Rebuttal to an article by Montare, Elman, and Cohen (in a previous issue of this journal) which the author claims used an incorrect model of learning to analyze his research. (HOD)

In order to have both fluent reading and good comprehension, the student must be brought beyond accuracy to automaticity in decoding. (JH)

The strategies used by children in word recognition are examined. A critical review of some of the classical research which has influenced current thinking about how words are recognized is presented along with a discussion of some of the errors which can be found in these studies. A five-stage model of how beginning readers learn to recognize…

Debates the question of how automaticity in reading develops. Suggests that the traditional view of automaticity development (a result of limited attentional capacity) does not adequately describe the process. Discusses comparisons of alternative views of automaticity and the traditional view. (RS)

A study using four groups, each of 25 first graders, indicated that letter-naming ability does not facilitate learning to read words composed of the same letters. One group was taught to discriminate between four artificial graphemes by identifying them with different geometric forms. The second group was taught to give the graphemes the letter…

Describes research results showing that letter-name knowledge does not aid the beginning reader in pronouncing words composed of the same letters. Suggests that letter-sound knowledge does have a beneficial effect. Bibliography. (RW)

Examines the relationships among accuracy and latency of word recognition and comprehension by nonfluent readers and whether component letter or holistic processing was used in word recognition by these same readers. (HOD)

Research supported by the Cooperative Research Program of the U.S. Office of Education, CRP-S-378.

Numerous controversies pertain to the psychology and pedagogy of reading. Among the more important controversies are questions pertaining to the existence of a hierarchy of reading subskills and the advisability of using a subskill approach. Several influential writers have warned that when the process of learning to read is fractionated into…

Purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that training the student to note the distinctive features of a stimulus during perceptual learning facilities the hook-up phase in a paired-associate task. (Author)

Two experimental studies failed to support the assumption that letter-name knowledge facilitates reading. (CK)

Eighty-eight first graders (53 boys and 35 girls) were observed to determine whether attentiveness (visual orienting behavior, or direction of gaze) was related to reading achievement prior to the effects of long-term success-failure school experiences and whether the expected superior reading achievement of girls was related to observed…