High-structure courses or flipped courses require students to obtain course content before class so that class time can be used for active-learning exercises. While textbooks are used ubiquitously in college biology courses for content dissemination, studies have shown that students frequently do not read their textbooks. To address this issue, we…

It has been reported (Lei, Barlett, Gorney, & Herschbach, 2010; Sikorski et al., 2002) that only a minority of college students actually read the course textbook or other assigned readings in preparation for examinations. Suggested strategies to remedy this situation include quizzes (Ruscio, 2001; Ryan, 2006), study worksheets (Aagaard &…

Introduces three reading guides for helping upper elementary students comprehend informational text: the point of view reading guide, the reading road map, and the interactive reading guide. Presents examples of each type of guide along with recommendations for development and use of reading guides in the classroom. (ARH)

Many students read below grade level and have problems reading their core textbooks. Presented are five techniques secondary teachers can use to improve their students' reading skills. (MD)

Findings from a study of 111 high school biology students indicate that students who received instruction combining a pictorial analogy comparing the cell to a factory and an analogical study guide displayed significantly better comprehension of this material than did their peers, whose instruction did not include the pictorial representation.…

Teachers can help students use textbooks that are too difficult to understand by developing study guides with outlines, vocabulary lists, short summaries, and study questions for each chapter. These study guides can also help students learn how to use feedback and how to learn efficiently. (CL)

Fact-filled textbooks that stress memorization and drilling are not very good for teaching students how to think mathematically and solve problems. But this is a book that comes to the rescue with an instructional approach that helps students in every grade level truly understand math concepts so they can apply them on high-stakes assessments,…

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…

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…

This publication involves a minicourse designed to allow the student to acquire an understanding of minicourses as possible alternatives to the conventional unit of education. A brief history of the minicourse concept is presented and the nature of a minicourse is discussed. Various ways in which minicourses can be used are then explained. The…

A chapter-by-chapter analysis of Wilga Rivers' textbook, "Teaching Foreign-Language Skills," is introduced by an address which focuses on the background, assumptions, and problems in writing the study. An overview of the educational scene and Dr. Rivers' work is also included. Chapters deal with: (1) objectives and methods, (2) the audiolingual…

Study guides for learning-disabled students can improve their comprehension of textbook readings. Guidelines for developing, using, and modifying study guides are provided. A sample study guide on early Latin American civilizations is given, followed by a sample test covering the study guide material. (Author/JDD)

This study guide is designed to help students learn to use science skills to solve biological problems, learn to apply knowledge about biology in their own lives, and learn to communicate with others about biology. The activities in this guide use information related to each chapter in the 1987 BSCS Green Version textbook. Students can use the…

This article examines studies that have attempted to help increase comprehension of expository text for students who are struggling readers and/or have reading disabilities. In doing so, this review reveals that (a) few studies have explicitly claimed to include these students in their work and (b) future research needs to include larger numbers…

This study guide for teaching English as a second language is intended to be used as an individualized in-service training unit for teachers and prospective teachers in bilingual education programs. It contains 12 lesson plans which deal with consonants, vowels, intonation, morphology, syntax, sound systems, self-evaluation, and lexicon. Included…