Reading is a process of forming and evaluating hypotheses to account for the data in a text. Because of its complexity, the task of reading requires strategies for controlling the proliferation of hypotheses. Four of these strategies are (1) jumping to conclusions, (2) maintaining inertia (refusing to abandon a hypothesis in spite of contradictory…

A study sought to determine the usefulness of the learning women acquire through life experience to entry level jobs in selected occupations. Methodology included sending sixteen sets of nine questionnaires to women in women's centers displaced homemaker centers, and counseling centers in seven states (131 replies, 91 percent response). The…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) the relationships between prior knowledge and passage recall; (2) the effect of a prereading activity (PReP) on available knowledge; and (3) the effect of the PReP activity on total comprehension scores. The subjects were 161 sixth grade students from a middle class suburban Long Island, New York, public…

The importance of prior knowledge of informational content and organization for search performance on a database was evaluated for 17 undergraduates. Pretraining related to content, and information did facilitate learning logical search principles in a relational database; contest pretraining was more efficient. (SLD)

Use of adult undergraduate students' work experience in recruitment, admission, and curriculum design is examined, and it is suggested that institutions must shift the emphasis in admissions from the quantity of prior experience to the quality of learning resulting from it, and organize curricula around that learning. (MSE)

Describes the development of a new type of selection procedure, the activity/achievement indicator, and compares it with the behavioral consistency method of training and experience evaluation. Reports that total scores from these two methods correlated at r=.58. Discusses implications. (Author/CH)

Argues that vocabulary is best taught by helping students experience the meaning of words. Offers research background and four teaching methods to use with intermediate grade students. (FL)

Discusses List-Group-Preview, an activity that combines eliciting prior knowledge with guiding students through a new textbook chapter. (FL)

The authors explain their decision to create portfolios to obtain credit for prior learning. They discuss basic elements for an outline, major headings for the resume, contents of the narrative portion, documentation, faculty review of the portfolio, and advantages and disadvantages. (CT)

Explores research on the efficacy of previewing before reading to build background knowledge. Offers guidelines for presenting a preview to students. (HTH)

Notes that by examining the interactive processes involved in comprehending, researchers are concluding that readers use their prior knowledge to actively construct meaning from printed material. Reviews research in metacomprehension and discusses its implications for college reading instruction. (FL)

When teaching a lesson, do students remember the information the next day? The next week? Will they retain that information long enough to use it on a high-stakes test and, most importantly, will they retain it well enough to make use of it in their lives beyond school? "How to Teach So Students Remember" offers seven steps to increase students'…

Because knowledge is constantly in flux, it is important for individuals to accurately incorporate new information into previously developed knowledge structures. Some of the issues surrounding this development of thought are explored in this paper. Although the phenomenon of knowledge integration is relatively common, very little empirical…

The traditional K-3 social studies curriculum has focused on food, clothing, shelter, communication, transportation, and other cultural universals. Very little information exists about children's prior knowledge and thinking about these topics. This study was designed to provide such information with respect to the topic of transportation, and in…

The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect providing supplemental background knowledge in the form of a book talk would have on first graders' listening comprehension following a read aloud. Research shows that providing background knowledge creates a foundation and/or builds upon previously set schema on which further information…