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Creating Classroom Contexts For Readers: Linking Children With Books, Susan Lehr

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Earlier in this century John Dewey proposed a view of the child as an active learner involved with meaningful content; he regarded the reading instruction of his day as being passive and mechanical. In 1908 Huey, a student of John Dewey's, wrote about the natural literacy environments of the preschool child at home and contrasted that to the unnatural way in which reading was taught in the school.

Readability Of Childrens Periodicals Yesterday And Today, Betty J. Glass, M. Kathleen Cook

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Children's periodicals are experiencing renewed popularity among today's young readers. Much to the amazement of parents and teachers, children's periodicals are successfully competing with television and other attractions for children's attention (Zuckerman, 1989). More than 100 years ago, periodicals also entertained and taught young people. With the current concern over the illiteracy of today's children and a reported decline in quality in the nation's schools, it seemed appropriate to make a comparison between the readability level of children's periodicals published today and that of similar publications from approximately 100 years ago.

Reading Instruction And The Language-Impaired Child: Means To What End?, Esther Feldman Levary

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This simple statement alludes to the important relationship between speech and literacy that has come to intrigue and perplex many in recent years. Speech and literacy have been recognized as two complex processes that are conceptually and practically intertwined in the great tangle called "language" (Snow, 1983; Vellutino, 1977; Mattingly, 1972). Language, "a system of communication that employs spoken or written symbols" (Harris and Sipay, 1984, p. 247), is defined as a single phenomenon having receptive and expressive modes.

Reading Horizons Vol 30, No. 3

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete Issue of Reading Horizons volume 30, issue 3.

The Effectiveness Of A Structured Tutoring Program Used With Migrant Students, Cortland L. Hillman

Dissertations

Among the circumstances that plague migrant students are mobility, poverty, low expectations, educational fragmentation, and cultural alienation. A typical migrant student might attend as many as three or more schools per year. More than 50% of all migrant students drop out of school, a figure nearly twice the national average for all other U.S. students. Ninety percent or more of all migrant students follow their parents into a lifetime of employment as field workers. The cost to the migrant student of not being academically successful is a life of limited opportunity.

In this study a structured tutoring program in reading …

An Analysis Of Four Performance Techniques For Paraprofessional Direct-Care Staff Working With Developmentally Disabled Adults In Group Homes, L. Martin Grabijas

Dissertations

The habilitation and training of the developmentally disabled has improved markedly in the last two decades. The creation of small, community-based living facilities has allowed these individuals to move from restrictive settings into the community where training in daily living skills can occur in a more natural fashion. While this movement has been positive for the consumer, the preparedness of the staff working in those facilities has not been adequately addressed. Many human service agencies use a generic training package to prepare their staff, yet current research indicates that such training is less than adequate, both in terms of preparing …

The Effects Of Concurrent And Non-Current Cue-Controlled Relaxation Training On Cardiovascular Reactivity To Two Types Of Stress, Patricia Anne Cole

Dissertations

Physiological reactivity to stress has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Previous studies examining the effects of various forms of relaxation training on reactivity have conducted training under standard, quiet conditions (non-concurrent training). This study compared the effects of concurrent relaxation training (i.e., during stressful conditions) and non-concurrent cue-controlled relaxation training (quiet conditions) on physiological reactivity to two stressors. Reactivity to two stressors was probed before and after non-concurrent (quiet) training and concurrent (stressful) training. The subjects, eight patients in a cardiovascular rehabilitation program, performed a stressful arithmetic task and role plays of both standard and individually stressful situations. Cue-controlled relaxation …

Witches Every Month? The Social Construction Of Premenstrual Syndrome, Suzanne Latham

Masters Theses

Premenstrual syndrome was first reported in 1931, but it was not until the early 1980s that it received widespread attention in the medical literature and the popular press. This thesis is a sociological analysis of how physicians and others were able to define premenstrual problems as an illness. The thesis uses a phenomenological approach, referred to as social constructionism, to explore how medical researchers, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, feminists, various entrepreneurs, and others have attempted to define premenstrual problems to promote their own interests. The analytic method is documentary analysis. The thesis argues that physicians were able to make powerful claims, …

The Effects Of Performance Feedback On The Implementation Of A Statistically-Based Quality Control Program, Gordon O. Henry

Masters Theses

Although various types of performance feedback have been shown to be effective in maintaining work-related behaviors in numerous settings, most of these behaviors have consisted of fairly simple tasks. More specifically, it has not been conclusively shown that such feedback procedures can be used to maintain the worker behaviors required in the implementation o f a statistically-based quality control program. The present study attempted to show that such complex behaviors could be maintained using effective feedback procedures.

The results showed that the subjects (machine operators) performed at a high level in completing required tasks associated with a statistically-based quality control …

"The Pistill Of Swete Susan": Translation And Commentary, Yvonne Daulton Carmicheal

Masters Theses

The Pistill of Swete Susan is an alliterative poem written in the fourteenth century by an unknown English author. Although the original manuscript has been lost, the poem is known to scholars through five extant manuscripts. The various manuscripts have been examined textually, but the poem itself has not been examined critically. The story is based on an Apocryphal text, the History of Susanna. While borrowing heavily from this text, the author has produced a work which is medieval in context and which provides insight into medieval concepts of justice, evil and love. This paper presents a translation and critical …

Kinetics Of The Metal-Exchange Reaction Between Ortho-Phospho-Dl -Serinenickelate(Ii) And Copper(Ii), Jeffrey M. Peterman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Clients' Self-Reports Of Counselor Style And Personal Change: A Comparison Of Inexperienced And Experienced Counselors, Ronald M. Crafton

Dissertations

Research suggests clients' perceptions of counselor style are important factors in successful counseling outcome (Strong, 1968). With the widespread acceptance and emphasis on practica courses in counselor education, it follows that counselor educators and clinical supervisors need empirical indicators of the level of service provided by inexperienced student counselors. Information provided by clients pertaining to specific dimensions of counselor style and personal change is rare, and until now, has been limited to experienced counselors.

When 181 clients of inexperienced counselors were compared with 363 clients of experienced counselors it was found that the inexperienced counselors were percieved similarly on 12 …

Sex-Role Attitudes, Sex, And Logos Of Control: A Study Of Their Interrelationships In Reference To Social Change, Virginia De Oliveira-Alves

Dissertations

The present research was a partial replication of an earlier research concerning the discrimination of sex-role egalitarianism from attitude toward feminism. This study examined the relationships between these sex-role attitudes and sex, and between the former and locus of control, in reference to the social changes of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The subjects were female and male college students.

The results indicated that the sample was average in sex-role egalitarianism. It was more liberal on attitude toward feminism than a previous research sample. The sex-role attitudes were found to be directly related: when subjects were egalitarian, they also …

A Comparison Of Sociological And Demographic Factors Of Custodial And Noncustodial Single Fathers, Daniel D. Petterson

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what differences, if any, exist in the sociological and demographic factors that are observed to be characteristics of fathers who have custody of their children, as opposed to fathers who do not have custody of their children. A review of the literature revealed that a large amount of information has been collected dealing with the situation of single mothers, but that nothing comparable exists regarding single fathers. The evidence from the literature also indicated that the increase in single fathering is at least paralleling the increase in single parenting in general. It …

The Relationship Between Absenteeism And The Amount Of Overtime Worked In Various Job Classifications In A Metal Fabrication Plant, Thomas D. Hopkins

Dissertations

A causal comparative study was conducted to test the relationship between absenteeism and the amount of overtime worked in various job classifications. The study was conducted in a metal stamping plant. The 4.5-year study tested absence percentage data for the three classifications of skilled, service, and nonskilled employees. The study supported the hypothesis that there is a relationship between absenteeism and job classification. The study could not support either a relationship between the amount of overtime worked and absenteeism or a relationship between the interaction of job classification and overtime worked on the absentee rate. Implications were discussed pertaining to …

Parent, Student, And Teacher Perceptions Of Discipline Problems In The Middle School, Marilyn J. Giannangeli

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of parents, students, and teachers relative to specific, documented behavioral problems which occur in the middle school environment. Of particular interest were the perceptions of the frequency with which these behaviors occurred, whether these perceptions correlated with the actual frequencies as documented by formal dismissal referrals, and the perceptions of appropriateness of referral to a school administrator of these behaviors.

The sample group consisted of 230 students, 25 teachers, and 230 parents from a selected middle school in Macomb County, located in southeastern Michigan. The instrument used for data collection …

Michigan Apple Pest Identifier And Manager Expert System, James R. Schalk

Masters Theses

The Michigan Apple Pest Identifier and Management System (MAPI) is a knowledge- based consultation software system. MAPI was designed to provide the user with the ability to identify insects which may harm the apples of Michigan orchards and to project occurrences of maximum adult emergence. A discussion of standard entomological and expert system concepts and the application of these concepts to the processing of information by the Michigan Apple Pest Identifier and Management System is presented. Future possible expansions of the system are suggested.

Three Women Saints In The Thirteenth Century: Mentalities And Roles, Ulrike Strasser

Masters Theses

This case study analyzes the lives of three thirteenth-century female saints, Lutgard of Aywiferes, Margaret of Ypres, and Christina Mirabilis, and places them against the broader theoretical frame of quantitative studies on the subject sainthood. The focus of the study is the pursuit of holiness as well as the perception of holiness. Both, pursuit and perception, serve as the point of departure for a discussion of the mentalities and the social realities which the women’s sainthood reflects.

The findings from this study indicate that female saints display numerous commonalities which can be traced back to the saints’ gender and its …

A Study Of Leadership Styles Of The County Sheriffs In The State Of Michigan, David A. Miramonti

Dissertations

This study sought to determine if there was an identifiable preferred leadership style used by law enforcement administrators, as represented by the county sheriffs in the state of Michigan. The study also sought to determine whether there was any relationship between certain previously identified variables and leadership style preference. Finally, the study gathered information about the background of county sheriffs.

The available literature in the field established the main hypothesis: that a humanistic style of leadership is preferred. Eight other hypotheses were developed to analyze the relationship between the variables of age, educational level, education major, years in law enforcement, …

The Relationship Between Attitude Toward The Elderly And Intergenerational Contact Among Social Workers, William D. Vickers

Dissertations

The relationship between social workers' attitudes toward the elderly and personal contact with older persons was investigated utilizing a sample survey research design. The assessment instrument included The Aging Semantic Differential (Rosencranz & McNevin, 1969) to measure attitude and an intergenerational contact measure developed and field tested for the study. The instrument was mailed to a random sample of 538 members of the Michigan Chapter, National Association of Social Workers. The research questions addressed were: (1) What are the attitudes of social workers toward the elderly? (2) What intergenerational contact has been experienced by social workers? (3) Is there a …

The Changing Roles Of Women In The People's Republic Of China, Priya Helweg

Honors Theses

The present Chinese government has persistently claimed that women have been completely emancipated through the enforcement of Communist ideology. In spite of the claim that women in modern China 'hold up half the sky' traditional beliefs continue to influence the position of women in contemporary China. As a consequence, women in the People's Republic of China — especially students — find themselves in a situation of confusing contradictions and frustrating obstacles. Traditional ideologies, as seen in the patriarchal kinship structure and the economic and political systems, aid rather than hinder the present government as it maintains a similar relation to …

The Small Crimes Of Arthur Payne, Franklin T. Young

Masters Theses

Prologue

People ask how I could love a man with Arthur Payne. They say he was cruel, he sold out, he never loved me, that he thought no more of killing a man than a housefly. They're right. All Arthur cared about was the message he was created to deliver. Our shared days--the September afternoons we walked alone the shore at Cape Ann with our pants rolled up, and the fringe of the Atlantic foamed between our bare toes, or the city hours when Arthur followed me as I took pictures of black kids in scuffed British Knights trying to …

Impact Of Group Process Techniques On Group Cohesiveness, Jeri Lee Meola

Masters Theses

Thirty-three students at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo participated in the study and were divided into seven groups. The results of the Gross Cohesiveness Scale (Gross, 1957) showed two of the seven groups scored within the accepted range of cohesiveness. No significant differences in cohesiveness were found between the groups. Data were also collected on a 3 Factor Cohesiveness Questionnaire. The factors of compatibility and leadership related to group cohesiveness for groups exposed to group process techniques, but no factors related to group cohesiveness for groups who were not exposed to group process techniques. It is suggested that component analysis research …

The Mapping Of A Colored Petri Net Model To An Ops5 Rule-Based Production System, Sally S. Lockwitz

Masters Theses

This paper defines a method by which the colored petri net model of a concurrent system may be mapped to an equivalent rule-based production system. The mapping method defined is an intuitive process which results in a production system that clearly represents the petri net model.

In order to demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of this method, the colored petri net representation of a part of a flexible manufacturing system of the Renault Car Company is mapped to an equivalent Sierra OPS5 rule-based production system.

An overview of petri nets and rule-based production systems is presented, along with a brief …

Pathophysiology Of Hemorrhagic Shock And The Protective Effects Of Antioxidants, Annette Elizabeth Fleckenstein

Masters Theses

Considerable attention has focused on the role of free radicals in the pathophysiology of hemorrhagic shock. In this study, four pharmacological mechanisms for antagonizing free radical generation or reactions were compared in terms of their efficacy in attenuating post-hemorrhage (post-reinfusion) cardiovascular collapse. These included blocking arachidonic acid oxidation by cyclooxygenase (eg; ibuprofen), inhibiting superoxide radical production by xanthine oxidase (eg; oxypurinol), chelating iron (eg; desferal), and inhibiting lipid peroxidation (eg; U74006F and U78517G, Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan).

Cardiovascular function, cerebral blood flow, arterial blood gases, serum glucose, and plasma vitamin E were examined in a hemorrhage/reperfusion model using urethane-anesthetized rats. …

Blessed Be The Ties That Bind: A Critical Analysis Of The Changing Language In The Organizational Mission Statement As A Form Of Downward Communication, Jacqueline A. De Haan

Masters Theses

In this study, the differences in language between an historical and new organizational mission statement were examined. The critical interpretive perspective was utilized; grounded theory was the method used to analyze changes in values and organizational identity.

The findings from this study indicated that the changed mission statement was different from the historical mission statement in three ways: in values and identity, in structure, and in use of voice. The findings were discussed and implications for organizational members considered.

Ethnography Of A Lesbian Community In Michigan, Carol W. Burton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this master's thesis is to describe the structure and workings of a community of women in a major western Michigan metropolitan area, who identify themselves as lesbians, and to describe how this subcommunity relates to the dominant American culture in the area. This study examines the ways in which these lesbians define themselves and their subculture.

To facilitate this research, the researcher participated in the group's meetings, both formal and informal, and spoke with individual members about the history of the group, organizational principles, problems and concerns, formal and Informal rules of conduct, values, and any other …

Self-Control In Children: The Impact Of Reinforced Commitment, Michael G. Winter

Masters Theses

The present study attempted to determine whether offering a reward to subjects for "commiting" to a large, delayed-reward task affected their degree of self-control as assessed by the "switch point." Two boys and two girls between the ages of three and five participated.

The results of this study indicate that providing a reward for making a commitment to a future behavior involving a large, delayed-reward task does have an effect on a child's degree of self-control as measured by the "switch point." In addition, the "switch point" has been shown to be a useful tool for assessing a child's degree …

Analysis Of Guatemalan Textiles, Cristina Keiko Tomita

Masters Theses

This study applies John L. Fischer's (1961) hypothesis that design elements reflect certain social variables to 50 Guatemalan textiles from the collection of the Field Museum of Chicago, to test its applicability. The results of the analysis were consistent with expectations, but some modifications to the original hypothesis are suggested to minimize ambiguities. The modified analysis can be applied in areas such as archaeology, art history and museum work to expand the interpretative potential of material objects, including works of art.

Teacher And Student Discourse Variables In Academic Communication, Janet M. Sturm

Masters Theses

This study was designed to analyze the oral communication exchanges between first, third, and fifth grade teachers and their students. It was based on the hypothesis that discourse parameters of linguistic quantity and complexity and communication acts change over grade level, much as the discourse parameters of caregivers with young children have been found to do. The language of teachers and students in 15 classrooms was examined by measuring 6 form and quantity variables and 11 communication act variables. Results showed significant differences for some form variables (MLU, mazes, and Type-token ratio) and some communication acts (convey content, mark content, …