Discusses study of instructional approach and pupil characteristics interacting to affect student achievement. Results point to potentially negative consequences of placing students in a learning environment incongruent with key personal characteristics. (JM)

Contends that visual presentations of story elements can enhance poor readers' comprehension. Supports the claim by presenting a study on a mapping readiness approach to improve comprehension. (FL)

This report discusses a program to increase student self-esteem in order to improve student reading achievement. The targeted population consisted of students in grades first, second, and third. The study took place in the northwestern suburbs of a large metropolitan area in Illinois. The problems of low self-esteem and low reading achievement…

Describes a study that examined the ways students responded to the styles of texts and that also looked at the effects of repeated reading of the same passage and different task instructions. (JL)

Indicates that a group counseling atmosphere conductive to self-concept enhancement can lead to reading improvement in college freshmen. (FL)

Indicates that there has been an increase in the standard of reading for meaning for fifth grade pupils in Australia between 1946 and 1971. (TJ)

Reports that the addition of 15 minutes of relaxation training to weekly remedial reading periods for disabled readers throughout a school year raised concentration levels and decreased anxiety, neuroticism, and number of reading errors. Describes a few types of relaxation exercises that may be helpful. (ET)

A study was conducted to examine the differences in reading instruction for good and poor readers. Poor readers were found to have less opportunity to read silently or aloud in the classroom and to read only half as many words as the good readers. (HTH)

Investigates children's reading strategies and progress when a meaning-based approach to reading instruction was implemented in a first-grade reading classroom. Describes the design of a reading program in which the teacher introduced totally predictable books, literacy-related centers, and minilessons in context on selected letter-sound…

Explores whether fourth-grade students who were taught specific research-based strategies using a transactional strategies instruction approach would improve in comprehension achievement and would be more engaged during reading. Notes that the treatment group was taught predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing strategies; and the…

Reviews the literature concerning the role of play therapy (particularly sandplay and nondirected play therapy) in the improvement of reading. Suggests that the role of play therapy is to support the child, encourage the child, and build self-esteem thus creating the optimal learning environment for reading improvement. (RS)

Shows an association between rhythmic ability and reading in seven- and eight-year-old students. Finds that training in music is an effective additional strategy for assisting children with reading difficulties. (SR)

Establishes the logical validity of instructional activities for teaching reading evaluatively. Supports the view that the 20 characteristics of literate students who read evaluatively were translated into valid instructional activities by experienced classroom teachers. (HB)