A method was devised to make a plan for self improvement in reading available to persons who are not conversant with the experimental literature. This consists of a self-administered experiment in reading material ordinarily read, with suggestions on ways and means of improving the speed and comprehension. A progress graph was kept by each reader to keep up his comprehension

Lauer, A. R.

English

University of Northern Iowa

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science Volume 42 Annual Issue Article 83 1935 A Study of Student Reading A. R. Lauer Iowa State College Copyright ©1935 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias Recommended Citation Lauer, A. R. (1935) "A Study of Student Reading," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 42(1), 171-173. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol42/iss1/83 This Research is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa Academy of Science at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu. 1935] ABSTRACTS 171 showed a lower incidence of disturbed motor reactions. It appears that the greatest differentiation appears in a qualitative analysis of intensity and pattern of response. lowA CHILD WELFARB REsBARCH STATION, UNIVERSITY Qit IOWA, IowA CITY, IowA. VISUAL FACTORS IN SPACE PERCEPTION EARL ALLGAIER This study deals primarily with certain visual factors which enable one to detect the difference in distance between two points or objects in space. It is limited to the perception of color and movement and a comparison of binocular and monocular vision. The apparatus used to measure the ability to judge distance con-sisted essentially of a flat surface upon which a series of pegs could be adjusted by the subject by means of attached cords. Sub-jects sighted through binoculars with the ends reversed. Uniform illumination was provided. Various sizes and colors of pegs were used for different tests. Among the results of the study are the following : 1. "With the exception of white, all colors studied appear at nearly the same distance when actually placed at the same distance. The differences were not significant. 2. Pegs in motion appear to be nearer than pegs at rest, when both are at the same distance. 3. There appears to be a close relationship between binocular and monocular vision in the perception of depth but the occlusion of one eye greatly lowers distance judgment. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, IowA STATE COLLEGE, AMES, IowA. A STUDY OF STuDENT READING AtVHH R. LAVER 1 A method was devised to make a plan for self improvement m reading available to persons who are not conversant with the ex-1 The author is indebted to Mr Finch I. "Wagner, Superintendent of Schools at Center Po.int, Io\\~a, for a:ssi~tance during the early part of this study. 1Lauer: A Study of Student ReadingPublished by UNI ScholarWorks, 1935172 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE [VoL. XLII perimental literature. This consists of a self-administered experi-ment in reading material ordinarily read, with suggestions on ways and means of improving the speed and comprehension. A progress graph was kept by each reader to keep up his comprehension. The experiment was carried on over a period of more than two years during which 357 persons took part for 20 days each. Read-ing rates of from 73 to 1030 words a minute were recorded. The average was approximately 250 words a minute. The average im-provement for 20 days was 35.3 per cent over the beginning rate. Table I - Cornparison of Classes in College CLASSIFICA1'ION NuMm:R MEAN OF TEXTS A AND B In College N=346 Initial Rate Percentage Increase Non-Collegiate* 1 220.4 30.S Freshman* s 272.8 36.0 Sophomore 72 253.6 32.0 Junior 172 252.9 36.0 Senior 64 243.8 36.6 Graduate 31 263.3 42.6 Special* 1 234.5 33.0 * Not enough cases to give a stable mean. Table II - Compariso1i of Subject Matter SunJECT MATTER NUMBER MEAN OJ' TEXTS A AND B Course Material N = 353 Initial Rate History 13 245.3 Li tera tu re* 8 278.7 Science 288 248.6 Social Science 43 255.0 Miscellaneous* 1 282.3 *See above. Table III - Correlations N = 320 Reading rate with Improvement Reading rate with Intelligence Reading rate with Grades Reading rate with Cultural Knowledge Percentage Increase + .26 + .21 + .25 +.so 35.6 42.7 35.6 34.8 14.0 Women improved about 38 per cent over the beginning rate. Men improved only about 30 per cent. It was found that college students do not read as rapidly in the senior year as oth~rs do dur-ing the freshman and sophomore years. Several plausible explana-tions may be offered for this fact. The most important relation found was that rapid readers have a much greater knowledge of cultural subjects in general. \i\Thile it is doubtful whether a causal relation between the two exists, the fact that marked improvement can he made in reading over a short 2Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, Vol. 42 [1935], No. 1, Art. 83https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol42/iss1/831935] ABSTRACTS 173 space of time indicates the need for special training m reading ability. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, IowA STATE COLLEGE, AMES, IowA. AN EXPERIMEN1'AL STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT-AL PROCESSES IN ART APPRECIATION Mrumr:D Dow Voss To determine by what processes art appreciation could be in-creased, two groups of fifty children each from the second, third, and fourth grades were matched for intelligence, mental age, chron-ological age, socio-economic status, grade, sex, and art appreciation scores. One group served as an experimental group. the other as a control group. Art appreciation was measured by a battery of tests including the following: ( 1) the McAdory Art Test revised to include only the best and worst choices of each test item; (2) Part I, Section I, on recognition of proportion, of the Lewerenz Tests in Fundamental Abilities of Visual Art; ( 3) twelve pairs of items from the Whorley Unity Scales. The first experimental group was presented with a series of paired exercises, one member of each pair illustrating a principle of art, the other member violating the principle. The children vYere required to indicate the illustration they preferred but no indica-tion was given by the experimenter as to the correctness of the choice nor the principles involved. Each child in the experimental group gained on an average .49 of a point over each child in the control group. To test the effect of instruction accompanying the exercises the groups were reversed. To the new group the experimenter indi-cated which exercise was correct and explained in terms of the principles of art why it was correct. On retesting the groups, each child in the new experimental group had gained an average of 3.4 points over each child in the control group, a significant gain. DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, UNIVJ,RSITY oF IowA, lowA C1TY, IowA. 3Lauer: A Study of Student ReadingPublished by UNI ScholarWorks, 1935

A Study of Student Reading

Name not available

https://scholarworks.uni.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4693&context=pias

A Study of Student Reading

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

University of Northern Iowa

Name not available