A teacher describes Reading In Silence, a period of time during which the educable mentally retarded students (7-10 years old) in her classroom read books, newspapers, and magazines of their choice. (CL)

Five elementary-aged mentally retarded students participated in a study of two previewing procedures' effects on oral reading and listening. Results indicated that systematic previewing procedures were related to higher performance levels than was baseline (no previewing). The listening procedure was generally related to higher rates of words read…

Defines Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading and explains the need for it, how to use it effectively, what to expect from it, and what to do if something goes wrong. (FL)

Presents graphs inadvertently left out of an article published in the previous issue of this journal. (MG)

Advocates sustained silent reading (SSR) in elementary classrooms to ensure a positive attitude towards reading. Defines important aspects of SSR and discusses its implementation and value. (SR)

Suggests guidelines, taken from adult reading groups, for teachers to use when establishing reading club groups in the classroom which include discussing the purpose for reading clubs, demonstrating how to choose a book to read, and establishing rules for the reading club groups. (NH)

Mario, an adolescent English-language learner and struggling reader, participated in a university-sponsored summer literacy program. After the program, a follow-up literacy assessment was conducted, and Mario was interviewed about his perceptions of and practices with literacy. The findings of this case study demonstrate the possibility that…

A study investigated whether there was a significant difference in the comprehension and appreciation of literature studied through oral interpretation when compared to silent reading. Two hundred and sixty-three third, fourth, and fifth graders from Terre Haute, Indiana were separated into experimental and control groups, and were given pre- and…

Examines the differences between beginning and skilled readers in the units used to represent the meaning of text. Compares reading times and recall of 50 third- and fifth-graders. Stimulus sentences all had the same number of words but varied in the number of underlying propositions. (Author/CB)

Results of experiment indicate that ability to deduce answers is at least as important as speed or comprehension; problems arise because too much attention is paid to very small fluctuations in scores." (Author/SP)

Results of a study of the reading rate of 435 students varying from grade four through college support the theory that individuals typically read at a constant rate rather than adjusting their rate to the difficulty level of the material. (AEA)

Discusses the rationale for sustained silent reading, suggests methods for implementing it, reports on studies showing its positive effects, and notes problems and benefits involved in sustained silent reading programs. (DD)

Warns that students may misread or misunderstand texts during an individual reading activity. Urges teachers to pay close attention to how readers actually move into a story. (MM)