Provides an overview of three major categories of reading skills (word identification, comprehension, and rate) and of two basic types of study skills (those involving the location of information through reading and those involving organization of information) and shows how the skills are related to each other. (GT)

The present research was undertaken to test the effectiveness of beginning training at the motor level for children having difficulty with the symbolic system of reading. Reading gains of first-grade children were significantly greater than those of second-graders beyond the .01 level, a result not explainable by ceiling effects. (Author)

This study compared reading rates of three students with reading disabilities and five nondisabled students, all fourth graders. Students were tested on their reading rates on self-selected passages (whole language approach) and on controlled, curriculum-based measurement materials. No significant differences were found between groups of students…

Six fourth-graders with low vision were asked to read unrelated words and continuous text ranging in print size. Participants read faster when they read text aloud than when they read nonrelated words. Their reading speeds decreased as the print sizes decreased. Methods to maximize reading efficiency are discussed. (Contains references.) (CR)

The paper describes procedures for reducing reading errors and building oral reading fluency by having students read along with audiotapes of passages recorded at rates somewhat faster than the learner's current performance level. Steps involved in this challenging reading method include assessment, daily timings, error correction, and rate…

Examines the relevance of decoding, comprehension, and reading rate as used by teachers for evaluation of their students' reading competence. Finds that teachers claim to rely only on decoding and comprehension in assessing reading competence, but that in practice teachers rely quite heavily on reading rate as a diagnostic tool. (RS)

Considers the relationship between decoding and sight-word reading. Investigates whether to use the whole-word method or to build decoding skills before introducing sight words. Sets up five goals to address these issues. Concludes that sight-word reading instruction is likely to be successful if decoding skills are firmly established first. (SC)

One explanation for the relationship between serial rapid naming (SRN) and reading is that SRN affects the temporal proximity of the phonological activation of the letters in a word, which, in turn, influences the acquisition of orthographic knowledge. To test this hypothesis, a group of Dutch first grade children was trained in the rapid serial…

One of the most important, and most studied, aspects of human perception is the act of reading. Reading has received much attention from researchers, both from a human information processing (HIP) approach and as a common, practical act that needs to be optimized, especially in the realm of human-computer interaction (HCI). One of the text …

Second- and 3rd-grade children with poor word-level skills were randomly assigned to 8 months of explicit instruction emphasizing the phonologic and orthographic connections in words and text-based reading or to remedial reading programs provided by the schools. At posttest, treatment children showed significantly greater gains than control…

An empirical study is reported that investigated the relationship between first language (L1) and English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) reading in terms of efficiency, speed, and comprehension with Chinese university students of English as subjects. Results indicate that reading speed transfers readily from L1 to EFL readers for those who are slow…

A study tested the effects of an approach for improving reading fluency on the general reading and fluency development of second-grade students in regular classrooms. Subjects were from two elementary schools in a large, urban, ethnically diverse school district. There were 30 students in 2 classrooms in a school located in a working class…

This study addressed the high retention percentage of college bound English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students exiting and ESL program who were retained in college developmental reading classes because of poor entrance test reading scores on the Multi-Assessment Placement Services (MAPS) exam. A computer reading program, implemented to improve…

Much of what has developed in the testing of reading harkens back to the days of the "Cult of Efficiency" movement in education that can be largely attributed to Frederick Winslow Taylor. Taylor spent most of his productive years studying time and motion in an attempt to streamline industrial production so that people could work as…

A study sought to create and pilot a reasonable method for estimating reading rate by grade level and level of reading proficiency within grade level, and to identify reasonable estimates of reading rate at independent, instructional, and frustration levels of reading. Data were elicited from 66 third grade and 64 fifth grade students attending…