Downloads & Free Reading Options - Results

This project investigated the effectiveness of using closed-captioned television in the teaching of reading to learning-disabled and hearing-impared students. Seven teachers of learning disabled students, and 45 students ranging in age from 8 to 13 years, from a large Maryland public school system participated in this study. The first two of nine studies focused upon the identification of appropriate program materials to be used in the seven subsequent studies. These preliminary investigations dealt with determining the readability of available captioned programs, and determining whether the readability level of the captions corresponded to student success in reading captions. Three studies then investigated the effects of captioned television viewing on the vocabulary and comprehension skills of both hearing/learning-disabled and hearing-impaired students. Four additional studies were conducted with teachers of learning-disabled and hearing-impaired students to determine their skill in using model captioned television reading lessons and their skill in developing and teaching captioned television reading lessons. Results suggest that the addition of captions to conventional television is an effective means of enhancing the sight vocabulary and comprehension skills of both learning-disabled and hearing-impaired students. Teachers effectively developed their own captioned lessons and were enthusiastic about their use in the teaching of a variety of reading skills. The appendices include sample researcher lessons, sample model lessons, and teacher evaluation forms. (JDD)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert