IMPROVING THE READING AND WRITING SKILLS OF CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED COLLEGE FRESHMEN. FINAL REPORT.

AN EXPERIMENT SOUGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER SPECIFICALLY SELECTED READING MATERIALS AND SPECIALLY DEVISED INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGY WOULD MOTIVATE CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED COLLEGE FRESHMEN AT A PREDOMINATELY NEGRO COLLEGE TO IMPROVE THEIR READING AND WRITING SKILLS, AND WHETHER THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDENTS WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY ACHIEVE AT A HIGHER LEVEL IN OTHER ACADEMIC SUBJECTS. TWO SECTIONS OF FRESHMAN ENGLISH WERE TAUGHT BY SPECIALLY TRAINED INSTRUCTORS WHILE A CONTROL GROUP WAS TAUGHT BY REGULAR TEACHERS. EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS WERE MATCHED ON THE BASIS OF ENTERING READING AND ENGLISH TEST SCORES. EXPERIMENTAL STUDENTS WERE INSTRUCTED WITH READING MATERIALS WHICH PERTAINED TO THEIR EXPERIENCES TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR REACTIONS IN STANDARD ENGLISH. THE STUDENTS' TEST SCORES AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM GENERALLY CONFIRMED THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EXPERIMENTAL METHODS. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT STANDARDIZED TESTS DO NOT REVEAL ACCURATELY THE INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL OF THESE STUDENTS AND THAT THE RELATION OF READING IMPROVEMENT TO HIGHER ACHIEVEMENT IN OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS REQUIRES FURTHER STUDY. APPENDED ARE A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF MATERIALS RELATED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL COURSE, A MANUAL FOR INSTRUCTORS, AND AN EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR STUDENTS. (DK)