Seventy-four students read passages from an individually administered test of reading comprehension (a subtest from the "Test of Dyslexia," a test of reading and related abilities currently in development; McCallum & Bell, 2001), and then answered literal and inferential questions. Students were randomly assigned to one of two…

A discussion of the use of sustained silent reading (SSR) to improve the reading skills and enjoyment of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students reviews studies on the effects of SSR in both first- and second-language contexts and offers suggestions for its classroom use. Some of the research looks at the effect of the technique on attitudes…

A practicum addressed the problem of 8 second and third grade nonindependent readers (students at a small private school) who were not choosing to read library books. The literature review disclosed using sustained silent reading, sharing responses to reading and planning for more available time to read in the classroom and at home as viable ways…

A study investigated the role of phonemic (sound-based) information during silent reading to determine whether the visual tongue-twister effect occurs only when readers make judgments of sentence acceptability or whether the visual tongue-twister effect is due to the way sentences are represented in memory. Data were collected from 45 university…

Intended for language arts teachers of the upper elementary grades, this guide suggests vocabulary and discussion questions for teaching novels. The questions are on an inferential level of interpretation, rather than literal, and address such topics as style, technique, and plot development. Novels for which questions are provided are: (1)…

A study of the effect of regular sustained silent reading (SSR) periods on the reading comprehension and vocabulary of a group of adult students of English as a second language is reported. Sixteen foreign students from 10 countries enrolled at the University of South Florida participated in one of three groups. One group engaged in SSR for ten…

Social studies teachers must take a role in promoting long-term literacy as part of schoolwide efforts in all subject areas to motivate students' independent reading. This may be accomplished by: (1) including literature as part of the instructional program, to support recurring themes in history (such as "in quest of freedom") or to…

A selection of seven articles on teaching reading to high school students is presented in this report. The topics discussed are: (1) a structured approach to reading expository prose, (2) the effectiveness of sustained silent reading, (3) readability variations in secondary remedial high interest books, (4) the effects of previewing difficult…

THE THREE LEVELS NECESSARY FOR SKILL IN CRITICAL READING ARE (1) LITERAL MEANING, (2) INTERPRETATION, AND (3) ASSIMILATION AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTEGRATION. TO RENDER JUDGMENTS AND EVALUATIONS OF VARIOUS READINGS, THE CRITICAL READER MUST DETERMINE THE WORTH, VALIDITY, AND QUALITY OF THE TEXT. HE TRIES TO MAINTAIN OBJECTIVITY, ATTEMPTS TO FIND THE…

To make sense of unknown words encountered in their reading, children must relate what they read to their prior knowledge. It is important to use children's language in early reading instruction, through the use of language experience stories that provide children with a natural transition from oral to written language. Nursery rhymes may also be…

The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of prior knowledge on reading comprehension. Twenty second-graders who were reading at, or not more than one year above, grade level were pretested to determine the extent of their prior knowledge about the topic they would be reading. Based on their pretest scores, the students were divided…

"The Reading Project" in adult basic education (ABE), designed by the Province of Saskatchewan, consists of 14 sections containing 512 exercises in listening, reading, and spelling skills. This study compares the effectiveness of the project with conventional teaching of reading in ABE classes. A total of 257 adults participated in the…

This comprehensive informal reading inventory was based on the Harper and Row Basic Reading Program. It includes four major sections: a reading attitude inventory, a phonics inventory, a word recognition checklist, and an oral and silent reading inventory. The reading attitude measure is a list of 25 questions to be read silently and answered with…

This report describes a program encouraging students to choose reading as a recreational activity. The targeted population consisted of first, second, third, and fourth grade students in a growing middle class community, near a large Midwestern city. The problem of students choosing recreational activities other than reading was documented through…

Describes a lesson plan model for teaching adults to read. The four phases of the model (reading to the student, silent reading, oral reading by the student, skills work) are presented, their significance explained, and activities and references provided. An annotated bibliography follows the model. (CT)