A study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of reading comprehension strategies in improving the reading skills of underprepared students at a community college. The instructional strategies, which included determining main ideas of passages, drawing inferences and conclusions, and building vocabulary within the context of readings, were…

This paper presents proven strategies and benefits of integrating technology into the language-arts curriculum and instruction. Benefits include creating a risk-free learning environment; increasing student empowerment; providing the opportunity for students to practice skills in meaningful contexts; and increasing interest in reading and writing.…

It is suggested that Chinese students in China and Chinese Americans have difficulty learning to read in English due to native language interference and to cultural traits and thinking patterns. Reading in English requires overcoming some psychological barriers. A chart outlines the different ways in which a Chinese student would read the same…

This guide is designed for use by instructors and tutors at the M. L. Sultan Technikon (South Africa) for teaching students of English as a Second Language or students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. It provides assistance in teaching academic language and study skills in the context of course content. The underlying philosophy is…

Combining a student workbook and a teacher's guide, this booklet is designed to help students reading at the sixth grade level develop their ability to (1) find facts quickly, (2) locate main ideas and supporting information, (3) remember what was read, (4) determine a word's meaning from context, and (5) decide when to use specialized reading…

Secondary and postsecondary students who use the read-answer-discuss strategy while studying read ineffectively and do not comprehend or retain main ideas. A study examined the effectiveness of (1) the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity, (2) conceptual mapping, (3) a combination of those strategies, and (4) reading and underlining main ideas as…

The wealth of information gleaned from reading research both past and present needs to be applied to a practical eclectic reading methodology. First, an emergent instruction model needs to be created that takes into account the immediate interests and needs of the learner. This model should recognize that learning is a transaction, with the…

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)

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…

Literacy is a term that has been defined many ways, with definitions ranging from those that are very narrow to those that are very broad. Among the more wide sweeping was that of the 1991 National Literacy Act, which defined literacy as a wide range of language tasks associated with everyday life, including those "necessary to function on…

Intended as a resource for elementary and middle school teachers for use in literature focus units, reading and writing workshop, or thematic units, this book contains new instructional strategies such as interactive writing, story retelling, and word sorts. The book offers a grid recommending the most appropriate usage for each strategy,…

This book is the second volume of a supplementary textbook to be used either in the classroom or by individual students at home. It is not meant to replace other textbooks that focus on the intensive teaching of Czech grammar and vocabulary. One of the most important features of this book is its use of unaltered, authentic Czech materials. The…

Examines specific approaches to the acquisition and teaching of word, syntax, and text attack skills in foreign language (FL) classes. The role played by computers in second-language reading is considered, and a discussion of problems currently facing the teacher who wishes to allocate reading a more prominent place in the FL learning program is…

Drawn from presentations at the 1977 meeting of the North Central Reading Association, this yearbook includes sections on programs and centers; professional training; clinical problems and methods; research; the Roger Pepper Research Award presentation; and the invitational address. Papers include: "Use of Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate,…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) was developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), in response to Texas House Bill 72 (1984), which mandated a new basic skills assessment program for mathematics, reading, and writing at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. This is one in a series of Instructional Strategies Guides designed to…