparation for teaching reading; (2) variations in…

Contains annotations of books from five countries--Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, and United States. Annotations are arranged in following categories: (1) Teaching Theory and Practice; (2) Reading, Writing, and Speaking; (3) Fiction; (4) Poetry; (5) Drama; (6) Course and Source Books; (7) Media and Computers; and (8) Reference Books.…

Examines three strategies designed to help middle school students use text structures to comprehend expository text: (1) hierarchical summaries, (2) conceptual maps, and (3) thematic organizers. Summarizes advantages and disadvantages of each strategy and recommends that teachers consider the outcomes they want and select the most appropriate…

Examines the relationship between television viewing and reading achievement within a framework of television and reading constructs such as media availability and parental media behavior, children's use of print and broadcast media and measures of their attitudes and orientation toward television and print. Includes the questionnaire. (PD)

A study investigated the effectiveness of the Chapter 1 Reading Program, which provided assistance to 5,527 selected underachieving pupils in grades one through eight in the Columbus, Ohio public schools. The program featured small group instruction arranged according to pupil needs for the improvement of language and reading skills. Data included…

The Chapter 1 Developer/Demonstration Program, Learning to Read Through the Arts (LTRTA), offers intensive reading and reading-oriented arts instruction to Chapter 1-eligible students. During the 1988-89 school year, the program served 100 ungraded special education students and 716 general education and limited English proficient (LEP) students…