Show To Read Well Learn To Listen ListenA A up tape recorder which compresses r recorded e cor d e d speech Is being used by a University University University Uni Uni- of Utah clinical psychology psychology psychology research team to solve the problem of millions of American grade school youngsters youngsters youngsters young young- who are considered poor readers I IA A SPECIAL device on the for for- I made eign-made tape recorder I speeds up taped speech to 2 1 times normal talking speed making It possible to relate a given message In a reduced amount of time None of the words are cut only milliseconds sec of sounds In the words themselves The research supported by bya a grant awarded this summer by the National Institute Institute Institute tute of Mental Health centers around the hypo hypothesis of U U. U of ofU U U. U doctoral candidate Peter Robinson that reading and listening lis listening listening lis- lis are not totally Independent ent of each other II TO TEST his theory that poor readers do not listen as well as asgood asgood asgood good readers Mr Robinson Is playing a compressed story to both fifth and sixth graders In both categories then testing them on their retention He says fifth and sixth graders graders graders grad grad- ers are at Important reading ages mainly because at this out out time reading skills even the slow starters catch up with the average readers and good readers level off to a predictable predicta predicta- ble rate MR ROBINSON believes that by training children to listen more intently as they must to compressed speech not only I their audio but their visual reading comprehension may vastly be improved Previous research by American American American Amer Amer- ican linguists has shown that normal adults are able to comprehend comprehend comprehend com com- compressed s speech p pee e e c h very quickly and once they be become become become be- be come accustomed to it retain more information than they would from speed normal-speed mes mes- sages It has been found that condensation also eliminates many of the redundancies in our language and holds the Interest of children more effectively DR ERNST G. G Beier professor professor professor pro pro- fessor of psychology and assistant assistant assistant assist assist- ant clinical professor of psychiatry psychiatry psychiatry Is 15 director of the seven sev sev- en- en man en-man man research team He has been studying verbal and nonverbal nonverbal nonverbal non non- verbal communication for more than five years and has recen recently y written a book on communications entitled The Silent Language Language Language Lan Lan- guage of Psychotherapy Dr Beier Beler Is testing 60 poor readers children who read at a level two grades below their age level They will be exposed repeatedly to visual audio and audiovisual presentations 0 n s of reading material with and without without without with with- out up speed-up then tested for comprehension to deter determine m i In n e which training condition was most effective THE ULTIMATE aim of the educational research is not only I to solve the mystery of why Johnny cant can't read but to erase the problem entirely |