Reports on a study that examined seventh-grade students' ability to recall prose passages to determine whether the size of the semantic processing unit increased across three orienting task conditions, thereby increasing comprehension and recall. (HOD)

In these studies, the structured content overview positively affected students' upper and lower level comprehension scores as compared to either vocabulary preteaching or control (no prereading) treatments. Vocabulary preteaching appeared to be more important with science than with history materials. (Author/SJL)

Describes a prereading learning activity designed to make comprehension easier in content area reading for students with limited background. (MKM)

Explores two video instructional strategies for the foreign language classroom: advance organizers and captions in the target language. A set of classroom procedures are proposed that combine advance organizers and captions to teach English as a foreign language. (9 references) (Author/CK)

The article describes teacher-directed and student-mediated comprehension strategies to improve the text comprehension skills of mainstreamed students with mild disabilities. Techniques include advance organizers, study guides, color coding, oral reading, critical thinking maps, and self-questioning techniques. Guidelines are offered for assessing…

A study investigated the effects of an instructional design based on schema theory and of concept organizers on presentation of technical concepts and skill acquisition and retention in four secondary industrial arts classes. Pretest posttest and criterion-referenced test results suggested that concept organizers and schema-organized presentations…

Looks at the effect of student-written test questions on student test performance. Students either wrote essay or multiple-choice questions, or did not write questions. Student items were not used on the test. Results indicate that question-writing is an effective studying technique. (Author/LS)

This paper offers a rationale for modifying textbooks for secondary students with learning disabilities who are taught in general education classes. Recent research on the uses of study guides, graphic organizers, vocabulary drills, and computer-assisted instruction is reviewed, and guidelines for selecting appropriate uses of these strategies are…

Reviews literature on instructional organizers and provides a comparative analysis of their effectiveness with computer-based instruction (CBI). Topics include a description of instructional organizers; research on advance organizers and graphic organizers; instructional organizers with CBI; and the generative learning hypothesis. (81 references)…

A study found that both paradigmatic and syntagmatic aspects of text were important for signifying meaning of text in the reading comprehension of 102 Australian students at 3 age levels (10, 12, and 14 years). Underlying comprehension problems was a lack of prior experience of text topics. Reading preparation through developing shared meanings is…

The effect of graphic organizers on 14 learning-disabled students' (grades 5 and 6) recall of science content was compared with that of students taught identical content without the graphic organizer condition. Evaluation two weeks later found no statistically significant differences between the groups on production or choice response tasks. (DB)

Discusses the use of advance organizers in elementary geography instruction. Asserts that maps and globes can be used as advance organizers to improve learning about geographic locations and regions. Provides two classroom activities with accompanying data charts to illustrate the technique. (CFR)

Criticizes the use of a conceptual matrix in an undergraduate history of economic thought course. A conceptual matrix is a visual display advocated by John Bean and Dean Peterson that cross references normative and economic issues with their historical contexts. Argues that this promotes rote learning and stifles critical thinking. (MJP)

To investigate differences in achievement in foreign language listening comprehension, 61 students in a Foreign Language in an Elementary School (FLES) program were studied during instruction using video clips from authentic Chinese TV broadcasts in two advance organizer conditions. The first type of advance organizer consisted of written words…

In this article, the authors offer a selection of strategies that teachers can regularly use to help students tame the difficulties they often encounter with social studies texts for the middle grades. They have taken a thematic approach to the strategies, basing all of them on the topic of Civil War. Furthermore, because the authors are convinced…