Education Commons^™

Using Reading Journals To Improve Reading Instruction, Nicholas P. Criscuolo

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Current reading research is a strong stimulus for improving reading instruction. When procedures and techniques based on sound research are used in classroom or clinic, instruction improves. Basically, there are two types of research: (1) research emanating from colleges and universities and (2) action research launched at the school district level. University research is often conducted by professors and graduate students pursuing graduate degrees. Results of their research are often published in a professional journal.

The Abe/Ged Classroom: The Crucial First Night, John R. Rachal

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

It is a commonplace to observe that adult students who have made the decision--however waveringly--to return to the classroom to learn basic literacy skills or pursue the GED do so with a network of fears, frustrations, anxieties, expectations, and motivations that can both enhance and frustrate the educational process. The teacher, aware of this complex intermingling of frequently conflicting motives and feelings, should attempt to build on those motives which might enhance success, and mitigate those fears which tend to retard or even destroy it. This is especially true on the crucial first night.

Reading Horizons Vol. 26, No. 1

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 26, issue 1.

A Disabled Student? In My Classroom?, Carol Ann Moore

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The Act, P.L. 94-142, The Education of All Handicapped Children, calls for education of exceptional children in the least restrictive environment, often the regular classroom. Integration of the disabled into the classroom ends the physical isolation, rejection, and segregation of the special classes era. But total integration of the non-disabled and the disabled cannot occur without increased educational attitudinal changes toward the disabled. These changes involve awareness by teachers and non-disabled peers of the unique needs and abilities of the disabled, acceptance of them, and abandonment of prejudicial ideas about the disabled.

Word Puzzles For Vocabulary Development, Lee Mountain

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Most teachers say it's easy to come up with two or three kinds of word puzzles for use with pupils, but it's hard to find a wide variety. It's handy, however, to be familiar with a number of different kinds, since word puzzles are useful for vocabulary development.

Reading Education: A Twenty Year Perspective, Richard Robinson, Robert Jennings

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

One hundred and seventeen national leaders in the field of reading education were selected at random from those listed in Graduate Programs and Faculty in Reading (1981), to participate in this study, on the basis of their experience and accomplishments (prominent research, major publications, and holding of national office such as I. R. A. President or board of directors).

The questionnaire (Figure 1) was designed to collect information related to significant changes in reading education during the last twenty years and the identification of specific people who have been instrumental in these developments. Fifty responses were received, and it is …

Reading: Why?, Mary Jane Gray

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The question in the title is open to some variety in interpretation. Among the options are the following: "Why should we read?" "Why do we read?" It is to this latter question that this article is addressed.

Individualized Vocabulary Instruction In Developmental Reading, Loren C. Thompson, Alan M. Frager

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Planned, individualized vocabulary instruction is an essential ingredient of developmental reading classes. The importance of the knowledge acquired through such instruct i on is underscored by re-examining just what it means to know a word. Although it is still not clear "if Ludwig Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell were left in a room for three hours, they could decide that they really knew the meaning of dog (Anderson and Freebody, 1981), it is certain that words symbolize concepts and that conceptual knowledge is a requisite for reading comprehension. As Roe, Stoodt and Burns (1983) explain, "Words are labels for thoughts, ideas, …

A Re-Examination Of The Iri: Word Recognitioncriteria, Susan P. Homan, Janell P. Klesius

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A persistent yet unresolved question about the informal reading inventory (I RI) is, What word recognition criterion and comprehension criterion are appropriate for identifying instructional reading levels of elementary students?1I The fact that identification of appropriate recognition of words and comprehension criteria have not received wide attention by researchers is surprising, in view of its importance for the placement of students in reading material that will insure optimum progress in reading.

An Instrument For The Evaluation Of Secondary Reading Programs, Robert P. Cooter Jr.

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In recent years public interest in and concern over the effectiveness of secondary reading programs has grown steadily. According to recent findings by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (Micklos, 1981) high school students have failed to measure a significant gain in total reading scores in the past ten years and have actually declined in the area of inferential comprehension. With the recent review of American education by a select bipartisan commission has come a renewed interest in quality reading programs for our schools. During the 1982-83 academic year, a study (Cooter, 1983) sought to determine what the characteristics of …

Observations Of A Reading Specialist, Gary Kay

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In 1983 the Florida legislature made a critical decision concerning the improvement of reading in the secondary schools. It provided funds for the creation of a new position, the reading resource specialist. Each high school was allowed one, whose specific areas of responsibility included the following: a) contributing the expertise needed to prepare the schools total reading program, b) working with the schools curriculum person in planning and implementing the basic skills remediation program as determined by the Florida State Assessment Accountability Act of 1976, c) providing individual diagonstic testing to enable better prescriptive approaches for classroom instruction, d) assisting …

Out Damned Chart! Out, I Say!, Delwyn G. Schubert

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The Snellen Chart which has not changed since it was designed in 1862 is the only visual screening test used in practically all schools. The chart consists of rows of letters that vary in size. The largest are at the top with each succeeding row containing letters that are measurably smaller. beside each row is a number indicating the distance from the chart that the average eye can identify letters of that size.

Learning From Experience To Improve Outcomes In Reading: A Case Study, Annette B. Weinshank, Ruth M. Polin, Christian C. Wagner

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This paper presents a case study of a junior high school remedial reading teacher who was provided with reliable diagnostic information about her students' reading performance and was thus able, for the first time, to learn systematically from her own experience and make changes for the better in her instruction.

Cognitive Style: What It Means For Personalized Reading Instruction, James D. Bowman

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article will: (1) define that set of characteristics known as cognitive style; (2) suggest how these traits possibly influence reading behavior; and, (3) cite some of their ramifications for classroom reading instruction

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

index to articles in volume 25.

Author Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to authors in volume 25.

The Reading/Writing Lab: A First-Aid Station For Every School, Sandra K. Pitts

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In the fall of 1981, Loretta (real student, but fictitious name) cam to the University of Albuquerue as a freshman from nearby Zuni Pueblo. Her placement procedure included the Nelson-Denny Reading Test, Form C, and an essay on the assigned topic, "My Worries About College." Reading scores indicated a vocabulary level of 8.7 and a comprehension level of 9.2.

Reading Horizons Vol. 25, No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 25, issue 4.

Do You, Like These Teachers, Value Readings?, Evelyn F. Searls

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

For several years I have used Smith et al.'s book as the text in a graduate course, Curriculum and Supervision Problems in Reading. They ay: "The reading habits of teachers have been studied enough to validate the suspicion that reading is being taught by teachers who do not themselves turn often to reading for personal fulfillment and enrichment. It is deplorable that many teachers in this country, especially elementary school teachers, are not reading enthusiasts" (Smith et al., 1978, p. 74). Having worked with large numbers of both pre- and inservice teachers for the past decade, I felt that these …

Bridging The Gap: Ways To Help Children Understand The Elderly, Maria Valeri Gold

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The following is a miscellaneous collection of ideas for learning activities which can enhance, create, encourage, and develop a "communication bridge" between the elderly and today's youth.

Toward A Theory-Practice Integration" The University Goes To School, Carl Braun

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

One of the problems facing every professional is that of keeping pace with developments in the field after university graduation.

An Inservice Plan For Teaching Reading In Kindergarten: A Description, Michael P. French

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The present article reviews one district's process for helping kindergarten teachers integrate formal reading instruction into their classroom curriculums.

Picture This: Using Imagery As A Reading Comprehension Strategy, Timothy V. Rasinski

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Research of the past few years seems to suggest that imagery can be used as an effective instructional tool. It is the purpose of this paper to review the promising work in the connection between imagery and reading which has been going on recently. We may thus find ways in which research findings can be turned into productive classroom practices to aid reading comprehension.

Mini-Assessment: A Practical Approach To Classroom Identification Of Learning Disabled Readers, Sharyn Simpson Rhodes

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This article will present a classroom method by which teachers can answer questions, and make a better decision about whether or not to refer a child for an evaluation of learning disabilities.

Reading Horizons Vol. 25, No. 3

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 25, issue 3.

Teaching Students To Use Textbook-Study Systems, Norman A. Stahl, William A. Henk

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The SQ3R method of textbook study has received widespread acceptance over the past 38 years. Not only is this system advocated and used extensively, at least 100 modifications for both general text study and specialized content field study have appeared in the literature. As a result of the acceptance of textbook study systems, a number of recommendations on how to teach the use of systems have appeared in methods text. This article will review the literature on; (1) prerequisite skills a pupil should develop prior to learning a textbook-study system, (2) teaching activities undertaken before introducing a system to a …

P-R-E-V Teaching Predictions And Concepts Simultaneously, Anne M. Ferguson, Melanie Kennedy

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A question of concern among content area teachers is-Will making predictions prior to text reading increase a student's comprehension of material read?

Basal Reading Instruction And E.S.L. Students, Lee Gunderson

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The number of English as a Second Language (ESL) students enrolled in schools across North America is increasing (Cummins, 1981). The increase means that more are enrolled in mainstream classrooms where they are taught to read using materials and programs designed for native English speakers.

Intonation In Oral Reading And Reading Comprehension, Andrea Karlin

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between intonation in oral reading and reading comprehension measured by the close procedure. Subjects were 54 Blqack West Indies college students at the College of the Virgin Islands (1978-79), St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, who were United States Virgin Islanders.

Teaching Children To Use A Context-Plus-Phonics Strategy, Dixie Lee Spiegel, Jill Fitzgerald, Miles H. Reck

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The main purpose of this article is to describe in detail a procedure which teaches children to integrate two word identification strategies, ose of context and of phonics. A study was conducted which tested the effectiveness of this integrative strategy, and a secondary purpose of this article is to present the results of the study.