A study investigated the effectiveness of a program for the development of literacy skills among low-achieving kindergarten students. The targeted population consisted of those identified as most at risk in the kindergarten classes at Willard Elementary School located in South Elgin, a village south of Elgin in northern Illinois. The problem of…

A six-phase management effectiveness strategy that can be employed by secondary classroom reading teachers to facilitate and improve the learning of students whose reading skill needs are severely deficient, is outlined in this document. The first phase, the inventory, requires teachers to list and group all reading materials available. In phase…

This booklet describes methods that teachers can use in recreational reading in early childhood and elementary classrooms and suggests ways to help parents promote voluntary reading in their children. The first section deals with "Promoting Voluntary Reading through Classroom Library Corners." Discussed are the value of classroom library corners,…

Examines effective ways of practicing reading that facilitate the development of efficient reading skills in beginners. Indicates that increases in reading efficiency depend largely on the amount of independent, computer-aided practice with speech feedback, a method that seems promising as a means of improving reading skills in beginners. (JK)

Briefly reports on five out-of-school-studies and three in-school studies showing the value of free voluntary reading (FVR). The failure of direct reading instruction and its implications for developing reading skills, the components of a free reading program, and the role of writing are discussed. (34 references) (KRN)

A study was conducted to determine why students were rejecting books recommended by their teachers for independent reading assignments. Approximately 80 eighth-grade students were given a reading interest survey/questionnaire to establish student reading interests. Students were then given a list of 15 independent reading selections compiled by…

Offered as a guide to the teaching of reading and the development of reading skills, this publication provides information on assessment, teaching methods, and published resource materials and is directed to elementary school teachers and reading specialists. The ten chapters include information on the stages of reading, reading readiness, the…

A literature-based reading program was introduced to 98 students in 5 second-grade classrooms in an urban school district with a socioeconomic status ranging from middle class to disadvantaged. Students were primarily African American or Hispanic. Of the total, 22% had previously been classified as "at risk" as determined by state regulations. The…

Describing the characteristics and attitudes of a nationally representative sample of 36,000 students in grades 3, 7, and 11, this report details the specific features of reading instruction, how students approach their reading tasks, student reading experiences, and the home and school supports to academic achievement. The report is based the…

The content of books chosen independently by fourth, fifth, and sixth, graders was compared with the content of four selected basal reading texts at the same three grade levels. The selections of the children and from the texts were classified into twenty-one categories, and then the percentages of the children's choices within these categories…

Describes a teaching unit for junior high school content area classes that is intended to provide students with effective strategies for reading nonfiction. The unit involves independent reading, research, and writing activities which culminate in the publication of student-written nonfiction books on topics of the student's choice. (SKC)

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…

Recounts observations of a child's interactions with Beverly Cleary's Ramona books, noting that she exhibited "passionate attention" toward the characters by becoming involved with them and discussing them often. Shows that the child's comments grew from observations to criticism over time, and her passionate attention to Ramona expanded…

A preliminary study investigated whether regular periods of sustained silent reading (SSR) would positively affect verified silent reading comprehension scores for eighth grade students. The hypothesis tested was that students allowed 15 minutes of recreational reading (reading self selected material for enjoyment) five times a week for three…

A study determined the relationship, if any, between students' learning styles and the types of books they choose to read independently, as well as the amount of time they spend reading independently. Study participants were 72 seventh-grade students attending a middle school in Cobb County, Georgia, who had scored 70 or above in any of the four…