In the present study, we investigated critical factors in letter-sound acquisition (i.e., letter-name knowledge and phonological awareness) with data from 653 English-speaking kindergartners in the beginning of the year. We examined (a) the contribution of phonological awareness to facilitating letter-sound acquisition from letter names and (b)…

This study of 1,338 Spanish-speaking 1st graders examined contextual effects of bilingual programs on reading comprehension and the effect of language of instruction within these contexts. The study included 128 classrooms in 32 schools located in border Texas and in urban Texas and California. These classrooms used either English immersion or…

Uses exploratory data analysis to examine changes in individual reading and spelling patterns during first grade. Notes that subjects received 45 minutes of daily letter-sound instruction. Finds that spelling and reading responses progressed from nonphonetic, to phonetic, to correct. Finds also that those slow to improve in phoneme deletion were…

Responds to a critique of an article on the advantage of reading instructional approaches emphasizing explicit instruction in the alphabetic principle for at-risk children. While the critique suggested it was an over-simplistic solution to a complex problem, this response suggests there are some instructional principles that can be used to enhance…

This paper discusses the reading diary study--a method that involves frequent observation and detailed note-taking of the strategies employed by a child while learning to read--and the problems of data reduction, limitations of methods employed by researchers, and analysis of data. The sections include "Miscue Analysis," which can be…

California and Texas mandate 75% to 80% decodable texts for first-grade reading programs, yet these percentages have no empirical base. This study examines the text selections in 6 first-grade programs from the perspective of lexical, semantic, and syntactic features. The composition of text differed across the 6 programs with respect to length,…

Twenty first graders and 20 second graders in Houston, Texas, were examined on skills in segmenting, reading, and spelling 50 words with regular and exceptional spelling patterns. By using the same words for each task, it was possible to assess the interrelationships among these skills on a word by word, child by child basis. A multivariate…

Containing adaptable activities and games, this book presents a supplemental language and reading curriculum that complements any prereading program. Preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade teachers can use these activities in any classroom--general, bilingual, inclusive, or special education. The curriculum accommodates individualized learning…

Examines the extent to which curricular choice and incorporation of phonemic awareness (PA) into the kindergarten curriculum affects growth in kindergarten literacy skills and first-grade reading and spelling outcomes. Provides large-scale classroom support for findings on PA reported by the National Reading Panel. (SG)

A year-long study examined how phonics or whole word instruction affected first graders' progress in reading and spelling words. Subjects, 80 Houston, Texas students of average reading and intellectual abilities from three classrooms receiving phonics instruction and three classrooms receiving whole word instruction, were administered a phonemic…

This article reviews research on effective classroom reading instruction that finds dramatic reduction in reading failure occurs when explicit instruction is provided in phonemic awareness and decoding skills, word recognition and text processing, construction of meaning, vocabulary, spelling, and writing. The need for small-group instruction for…

Investigating how good and poor readers process words, a study examined the spelling and reading processes of 80 middle-class first grade students from three schools in Houston, Texas, 40 who were receiving whole word instruction, and 40 receiving phonics instruction. Based on scores from the Gates-McGinitie Reading Test, Basic R (administered in…

Eighty children in first grade classes differing in the amount of letter-sound instruction daily were administered tests of phonemic segmentation, reading, and spelling three times during the year. No classroom differences in phonemic segmentation were found, but classrooms with more letter-sound instruction showed more spelling and reading…