The experiment investigated the feasibility of bridging the gap between the recognition of pictures and the recognition of words in four mentally handicapped adolescents by adapting a modified version of symbol accentuation (in which a printed word looks like the object it represents). (SB)

The author describes teaching a vocabulary of functional key words (such as number, sign, spatial, and community words) to 30 trainable mentally handicapped students (ages 5-21 years). (PHR)

The study investigated the effects of modality preference, mode of instruction, and verbal feedback on immediate and delayed recall of new words in 72 elementary age learning disabled students. (Author/PHR)

A teaching strategy that taps students' comprehension strengths and reduces the anxieties that often result from reading disability is explained. The strategy provides students with extensive story understanding before independent reading and uses story understanding to help students identify unknown words. (Author/DB)

Findings from a study which compared methods for improving students' (N=20) reading fluency indicate: (1) both repeated readings and listening-while-reading treatments were effective in improving reading fluency and, (2) neither treatment was superior to the other in improving reading fluency. (IAH)

Describes a tic tac toe game in which students learn vocabulary words in their expressed areas of interest. (MG)

Twenty experienced reading teachers designed and implemented what they considered to be exemplary vocabulary lessons. Transcripts were analyzed for the number of statements relating to word recognition or conceptual development. Results indicate that the majority of teachers provided dual-focused lessons. Although conceptual development…

Encourages teachers to use imitative reading, choral reading, and repeated readings in the classroom to improve intonation, speaking skills, word recognition, reading rate, and comprehension, while boosting self-confidence. (RAE)

Key words from product warning labels were taught to four adolescents with moderate mental disabilities using flash cards and a progressive time-delay procedure. Although students mastered the words in a relatively short time with minimal errors, generalization probe data with actual products across settings revealed the need for instruction to…

These thoughts, by an author of a paper (EC 611 428) on teaching adolescents with moderate mental retardation to read key warning label words, focus on the importance of teaching for generalization or teaching word recognition using actual labels and encouraging an appropriate behavioral response. (DB)

Describes process variables associated with reading maze tasks in macrostructure theory. Researchers provided a multiple-choice extension of cloze to high school readers, eliciting word, sentence, and paragraph replacement. Different maze accuracy patterns emerged for readers of differing proficiency, suggesting mazes are valuable in diagnosing…

This study tested whether conditioning to one member of a compound stimulus can be blocked by presence of a second member to which the response was previously conditioned. Eight mentally retarded students (ages 7-9) were presented with words, sometimes accompanied by pictures. Six students performed best when words were presented without pictures.…

Describes an effective approach (including four fun activities) to promote poor readers' word recognition skills. (SR)

A spelling study expert offers the following strategies for teaching elementary students to spell: making word-sorting games that categorize words by shared characteristics; playing letter-sequencing games; examining how root words and affixes combine to form new words; making spelling meaningful; and linking spelling study with editing and…

Elaborates on the use of syllabication in teaching pupils to recognize unknown words. Discusses specific methodologies in teaching syllabication. (RS)