A seventh grade language arts class was observed to discover their responses to the literature they were reading. The classroom and instructional contexts that enhanced or limited these responses were examined, as well as the teacher's theoretical beliefs. Rosenblatt's transactional theory of reader response, especially the efferent and aesthetic aspects, guided this investigation. Findings included the importance of the teacher in the establishment of an environment that nurtures the aesthetic response as well as in the instruction she gives students immediately prior to or following reading. Many factors created an atmosphere enhancing aesthetic response in the observed class. The main difference in instructional context that determined either aesthetic or efferent response was whether students were given a specific assignment or not. Although a teacher may desire an efferent stance to fill certain "gaps" in knowledge before and after reading, it is suggested the gaps in schema be filled through student interaction, teacher discussion rather than questioning, and student inquiry.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4977. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics of reading programs for migratory children in the United States and to identify those characteristics common to reading programs which could be considered exemplary in terms of innovation and effectiveness. Responses to a 34-item questionnaire addressed to coordinators of migrant education in each of the 50 States were analyzed in order to answer the following two questions: (1) To what extent can characteristics of reading programs for migratory children be determined? (2) To what extent can characteristics of effective, innovative, and exemplary reading programs for migratory children be described? / For the purposes of this investigation, the following areas were those identified as being relevant to a determination of characteristics of reading programs for migrant children: (1) organization of reading programs; (2) student information; (3) curriculum/instruction information; (4) professional staff background and training; (5) program emphases; (6) non-academic information such as additional supportive services available; (7) information about maintenance between home and school contacts. / Provision was also made for State coordinators to note outstanding features of their State's programs which were judged by them to be exemplary. / Completed questionnaires were returned by 47 of the 50 States, a response rate of 94% with final analysis of the data based on completed questionnaires of 40 States. / The results of the questionnaire showed a pattern of responses which could be categorized broadly in two ways. Answers to items descriptive in nature seemed readily available to the respondents. Responses which were quantitative in nature however, were less comprehensive and obviously not as readily obtainable. / In response to the first question posited, based on completed questionnaires, the following are some generalizations which could be made: most states offer a supplemental remedial program within the regular school day; reading is seen as part of the language arts rather than as a separate subject; a variety of measures are used for diagnosis and evaluation; services of district-level personnel such as early childhood specialist and language arts specialist are available; the majority of migrant children are Spanish-speaking; bilingual education and instruction in English as a second language are means used to overcome language barriers; most states use teacher-aides in their migrant education programs. / In response to the second question relating to characteristics of effective, innovative, exemplary reading programs, these were alluded to by the respondents, but because of the highly generalized nature of the responses, such characteristics remained, in effect, undescribed. / Some conclusions drawn from the study were: accounting for the numbers of migrant children to be served persists as a problem; there is lack of consonance between limited emphasis given to bilingual education and English as a second language and the language needs of the majority of migrant children who are Spanish-speaking. / Some recommendations were that a core curriculum should be developed, leading to the standardization of materials relative to the needs of migrant children; there should be coordinated efforts between states to develop some standardized means of determining grade placement and grade advancement of migrant children. Recommendations for further study included a suggestion that (1) a study be conducted to determine the feasibility of elevating teacher-aides to the status of paraprofessionals through concerted preservice and inservice training, (2) a field-based survey should be conducted to determine characteristics of reading programs through on-site observations and assessment of such programs. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-09, Section: A, page: 3965. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

The following objectives were stated for this investigation: (1) To determine if there is a significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between incarcerated male and female adults. (2) To determine if there is a significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between male personal offenders and male property offenders. (3) To determine if there is a significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between female personal offenders and female property offenders. (4) To determine if there is a significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between male personal offenders and female personal offenders. (5) To determine if there is a significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between male property offenders and female property offenders. / The sample consisted of 234 incarcerated adults from two offender rehabilitation units. The sample included 41 male personal offenders, 107 male property offenders, 36 female personal offenders and 50 female property offenders. All subjects were reading at the 4.5 reading grade level or higher. The reading means of the groups were approximately equal. The Fallacies in Reasoning Test (FRT), a 49 item multiple choice, four option test designed by Gall (1973) and revised by Culyer (1973), Spivak (1974), Hurst (1977), Mosley (1978) and Gowdy (1979), whose dissertations were done at Florida State University, was used to assess critical reading ability. / The following conclusions were drawn: There was no significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between incarcerated male and female adults and there was no significant difference in the ability to detect written fallacies in reasoning between personal offenders and property offenders. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-12, Section: A, page: 5076. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

This investigator studied the trope density of fourth grade and sixth grade level basal readers. Three basal reader series were used. Answers to the following questions were sought: (1) Is there a significant difference in trope density between fourth grade and sixth grade basal readers? (2) What is the most common type of trope found in fourth and sixth grade readers? / The sample was three basal reader series selected from the population of the 15 most commonly used basal reader series. The three basal readers utilized represented a one fifth sample of the total basal reader series fourth and sixth grade populations. / Data were collected by examining eight basal reader textbooks. The master trope, metaphor, was broken down into thirteen separate categories. / The difference between the trope density means of the fourth grade and the sixth grade basal readers was computed and a t-test was used to determine if the difference was significant. The .05 alpha level was used as the criterion for rejecting the null hypothesis. A frequency analysis count was used to determine the most common type of trope found at each of the two levels and the frequency rankings of the 13 trope classifications. There were no significant differences in the mean trope densities of fourth grade and sixth grade basal readers. It was found that the most frequently employed tropes were personification, sense, and animal; and that the least frequently used tropes were incarnation, litote, and metonomy. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-12, Section: A, page: 5077. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the trope density of selected seventh and eighth grade level basal readers. A secondary purpose was to determine the most common type of trope or tropes found in basals at the seventh and eighth grade levels. / The population was composed of the twelve basal reading series that extend into the seventh and the eighth grade. The sample was three seventh and three eighth grade basal series; Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., Houghton Mifflin Company, Inc.; and Scott, Foresman and Company. / The investigator located tropes, determined trope density, and classified the tropes according to the Valeri (1982) classification system. / One hypothesis was tested: Is there a significant difference in trope density between the seventh and eighth grade basal readers? / Specific questions considered were: One, what is the most common type of trope found in the seventh grade basal readers? Two, what is the most common type of trope found in the eighth grade basal readers? / The conclusions drawn from this study were: One, there is no significant differences in trope density in the selected basal readers from seventh through eighth grade. Second, in the basal readers there is a paucity of such common tropes as metonomy, litote, and synecdoche that make up so much of "out-of-school language." Third, even though the readability of the basal readers is fairly well controlled, publishers may be obtaining this control, in part, at the expense of figurative language. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0410. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The primary purposes of this investigation were to determine if: (1) there is a difference in the ability of nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students to interpret metaphorical language. (2) there is a relationship between the metaphorical language interpretation test scores and the reading ability of nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students. (3) there is a difference between nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students in the ability to interpret specific types of tropes. / In addition, the investigator sought to find which types of tropes that nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students most often failed to interpret properly. / The population consisted of 389 sixth grade students from two urban elementary schools in Duval County, Florida. All subjects were reading at or above the fourth grade level. The instrument used was the Tullos' Test of Metaphorical Language Interpretation. / Eight hypotheses were tested. The t-test was used to test hypotheses 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Hypothesis 1 was, "There is no significant difference between nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students in the ability to interpret metaphorical language." That hypothesis was rejected at the .05 alpha level. / Hypotheses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 were, "There are no significant differences between the means of the subtests scores." All of those hypotheses failed to be rejected at the .05 alpha level. / Hypothesis 2 was, "There is no relationship between the metaphorical language interpretation test scores and the reading levels of nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students." The Pearson Product-Moment Coefficient of Correlation was used to test that hypothesis. The result was r = .81. Thus the null hypothesis was rejected. / Inspection of the subtests mean scores of specific types of tropes indicated both groups of nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students had the greatest difficulty with personifications. Metonomy was the least difficult. / The conclusions were: (1) There is a significant difference between nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students in the ability to interpret metaphorical language. (2) A high positive correlation exists between metaphorical language interpretation ability and reading. (3) There are no significant differences between nondisadvantaged and disadvantaged sixth grade students in the ability to interpret specific types of tropes. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0410. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the degree of superstitious beliefs held by rural, small town, ninth and eleventh grade students and their ability to read. To ascertain the existence of this relationship five research questions were asked. Is there a difference in the extent of superstitious beliefs held by literate ninth grade poor readers and literate ninth grade good readers? What is the difference in the extent of superstitious beliefs held by literate eleventh grade poor readers and literate eleventh grade good readers? Is there a carry over effect of superstitious beliefs between literate ninth grade poor readers and literate eleventh grade poor readers? Is there a carry over effect of superstitious beliefs between literate ninth grade good readers and literate eleventh grade good readers? What is the relationship between reading ability and the extent of superstitious beliefs of literate ninth and literate eleventh grade students? / The population was composed of 402 ninth and eleventh grade subjects reading on or above the fourth grade level. / The null hypotheses which were investigated were: (1) There is no difference between mean scores of literate ninth grade poor readers and literate ninth grade good readers on The Test of Traditional Knowledge. (2) There is no difference between mean scores of literate eleventh grade poor readers and literate eleventh grade good readers on The Test of Traditional Knowledge. (3) There is no difference between mean scores of literate ninth grade poor readers and literate eleventh grade poor readers on The Test of Traditional Knowledge. (4) There is no difference between mean scores of literate ninth grade good readers and literate eleventh grade good readers on The Test of Traditional Knowledge. (5) Scores on The Test of Traditional Knowledge and The Test of Achievement and Proficiency are not associated in the population. / The major conclusions of this investigation were: (1) Reading levels and levels of superstitious beliefs are negatively associated. (2) The educational experience appears to decrease the level of superstitious beliefs. (3) There is no clear carryover effect of superstitious beliefs between ninth and eleventh grade literate subjects. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-02, Section: A, page: 0409. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the reading achievement and the self-concept of Vietnamese refugee students in the intermediate grades. Other purposes are revealed in the research questions that follow: (1) What is the relationship between the reading scores and the self-concept scores of intermediate grade Vietnamese refugee students? (2) Is there a significant difference between the reading scores of intermediate grade Vietnamese boys and girls? (3) What is the effect of time in the United States on the reading scores of Vietnamese intermediate grade students? (4) Is there a significant difference between the self-concept scores of intermediate grade Vietnamese boys and girls? (5) Is there a significant relationship between the self-concept scores of intermediate grade Vietnamese students and the number of months they have lived in the United States? / The .05 alpha level of significance was used as the criterion for the rejection of the five hypotheses. The students' reading test scores were measured by the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. The self-concept scores were measured by the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. / The population for this study consisted of 60 fourth, 60 fifth, and 60 sixth grade students in six schools in Orange County, Southern California. / The data were analyzed using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, partial correlation, analysis of variance, and t-tests. / The findings imply that as the reading ability in English of Vietnamese students increases the self-concept improves. Also, the number of months that Vietnamese students have lived in the United States affects their reading ability. No sex differences were found. The length of time in the United States had no effect on self-concept scores. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: A, page: 1911. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.

The major purpose of this investigation was to determine the trope density of basal readers at first, second and third grade levels. A secondary purpose was to identify the relative frequency of occurrence of selected types of tropes used in basal readers at the primary level. / The population was composed of the first, second and third grade level basal readers from the following reading programs: the Houghton Mifflin Reading Program (1981), the Reading 720: Rainbow Program (1980) and the Scott, Foresman Reading Program (1981). / Three hypotheses were tested. Hypothesis one stated that there is no significant difference in the mean trope density of selected first grade level and second grade level basal readers. The null hypothesis was rejected. / Hypothesis two stated that there is no significant difference between the mean trope density of selected second grade level and third grade level basal readers. The null hypothesis was not rejected. / Hypothesis three stated that there was no significant difference between the mean trope density of selected first grade level and third grade level basal readers. The null hypothesis was rejected. / The conclusions from this study were: (1) There is a significant difference between the mean trope density of first and second grade level basal readers. (2) There is a significant difference between the mean trope density of first and third grade level basal readers. (3) There is no significant difference between the mean trope density of second and third grade level basal readers. (4) The types of tropes occurring most frequently and representing approximately 50% of the occurrences in first grade level basal readers are abstractionistic metaphors and hyperbole. (5) The types of tropes occurring most frequently and representing approximately 50% of the occurrences in second grade level basal readers are animistic metaphors and inanimate metaphors. (6) The types of tropes occurring most frequently and within a close range in third grade level basal readers are animal metaphors, hyperbole, animistic metaphors, abstractionistic metaphors, frozen metaphors, and inanimate metaphors. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 43-06, Section: A, page: 1907. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1982.