Education Commons^™

The Introduction Of Social Studies Vocabulary By Semantic Feature Analysis: Using A Microcomputer Database Program--A Description, Michael P. French, Nancy Cook

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The introduction of essential vocabulary is a matter of concern to all teachers in all content areas, including social studies. One method for introducing and developing content specific vocabulary is semantic feature analysis (Johnson & Pearson, 1978). In this regard, we present a summary of a teaching experiment in which two data management software packages, PFS:File and PFS:Report, were adapted for classroom instructional use in order to introduce vocabulary concepts using the semantic feature method. We call it a "teaching experiment" because we were uncertain as to the adaptability of these programs for the purpose of teaching semantic feature analysis. …

Elementary School Math Instruction: Can Reading Specialist Assist?, Audrey S. Heinrichs

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

While experts in the field of reading increasingly agree on the importance of direct instruction in vocabulary building, professionals in the field of elementary school mathematics tend to emphasize the use of concrete, manipulative materials and informal math language development over direct, specific instruction in technical terms or verbalizations of concepts. Today's elementary classroom teachers find contradictory recommendations when they seek to make decisions about teaching the meanings of technical words in their mathematics classes. This article presents a discussion of the contradictions and some suggestions for practical resolution of disagreements, which will enable school reading specialists to provide both …

Why The Phuss About Phonics?, Natalie L. Delcamp

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Of the many strategies employed to instruct beginning readers, phonics probably is the most controversial. Not only is it controversial but very misunderstood, particularly by the layman lacking perspective in the basic prerequisites of the beginning reading student (Rubin, 1982).

Text Type And Text Structure: An Analysis Of Three Secondary Informal Reading Inventories, Mary W. Olson, M. K. Gillis

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Reading educators (Cheek & Cheek, 1983; Roe, Stoodt, & Burns, 1978) urge secondary teachers to use informal reading inventories (IRIs) in order to diagnose students' reading problems and to place students in textbooks at appropriate levels to optimize instruction. Advice of this nature is surely well-intended; nevertheless, educators have reservations about the merits of available IRIs. For example, readability levels of IRI passages (Gerke, 1980), passage dependency of questions (Marr & Lyon, 1980; Tuinman, 1971), classification of questions (Shell & Hanna, 1981), scoring criteria (Bormuth, 1969), validity (Cooper, 1952; Powell, 1971), and allowable errors or miscues (Ekwall, 1971; Harris & …

Parents: An Untapped Resource, Elene S. Demos

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This is the third in a series of four articles devoted to parents and reading. The first article described typical school reading programs. The second article described different types, purposes, and scores of reading tests. This article will focus upon parental involvement in reading and will examine research and activities that can be beneficial at home and at school.

Evaluating Computer Books With The Yawn Index, Ruth E. Betza

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

I looked at 47 computer trade books published between 1984 and 1986 for elementary and middle school children. To evaluate these books, I used seven criteria which make up what I call the Yawn Index. Some of the best books, described later, will keep children reading, and the results of the analysis suggest guidelines for trade books on computers. Here are the criteria.

A Frill That Works: Creative Dramatics In The Basal Reading Lesson, Mary Ann Gary

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The present study is primarily concerned with the relationship that exists between creative dramatics and reading comprehension. The goal of the study is to answer the questions, "Does creative drama positively affect reading comprehension? Will students who dramatically reenact stories achieve significantly higher scores on a post reading comprehension test than those students who do not engage in dramatic reenactment?"

Works Covered In Graduate Reading Reasearch Courses: Two Surveys, Daniel L. Pearce

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

What studies should be covered in a graduate reading research course? How should the course be structured? These are questions I considered before teaching a reading research course for the first time. An investigation of the literature found little on reading research courses. While some works identified important studies, articles, and books (Froese, 1981; Manzo, 1983; Pearce and Bader, 1980; and Singer, 1985), none specifically addressed reading research courses. Gentile, Kamil, and Blanchard's Reading Research Revisited (1983) identified studies and furnished a structure. The studies covered, however, appeared to be the editors' choices. In an attempt to answer questions about …

Matching Teaching Stratiges To The Learning Styles Of Gifted Readers, Elinor P. Ross, Jill Wright

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

How does a teacher provide appropriate instruction for gifted readers within the regular classroom setting? The first step is to become aware of cognitive characteristics and learning style patterns that are frequently associated with gifted readers. The next step is to use this knowledge in selecting instructional materials and methods that best match the gifted students' learning styles and preferences. The intent of this article is to assist the teacher in accomplishing both of these steps.

Integrating Reading And Writing Lessons, Diana Scott, Carolyn L. Piazza

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In American schools reading and Writing are usually taught as separate subjects in the curriculum. This has been a convenient way to organize instruction even though for more than a century educators have advocated their integration. Research and pedagogy on integrating reading and writing (Chomsky, 1970; Loban, 1976; Smith, 1982) suggest "the facilitating effects of reading practice upon writing practice, and of writing practice upon reading skills" (Applebee, 1977; p. 536). Such proclamations have let to renewed interest and quests on the part of curriculum developers to design instructional programs that highlight relationships between expressive and receptive language skills.

Reading Horizons Vol. 28, No. 1

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete Issue of Reading Horizons volume 28, issue 1.

Evaluation/Testing Procedures In Reading, Elene S. Demos

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This is the second in a series of four articles devoted to parents and reading. The first article described typical school reading programs and illustrated the key ingredients of each. This article treats the evaluation and testing procedures that schools use in the area of reading.

Emergent Literacy: Avoiding The Plateau Effect, William T. Fagan

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The topic of emergent literacy has been quite prominent in the field of reading within the past few years. There is no doubt that literacy begins to emerge within the home; in fact, many children come to school already readers (Clark, 1976; Durkin, 1982; Lass, 1982). The literature is also replete with information regarding how this literacy takes place (Cockran-Smith, 1984; Doake, 1981; Ninio and Bruner, 1978; Snow, 1983; Teale, 1981). A significant literacy event in the home is story reading. However, the significance of this event as a factor in literacy development is not due to its existence but …

Integrating Reading And Writing: The Drwa, Elizabeth H. Saikey, Margaret A. Cagney

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The Directed Reading-Writing Activity (DRWA) described in this article provides a framework that will help them write about the information acquired through reading.

Teachers' Reactions To The Basal Reading Series Approach, Patricia K. Smith, Martin Saltz

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Since the advent of the McGuffy Readers, published between 1836 and 1844, basal reading series have increased in popularity, becoming the predominant approach to reading instruction. Chall (1967), Aukerman (1981), along with other educators, reported that 80 to 95% of classroom teachers used one or more basal series for reading inst ruction. A recent nationwide study by Smith/Saltz (1985) showed an increasing number of teachers, 95.4%, were using one or more basal series in their classrooms.

As a follow-up to the 1985 study, the authors asked classroom teachers who participated in the original survey to answer four brief background questions …

Infusing Writing Activities Into College Reading, Laureen C. Cate, Charles E. Heermann

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study sought to measure the effects from infusing writing components into a university reading laboratory. Together, the writing components displaced 30% of the regular reading instructional time. With this level of infusion we had four research concerns. First, we wanted to know if the writing infused group would make significant gains in reading. Second, we wanted to know how the writing-infused group fared in reading gains when compared to the other groups where reading was the sole mode of inst ruction. Third, we asked the writing-infused students how useful they felt the writing activities were to their reading development. …

Second Language Learners: Their Special Needs In Content Area Reading, Viola Flores, Nancy Hadaway

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Often teachers working with limited English Proficient (LEP), or non-English speaking individuals are at a loss as to how to help them succeed in the heavily content oriented secondary school. These students are more likely to encounter academic frustrations and retention; and as a result, they are more likely to drop out of school (Steinburg, Blinde, and Chan, 1984). Thus, teachers should consider developing strategies for effectively working with LEP students.

Action Book Nursery Rhymes And Favorite Tales, Gerry Bohning, Margie Radencich

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Action books of rhymes and tales are well suited for use with young children to help develop J:: rereading skills and foster a lively interest in books. It is the purpose of this article to present a rationale and guidelines for using action book nursery rhymes and favorite tales with preschool and kindergarten children. A booklist has been compiled to assist parents and teachers in choosing a resource collection.

Article Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to articles in volume 27.

Reading Horizons Vol. 27, No. 4

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 27, issue 4.

Author Index

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Index to authors in volume 27.

School-Based Reading Programs, Elene S. Demos

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

There are three basic types of reading programs that your child is likely to encounter; they include the basal reading approach, the language experience approach and the individualized reading approach. The major components, strengths and weaknesses of each approach are presented in Figure 1 at the end of the article. The basal reader approach is used in the majority of elementary classrooms.

Readability Formulas: A Necessary Evil?, Kathy Everts Danielson

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A readability formula is usually a mathematical equation that strives to relate the comprehension of the reader and the linguistic characteristics of the text. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon some readability formulas and to propose that they be used only in perspective. Although these formulas are often considered a 'necessary evil,' they need not receive as much attention as they do. Readability formulas certainly should not be thought of as the ultimate instruments in measuring texts for grade levels. Too many factors which readability formulas do not address are more crucial to reading comprehension.

A Poor Attitude: A Deterrent To Reading Improvement, L. D. Briggs

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Today's teachers are confronted with children who display a poor attitude toward school in general and reading in particular. This situation is anxiety-producing for the teachers, as well as for the administrators. The Dictionary of Education defines attitude as "the predisposition or tendency to react specifically towards an object, situation, or value; usually accompanied by feelings and emotions" (Good, p. 49). Attitudes vary among students and cause children to respond to a situation either favorably or unfavorably. Thus children's attitudes serve as guides to behavior and profoundly affect the progress made toward educational goals and the level and degree of …

Turning Passive Readers Into Active Readers In Content Area Subjects, G. Franklin Elrod

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The purpose of this paper is to detail a metacognitive strategy which has exhibited the ability to improve the reading comprehension of poor readers (Brown & Palincsar, 1982) and LD adolescents (Elrod, 1984). Metacognition has been defined as "one's knowledge concerning one's own cognitive processes and products" (Flavell, 1976). Metacognitive reading strategies have been effective in enhancing the reading comprehension performance of LD adolescents in the resource room while concurrently demonstrating the transferability of that performance to the regular classroom (Elrod, 1 Yt:S4). The metacognitive strategy outlined below could be an effective approach for a high school resource room teacher …

A Contribution To Reading: The Nebraska Golden Sower Reading/Award Program, Dee C. Storey

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Child-choice state book awards are a double-edged sword. On one hand they are popular with children and librarians and they provide an invitation to reading. (Jordan, 1979) On the other hand, they are criticized for being popularity contests with lists of nominees that often overlook the better books. Detractors feel that titles in state book award programs are assumed to be of lesser quality than the national winners such as Newbery or Caldecott books. Opponents also believe that children are incapable of making decisions/judgments regarding literary quality when voting for a state book award winner. (Kaye, 1984) One critic noted …

Reading Horizons Vol. 27, No. 3

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 27, issue 3.

Teacher-Set Pre-Reading Purposes And Comprehension, Kathryn S. Hawes, Leo M. Schell

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Because some basal reader teachers' guides recommend written pre-reading purposes while others suggest only oral ones, the major purpose of this study was to compare the comprehension of stories in the basal reader using three pre-reading purpose treatments: (1) written, (2) oral, and (3) no purpose (control).

What Teachers Should Know About Test-Wiseness, Louis V. Brueggemann

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

There are very few states where testing In the public schools is not on the increase.

Data received from tests is also receiving more attention from a more diverse audience than ever before.

All educators should be concerned with what the research has said on the subject of testing and more specifically, test-wiseness.

Test-wiseness is just one aspect of the topic of testing; however, it is one that classroom teachers can help students with as a planned part of their evaluation process.

Reading Through The Creative Arts, William S. O'Bruba

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A major problem in education today is that there are students who are deficient in many academic tasks because they do not have the necessary reading skills needed in order to complete those tasks. For this reason detection and remediation of reading problems should begin early, when the problem is identified. It is important that teachers toward rather than away from reading. This means having good motivators which will encourage the child to want to learn to read. Teachers might look away from the traditional methods of motivation, toward some more non-conventional methods. Using various aspects of the arts in …