Criteria for operationalizing reading come from three considerations: the purposes for reading, the linguistic units interpreted as basic, and the cognitive processes assumed to underlie reading comprehension. One purpose of reading is objectification, in which the reader is an interpreter and verifier of an author's symbolic representation of…

A test of literary judgment which could be used to investigate some aspects of a student's discrimination and response to literature was constructed for this study. Each of the two forms of the test consisted of four parts--"Thematic Imitation,""Paragraph Selection,""Title Choice," and "Distorted Images." One form of the test was administered as a…

How can the content teacher improve his student's learning of history or math and give them practice in writing at the same time? SSSW (Sustained Student Summary Writing) is one resolution of this issue. (Author)

Third grade students' comprehension scores suggest that there is a significant difference between three modes of reception (oral reading, silent reading, and listening), with oral reading significantly more effective than silent reading in promoting comprehension. (HOD)

The study assessed the effects of reading mode (oral versus silent), production format (oral versus written), and structural importance of text on the reading comprehension of 44 learning-disabled males in grades three to eight. Analysis of variance on idea units recalled at four levels of thematic importance indicated a three-way interaction.…

Offers an outline of what research says about silent reading and comprehension. Presents suggestions to help children learn to read silently.

Discusses the use of performance contracts to teach reading to secondary school students in classes classified as "corrective,""developmental," and "enrichment." (HOD)

Practice in oral and silent reading is an important component in the development of reading skills. Observational techniques were used to investigate the actual amount of time a second-grade class spent reading during reading instruction. Results are discussed with regard to effects of practice time on student reading. (Author/DF)

Recommends using the technique of uninterrupted sustained silent reading to improve student attitudes toward reading. (AEA)

Each clearly differentiated program of reading instruction is based on a selected psychological school of thought. Rather than emphasizing one traditional plan of teaching, the teacher needs to study and analyze the student's curricular achievement to see what fits into the learner's repertoire of skills and knowledge. The materials and methods of…

This paper outlines various approaches to teaching reading. The first approach considered focuses on a teacher strictly following a textbook. The paper notes that textbooks which employ programmed reading help students progress at a slow but steady rate. It then discusses the hierarchical method of state mandated objectives and testing. Features…

A teacher had always allowed 20 minutes for silent reading in her classroom. But when she looked at her Year 3/4 composite class, she noticed that although some students were reading, some were not. She decided to explore why they might not be reading. She focused on three students--a boy with severe learning difficulties and an auditory…

The practice of sustained silent reading (SSR) is based on the belief that motivation, interest, self-selection, modeling, and time spent reading contribute to student reading achievement. A study was designed to ascertain the prevalence of SSR in classrooms in a particular geographic area and the degree to which the program's original goals are…

Discusses the methodology and the conclusions of Thorndike's 1917 study. (VJ)

Reports a 3-year longitudinal study (grades 1 through 3) comparing (1) a basal reader program, (2) a phonics program, (3) a combination program of basal readers supplemented with phonics, and (4) a language arts approach using i/t/a. (MD)