Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ). October/November/December 2007.

Some research on teaching reading from the Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ), a publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).

How successful are urban children in learning to read?
"According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), about half the children living in urban areas in the United States cannot read at a basic level (2002)." WJ Donnell. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 468.

Why are urban students "at risk" in learning to read?
Poverty and ethnicity. WJ Donnell. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 468

How do faith-based [Christian Fundamentalist] schools approach literacy?
Their religion is an important ingredient in developing literacy. It does not necessarily produce better results. AJ Eakle. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 472-510.

How teach English as a Second Language (ESL) students to read and write?
14 7th- and 8th-grade students were grouped together emphasizing self-selected reading and teacher-directed large and small-group reading instruction using materials of interest to the students. Disappointed that teachers were able to succeed only with younger materials than the adolescent materials used by normal adolescent population. Could not succeed with the level of content for normal English-speaking adolescents. G Ivey and K Broaddus. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 512-549.

How important is vocabulary in comprehension?
The better the vocabulary scores, the better the comprehension scores. BW Riedel. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 547.

What skills did the National Reading Panel emphasize?
Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. BW Reidel. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 546.

How effective are diagnostic instruments in providing intervention for reading difficulties?
Key concept: Does diagnostic instrument help instructors identify specific reading difficulties and provide information on how to help children with the identified reading difficulties? BW Reidel. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 561.

What seems to be a major problem in helping ESL students learn and use English?
How to make use of their native language in learning the second language. How to use their knowledge, academic strengths and needs in their native languages in learninng English. E Rubenstein-Avila. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 569.

What does multiculturalism mean?
Sensitivity to diversity in foreign-language education Two or more different cultures in a community. In general, people find it difficult to define "multiculturalism." CA Mallozzi and JA Malloy. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 590-597.

How is oral proficiency useful in ESL learning?
Important in learning English, but is often overlooked in instruction. RA Grant, et al. RRQ (Oct/Nov/Dec 07), 599. [RayS: Oral proficiency should be an important tool in working with English as a Second Language students because that is how native speakers of English learn to read. Learning to read in English means identifying the words in their listening and speaking vocabulary with the same words in print.]

Other topic: Reflections on the end of the editors' 5-year term at RRQ.