Discusses possible causes of the lack of good reading and study skills among U.S. secondary school students. Describes several techniques for improving these skills. (ARH)

A city-wide elementary school reading program that emphasizes mastery learning and continuous progress in Chicago, Continuous Progress--Mastery Learning, is blamed for the declining reading test scores of high school students there. The program's origins and evolution are described along with a new program, Chicago Mastery Learning Reading, which…

There is a body of literature suggesting that involving parents in their children's education is an effective strategy for children at risk of reading failure. In a pre-test/post-test control group design, parents in an experimental group received reading materials and were trained on techniques to stimulate their child during paired reading at…

Intended for teachers and administrators, this book examines systematic observation of reading behaviors and reading recovery procedures to help children with reading problems. Part one deals with systematic observation, beginning with a discussion of the reading process and reading programs. Following that, it describes the use of the diagnostic…

A discussion of adult learners and a description of instructional reading strategies--based on thinking--for adult learners are presented in this paper. A definition of adulthood and the nontraditional learner in the paper highlights adults' cognitive skills, interests, and literacy levels, while the metacognitive awareness of disabled and good…

Intended to provide a basis for a sociolinguistic theory of reading by placing reading within a discussion of the formal and functional characteristics of language use in social settings, this book explores the state of the art of reading and literacy, the relations between spoken and written language, and explanations of reading failure. Chapters…

The final report and a general summary of a research project that assessed the developmental differences in children's use of constructive reading strategies are presented in this paper. The five chapters of the final report offer descriptions of separate studies conducted in the following areas: children's metacognitive knowledge about reading;…

The junior-high or high-school student who reads below the fourth-grade level was cited as a national problem. Those students must be identified by reading specialists and English teachers, and programs must be prepared to correct these reading disabilities through motivation and skill building. Because of this need, the author described the…

Describes a successful project in which seventh-grade English-as-a-Second-Language teachers in Jerusalem kept nonreaders in the classroom, thus laying a positive foundation for high school, motivating all students to study English, and reducing the gap in English abilities. By teaming and collaborating, teachers and student teachers created a…

Based on information gained in two longitudinal research studies of the beginning reading process, this book offers insights into the detection and prevention of reading failure. The 13 chapters of the book deal with the following topics: barriers to the early identification of reading problems, preschool experiences, school entry, early reading…

Reading skill can be acquired in a natural and informal manner and in a variety of settings ranging from the school to the streets. Anyone who wants to learn to read or to develop his reading ability can do so if the following conditions are satisfied: (1) A person who knows how to read and wants to share his knowledge is willing to help. (2)…

This longitudinal study examined gender differences in motivation and the role of reading prerequisites, that is phonemic and comprehension skills, in the formation of motivational tendencies from kindergarten up to grade 1. The longitudinal sample consisted of 157 Finnish-speaking children. Teachers rated children's adaptive goals, (i.e. task…

Noting that illiteracy in the workplace is currently a major problem for American businesses and corporations, this booklet, developed by the National Commission for Employment Policy and Project Literacy U.S., suggests ways in which companies can help their workers become literate. The booklet first outlines the extent of the problem of…

Created by the Project Literacy U.S. (PLUS) organization to combat adult illiteracy, this guide offers suggestions for enhancing local adult literacy programs or establishing new ones. Following an introduction to the problem of illiteracy and a call for a national effort to alleviate it, the guide focuses on how to begin a literacy program,…

Notes that poor readers often equate reading difficulty with failure and exhibit stress reactions, and suggests that teachers take these feelings into account to help with remediation. (JC)