There is a fundamental, persistent, reading problem in our times, and I believe that the root of this problem can be summed up in the fact that there is so much knowledge to be learned, yet so little understanding of that knowledge.

Accordingly, what is wanting in the schools is a training in critical and creative thinking through which students understand what they read and write.

It is the purpose of Studies In Meaning©, to address and help resolve this reading problem--as well as the intellectual and psychological fragmentation which results from it.

Studies In Meaning© is a critical-creative thinking program in the language arts. It trains students to understand what they read, write, and think. It develops higher order thinking skills that assures the intellectual discipline needed for academic success and intellectual excellence.

For this understanding to take place, students must interact with their studies by being continuously exercised AT THE SAME TIME AS they read, and in an integrated procedure, so that interrelationships between related topics are grasped. Such a learning process will ensure that students think through what they read, not skim through it.

Accordingly, the distinctive feature of Studies in Meaning is its integrated-interactive learning process. Its integrated component is such that a given reading topic -- social studies, for example -- includes exercises in vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, writing, and art. Each of these types of exercises is interrelated so that students understand the reading topic more fully, integratedly, than they would otherwise.

Its interactive component is such that students are continually exercised in vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension at the same time as they read to be sure they understand the material step by step. This study-as-you-read learning process ensures that students think through what they read rather than hurriedly skim through it as a preliminary to answering the questions at the end of a reading section or chapter.

The Studies in Meaning program is divided into three progressive steps beginning with the orientation studies, next the core studies, and lastly, the literature studies. Each of these steps requires that students read analytically, step by step. They must continuously make fine distinctions, relationships, inferences, projections AS THEY READ. They cannot skim the reading material. They are required to think through what they read regardless of the length or topic of the reading material.

The basic language arts program includes eight studybooks from beginning reading through twelfth grade. The two key components to the Studies In Meaning method are integrated and interactive learning.

The objective of the Studies In Meaning© program is to keep the student's mind continuously engaged in, and concentrated on, their course work. In fact, it is not possible for students to succeed in the program unless they are fully focused. It is this feature of Studies In Meaning© which ensures in-depth learning from the student, and distinguishes the program from rote (or perfunctory) learning.

The Studies In Meaning© program is meant to complement the standard school curriculum insofar as it is a training in higher-order thinking skills that prepares students to understand their school studies and their lives.

The learning pattern of the primary studybooks for the elementary and secondary grades is divided into two parts: the orientation studies and the core studies. In addition to these primary studybooks, are the three levels of the beginning reading series - which naturally lead into the aforementioned basic studybooks.

The purpose of the orientation studies, part one, is to prepare students for the longer reading topics of the core studies. Assuming that most students are not accustomed to the intellectual discipline of reading critically and thinking creatively, the orientation studies are designed to orient (prepare) them easily through exercises in one-sentence definitions in grammar, English usage, vocabulary in context, and in short reading passages (social studies, science, literature, etc.) of no more than three or four sentences.

The learning procedure of the orientation studies is that for each set of exercises in either grammar, English usage, vocabulary in context, social studies, science, etc., one part of the set consists of critical thinking exercises and the other part of related creative thinking exercises.

As a side note, it is important to emphasize that, though the Studies In Meaning program uses the topics of grammar, English usage, vocabulary, social studies, science, literature, and so forth, in its learning process, the program is not primarily a course in any one of these topics; its main purpose is to teach critical-creative thinking in reading and writing, whatever the topic. This applies to the core studies as well.

The core studies, book two, are the essence of the Studies In Meaning program inasmuch as they exemplify its distinctive study-as-you-read learning process. They consist of relatively long reading passages in which students are continuously exercised in grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension at the same time as they read. More precisely, students are trained to read analytically by having to make fine distinctions, relationships, inferences, projections, as they read. Included in this study-as-you-read learning process are synthetic exercises (summary, main idea, and title), creative writing, and art.

Put together, both the orientation and core exercises develop the receptive student's ability to think through what he or she reads and writes. These exercises develop a contextual understanding of words and ideas that become an ongoing conscious awareness of the meaning of what they study -- hence the title of the program, Studies In Meaning.

Part One: Through a series of 9 exercises for each of the five vowels, students learn (1) the distinction between the names and sounds of the five vowels and the consonants, and (2) that letters placed in a definite order make a word, and that that word has meaning -- (picture meanings, in these exercises).

Part Two: As a continued reinforcement of the five vowel sounds and the consonants, students learn, through a series of 9 exercises, that words placed in a definite order make sentences, and that those sentences have meaning.

Part One: Through a series of 10 exercises, students learn the 16 other basic phonetic sounds through simple phonetic sentences. These exercises include pronunciation, spelling, sentence comprehension, oral expression, sentence structure, creative writing, art, and testing.

Part Two: Through exercises in critical and creative thinking, students begin to apply their pronunciation and reading abilities to reading topics consisting of two or three sentences.

This level introduces the student to a simplified version of the studybooks for primary and secondary grades. It includes simple critical-creative exercises in grammar and English usage, vocabulary in context, and various reading topics.

The Studies in Meaning program, though created mainly for those who have an average-to-superior reading ability in regular school subjects, works particularly well for remedial and beginning-through-intermediate ESL (English as a Second Language) students.

It is the orientation studies of this program, in particular which suit a remediation course; for they introduce students to critical-creative thinking through exercises in one-sentence definitions in grammar, English usage, vocabulary in context, and in short reading passages (social studies, science, literature, etc) of no more than three or four sentences. These short orientation readings and definitions gradually develop receptive students' ability to think through what they read and write without being overwhelmed by lengthy passages or chapter readings. They gradually develop a contextual understanding of words and ideas that become an ongoing conscious awareness of the meaning of what they study--hence the title of the program: Studies In Meaning.

Granting that remedial education will most likely be at the forefront of education in the near future, with ESL education following, these orientation studies are perfectly suited as the initial step for this education; since students study at their own pace and level, are engaged in interesting and challenging material, are being taught how to understand what they read and write; and with teacher interaction, they cannot help but improve their reading, writing, and thinking skills at a fairly rapid pace from one level to the next.

The basic language arts program includes eight basic studybooks ranging from beginning reading levels through intermediate grade levels. Students are diagnostically evaluated to determine their appropriate studybook level.

The ESL segment of the Studies in Meaning program consists of 3 levels of Beginning English, 3 levels of Elementary English, and two levels of Intermediate English. The studybooks and audio tapes included are as follows:

Beginning ESL Studies: Level 1................all grades beyond 2nd grade

Beginning ESL Studies: Level 2................all grades beyond 2nd grade

Beginning ESL Studies: Level 3................all grades beyond 2nd grade

Elementary ESLStudies: Level 1.......all grades beyond 3rd grade

Conversational Vocabulary: Level 1 .......all grades beyond 3rd grade

Elementary ESLStudies: Level 2.......all grades beyond 4th grade

Vocabulary in Context: Levels 2 ........all grades beyond 3rd grade

Intermediate English Studies: Level 1 .......all grades beyond 5th grade

Intermediate English Studies: Level 2 .......all grades beyond 5th grade

Vocabulary in Context: Level 3 .......all grades beyond 5th grade

NOTE: Due to fortuitous circumstances, there is included in our ESL program a ESL Picture Dictionary accompanied by 2 exclusive audio tapes designed especially for Chinese learners, both students and adults. These tapes include a continuous translation in Manderin of each phonetic word pronounced on the tapes.

The academic purpose of Studies in Meaning is to develop a conscious understanding of what one reads, writes, and thinks, which both improves and enhances students' school performance. The overall purpose of Studies in Meaning is to develop a conscious understanding of meaning from the meaning of a word to the meaning of one's life.

Today's youngsters are unprepared to think critically. Most young people see 'real' education as "Don't confuse me with questions. Just give me the answers to copy - and tell me when the test is."

The critical thinking movement is now at the forefront of educational reform in the United States and elsewhere. This major initiative seeks to transform education in all disciplines and at all levels...Indeed, many feel critical thinking ability (along with creative thinking) may well be the most important characteristic of the successful individual in the next century.

Most teachers recognize the need for promoting critical thinking ...[There is an over-emphasis on] memorization and rote learning... Children are capable of higher thought processes, especially as they mature. Critical thinking must be integrated into the childhood curriculum, since learning is not achieved until students acquire, evaluate and apply knowledge. Critical thinking skills are more important than rote implementation. Keep in mind the old proverb: "Give me a fish and I will be fed today. Teach me how to fish and I will be fed forever."

The time has come to move away from the idea that schools can make up for all the experiences poor-performing students have missed in their homes, and to the idea that we can achieve, in the same schools and with the same texts, high levels of performance from all students. To do this we need to help students develop critical thinking skills, but first we need a practical instructional method for teachers with which they can accomplish this task. A process of systematic Socratic questioning can be one important part of an instructional solution that will create a revolution in student learning geared to the development of critical thinking.

Before we flood schools with technology, we should use our own critical thinking skills for the purposes of considering how we will be affecting the way we think and the modes we need for learning. If we use technological tools well, we will be enhancing our modes of thinking and our capacity for critical thinking. We will be creating a new literacy that will incorporate all the types of literacy that came before it: circular, literacy, and multidimensional. If not, we may be hastening the deterioration of our civilization.

The higher level thinking skills [comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation] and the drive to succeed we are working so hard to cultivate in students, are exactly the same qualities students will need to survive in tomorrow's workforce....Critical thinking is the cornerstone of human existence."