Education Commons^™

The Effects Of U.S.S.R. On Students' Attitudes And Achievements, Judith C. Langford, Elizabeth G. Allen

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The program called Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading (USSR or SSR) is widely advocated, sometimes under other names (Moore, Jones, and Miller, 1980), as a program which should help foster positive attitudes toward reading as well as help improve reading achievement (Hunt, 1972; Mork, 1972; McCracken, 1971; Noland, 1976). USSR incorporates attributes mentioned by many writers as valuable for the development of favorable attitudes and increased achievement: a specific time set aside for reading at regular intervals; a large quantity and wide variety of reading materials available; provision of a role model in that the teacher and other adults in the …

Reading Horizons Vol. 23, No. 3

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 23, issue 3.

Organizing Reading Material Into Thought Units To Enhance Comprehension, Kathleen C. Stevens

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Many teachers recognize that type of poor reader who "knows the words but just can't comprehend what he or she is reading." Reading programs have been relatively successful in dealing with tasks at the word level, yet we recognize that comprehension is truly the goal of reading. Teachers have been clamoring for ideas to enhance the comprehension abilities of their students. This article offers one suggestion for the improvement of comprehension.

Developing Fluency In The Disabled Reader, Barbara Johnson

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

As a reading teacher, do you know of a third grader or older student exhibiting the following reading difficulties? (1) The student is unsure of high frequency words such as the Dolch words. (2) The student is a word-by-word reader. (3) The student reads connected discourse in a disjointed manner- ignoring punctuation, making abnormal pausal units, etc. (4) The student frequently repeats words and phrases. In general, this type of student has difficulties comprehending text, and lacks the desire and motivation to pursue reading. These reading difficulties describe students who have trouble with fluency. If you are teaching students with …

The Newbery Award Books: Are They Being Read?, Susan Foster

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The subjects for the study consisted of 750 students, divided evenly between third and fifth grades, and drawn from schools to represent equal numbers of rural, urban, and metropolitan groups in Oklahoma. There was almost equal distribution of girls and boys. The students were given a list of books designed to assess the frequency extent to which they had read the Newbery Award Books. The list consisted of fifty children's books, of which ten were Newbery Award books. The participants were asked to indicate whether or not they had read the book. The Newbery Award Books were the winners from …

An Examination Of Ethnic Content In Nine Current Basal Series, John W. Logan, Jesus Garcia

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The authors sought answers to the following questions regarding ethnic content by examining nine current basal reading series: 1. What amount of ethnic content is contained in nine of the major basal reading series; are there differences in the amount of ethnic content contained in these series? 2. Is there a particular basal reading series that emphasizes a greater number of stories about Blacks, Hispanics, or Native Americans than others; to what extent are these differences evident among the basal reading series? 3. In what ways can such information benefit individuals who are interested in purchasing a new basal series?

Applying The Critical Reading Process To The Gray Model, Fehl L. Shirley

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This paper is an attempt to adapt the critical reading process to the Gray model of reading. The four steps of the Gray model (1948) identified as word perception, comprehension, reaction, and integration become in the critical reading process the perception of the connotative power of words, the comprehension of persuasive language, the reaction of judgment, and the integration of monitoring devices by the insightful, discriminating reader. As in the Gray model, the steps are interdependent since the connotations of words influence comprehension as well as the reaction of judgment.

Reading Strategies In Three Different Types Of Materials, Mary Jane Gray, Dawn Wozniak

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

It seems safe to assume that all agree-the answer to the question "What is the major purpose of reading?" is, of course, "Comprehension." The next question, "What is comprehension?" is not so easily answered. Many books and articles are directed to this question, but there is and probably will never be a single clear-cut answer.

Acquisition Of Syntax--A Developmental Process, Linda Lehnert

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Recent studies of elementary school children's language have revealed developmental trends in the acquisition of syntax. The following discussion reviews studies of the productive oral syntax (Le., studies of syntax based on natural conversation) of children between ages 5 and 9 years, in terms of: developmental characteristics of productive oral syntax; the relationship between conservation (a measure of cognitive maturity) and productive oral syntax; and recommendations for classroom instruction. Findings from the cited studies lend strong Support to the theory that language learning is a developmental process.

Strategies For Dealing With The Growing Censorship Issue, Nicholas P. Criscuolo

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Contrary to the First Amendment, there is a growing trend to ban certain books, magazines, and other reading material from American classrooms and libraries. Censorship has been on the rise for the past ten years and is escalating nationally. Kanewaha County, West Virginia; Idaho Falls, Idaho; and, Island Trees UFD on Long Island, New York, are just a few of the cities and towns that have censored books. The list is growing and the whole censorship issue is becoming a deep concern to librarians, school officials and school board members.

The Mnemonic Value Of The Picto-Organizer For Word Identification Among Disabled Readers, Donna E. Alvermann

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The present study was designed to compare the effects of a mnemonic strategy which utilized context to facilitate word recognition and identification with a context-free strategy. Specifically, disabled readers were taught to recognize and identify meanings for abstract words either through the mediation of a picto-organizer or through flashcard presentation. The idea of a picto-organizer evolved from an earlier study (Alvermann, 1980) in which students recalled a story using key vocabulary terms schematically arranged to show hierarchical and parallel relationships among words (see Barron, 1969). The picto-organizer provides pictorial clues to word meanings as they are used in the context …

How Students Make Book Choices, Karla Hawkins Wendelin, R Ann Zinck

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

In an effort to learn the extent and variety of factors that influence students' book selection, the study reported here was undertaken. The researchers also questioned students regarding what they liked to read about, what authors they liked, and books they had recently read and enjoyed. A total of 688 fifth through eighth grade students enrolled in public schools in two small cities in Nebraska and California responded to a questionnaire. Numbers of respondents from both sexes were fairly evenly distributed across four grades.

Reasoning Guides For Critical Comprehension, Thomas W. Bean, Vicki Soderberg

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

We will describe here a process for using classroom media as powerful interactive sources of information that enhance students' critical comprehension.

Encouraging Recreational Reading Through Book Talks, Edward J. Dwyer

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

children who have adequate reading skills rarely do any reading that is not specifically required in school. Reading for fun, and sometimes even required reading are frequently given a low priority when time for reading competes with sports, television, free play, music and dance lessons, etc. However, recreational reading is of critical importance for reinforcement of what is learning during reading instruction. The book talk is an excellent approach for motivating students to read outside of the classroom and during opportunities for free reading provided at school. Further, development of important oral communication skills can be fostered as well.

Facts And Fiction About Language 'Skills', Victor Froese

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

A quick glance through most curriculum guides and some textbooks will give the distinct impression that the language arts are composed of a set of "skills" (Otto & Chester, 1976). More implicit is the assumption that if these "skills" are mastered, then the art of language will have been achieved. And while some may not want to surrender this notion, the way out of the dilemma is not clear. What are "skills"? What purpose do they serve? Which are the language arts "skills"? What is the theoretical and research- based evidence on "skills"?

This article addresses the above questions, in …

Content Area Reading Preparation: Effectiveness Of Four Methods Of Instruction, Lois A. Bader, Daniel L. Pearce

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

The belief that secondary content teachers should have content reading as a course in their pre-service education is an idea that is gaining increasing acceptance. Surveys examining certification requirements show that an increasing number of states mandate a course in reading for secondary certification (Bader, 1975; Lamberg, 1978). This trend is also reflected in increased numbers of teacher training institutions that are now offering a content area reading course for their undergraduate secondary education majors, as compared to ten years ago.

Diagnostic-Prescriptive Reading Instruction: What? Why? How?, Earl H. Cheek, Martha Collins Cheek

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Thirty eager faces - thirty individuals with unique needs, backgrounds, learning styles, interests, and experiences - thirty students who need reading instruction. Reading is an area of major instructional emphasis in elementary and middle school classrooms. However, because there is no one best method to teach reading, no best material, or no special "tricks" which eradicate these individual student differences, the classroom teacher must decide how to provide the best possible reading instruction to meet a multitude of needs. Some school districts have suggested that classroom teachers implement diagnostic-prescriptive reading instruction. Inservice sessions, workshops, and materials have been used to …

Teaching The Functionally Illiterate Adult: A Primer, Rose Marie Lamorella, John Tracy, Ann Marie Bernazza Haase, Garrett Murphy

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Although many recent articles on teaching reading to adult basic education students have discussed both the general process of teaching and the application of specific methodology, few have described either the concepts or the series of methods based on those concepts that a beginning instructor of adults in basic education reading programs needs to understand and use (Park, 1981; O'Malley and Haase, 1981; Karnes, Ginn and Maddox, 1980; Schneiderman, 1977; O'Donnell, 1973; Heitzman and Putnam, 1972; Becker, 1970). The methods which an instructor ought to use are based on three concepts.

Upgrading Evaluation Of Inservice Delivery, Joanne L. Vacca

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Evaluation is a bit like listening. As listening is commonly labeled the most neglected language art, evaluation is the most neglected component of inservice education. If it is included, the evaluation that's done tends to be one-dimensional. That is, it is usually summative (at the conclusion) and product-oriented (tangible results) instead of formative and process-oriented. Evaluation--if it is to be a worthwhile part of inservice or staff development--needs upgrading.

Piaget's Theory Of Conceptual Development As It Applies To The Teaching Of Reading, Robert P. Craig

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This essay will investigate Piaget' s theory of conceptual development as it applies to the teaching of reading. Piaget' s views are important as a corrective to much of the behavioral approach to reading-using contingencies of reinforcement to aid students in learning (memorizing?) basic units of language and in remembering linguistic rules. It is obvious that one can "remember" such rules but not be able to apply them to a particular situation. We will discover that this is Piaget' s main point in his criticism of behavorism.

Using Radar To Zero-In On Content Area Concepts, Charles E. Martin

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

RADAR is a strategy in which students build analogies that take advantage of their own knowledge in order to develop and reinforce concepts taught in the content areas. Using RADAR, students establish analogous relationships between the concept they are studying and a seemingly unrelated concept. While examining these analogies, they relate the new material to an old concept, something with which they are familiar. In the process of comparing the new to the known they are forced to pay attention not only to the details of the concept being presented, but also to the dynamics of the concept--the processes involved …

Reading Horizons Vol. 23, No. 2

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Complete issue of Reading Horizons volume 23, issue 2.