Examines the use of reading diaries, in which parents of poor readers recorded their child's reading activities at home. Indicates that children made a mean gain in Reading Age Score of 6.3 months after five weeks of using the reading diary approach. Reports positive change in reading attitudes for both parents and children. (MG)

Discusses survey results indicating that 63 percent of United States schools have not considered developing content reading programs even though teachers believe it would improve teaching and learning in their schools. Presents a number of factors that have been suggested as reasons why schools have not established content reading programs. (MG)

Attempts to answer the question whether indentifiably separate levels of reading comprehension exist by judgmentally using 9 teachers at the University of Lancaster and empirically using 100 students from Bombay university. (Author/VWL)

Compares belief systems of preservice and inservice teachers, focusing on whether the two groups make instructional choices based on their theoretical orientations. Finds that practices chosen by teachers with reader-based/holistic orientations reflected their beliefs, while the practices of teachers with mastery-of-skills orientations did not.…

Maintains that pictures are one constant aspect of children's books. Reviews research on whether pictures hinder or facilitate the development of reading skills in young children. Provides suggestions on when and where pictures might provide instructional support. (CFR)

Describes parent-child activities during storybook reading, suggesting that interactive reading (constructing meaning) is more developmentally enriching than attending to story. Found that Curacaoan mothers were more concerned with child's understanding of story than with constructing meaning. Argues that parents should be trained in dialog that…

Reviews current research on free voluntary reading and discusses its benefits for vocabulary development, reading ability, writing style, spelling, grammar, pleasure, personal discovery, and literacy. Positive correlations are made between free voluntary reading and academic achievement and second-language acquisition. Eleven relevant documents…

Focuses on how second-language children are portrayed in reading and language arts methods textbooks and in practice-oriented reading and language arts journals. Suggests that, although teachers probably have had some contact with issues in second-language reading, professional writings do not provide a thorough discussion of second-language…

Analysis of research on reading instruction for children with moderate mental retardation indicated that word analysis instruction is a feasible option; word analysis is the most effective method of oral reading error correction; and the strongest sight-word instruction methods include those that use picture integration, constant delay, and the…

Briefly reports on five out-of-school-studies and three in-school studies showing the value of free voluntary reading (FVR). The failure of direct reading instruction and its implications for developing reading skills, the components of a free reading program, and the role of writing are discussed. (34 references) (KRN)

The application of learning styles to the teaching of reading to students with reading disabilities is critiqued in light of four factors: (1) inability to adequately assess learning styles; (2) failure to acknowledge the necessity of phonics instruction for beginning readers; (3) failure to consider the nature of reading disabilities; and (4)…

Explores implications for national and international action of several educational research studies on the linkages between poverty and limited educational opportunities. Suggests that valuable information is available in rarely read research reports. Describes different research studies on positive discrimination programs for poor schools,…

Reports on research done in collaboration with classroom teachers in Arab language kindergartens to demonstrate the educational values of storybook reading. (MG)

Studies Nigerian adult literacy learners reading at about the fifth-grade level. Finds that, although each of the groups had a significant mean score gain, those instructed in a mixture of English and Hausa (1 of 394 recognized languages or dialects in Nigeria) outperformed those instructed in English only or Hausa only. (SR)

Argues that schools and teachers underestimate the demands that particular texts place on readers, especially as students reach middle school. Describes how the author uses think-alouds as one particular technique to actively give contextualized strategic knowledge over to students. Shows how this helps readers overcome their struggles to develop…