A practicum report addressed the problem of lack of interest in the literacy of young readers and the need to motivate them to want to read. A cross-age peer-tutoring program was established where primary students were paired with upper intermediate grade students who displayed positive reading attitudes and habits. The tutoring pair worked…

A practicum aimed to strengthen the reading abilities of first grade students. Objectives included having first graders: (1) strengthen phonetic and decoding skills; (2) progress to grade level in the basal reading series; and (3) master a problem solving process that would enrich critical thinking skills. Subjects, 52 first grade students,…

For this practicum three methods for improving sight vocabulary for first graders were developed and implemented. Goals were to increase vocabulary recognition, improve students' attitudes toward reading, and raise critical thinking levels using parental support. The program, which involved 10 students, took place in 3 phases allowing 4 weeks per…

A practicum designed to help prospective teachers explore instructional approaches that differ from their intrinsic beliefs about how reading should be taught is described in this report. Particular emphasis was placed on using the whole language approach, as opposed to the more traditional basal reader or skills oriented approaches to reading.…

A practicum provided child-centered activities for 20 kindergarten children during regular school hours. Goals for the practicum were to: (1) develop literacy; (2) increase social interaction between the teacher and the child through verbal and body language communication which weaves reading and writing into the relationship; and (3) obtain a…

A specialized word attack skills program was designed to increase the reading ability of a target group of seven first grade students. These youngsters, placed in an average ability classroom, were performing below county standards. The program utilized learning centers, computers, and visual-auditory activities as motivational techniques.…

A practicum developed a whole language kindergarten at-home reading program. The target group was 27 sets of parents of children in a kindergarten classroom who volunteered to participate. The objectives were to increase the parents' knowledge of whole language techniques; increase their level of comfort in using whole language techniques at home…

A practicum addressed the emergent literacy needs of preschoolers at a daycare center. Goals were to increase: (1) the amount of time parents read aloud to their children to 15 minutes a day; (2) the number of library books at the daycare center from 40 to 200; and (3) the number of volunteers at the center from none to 4 who would read aloud to…

A practicum was implemented to improve the sight-word vocabulary and attitudes toward reading among 22 second-grade students reading below grade level. The program took approximately 45 minutes a day, 2 days a week. The language experience approach was used in conjunction with word processors. The different types of activities included dictated…

To increase the reading achievement of a group of first grade students expected to experience reading difficulties during their first grade year, a practicum study involved the collaboration of a school psychologist with teachers, parents, and fifth graders (in cross age tutoring) to provide services emphasizing holistic, literature-based…

This practicum was designed to allow first graders the opportunity to read and write in a more natural and authentic manner than that permitted by using the basal reading series as the basis for reading instruction. The first grade reading program was transformed from a basal-oriented approach to a whole language approach. Through the use of…

A practicum was designed to help parents of kindergartners in a low income area help their children develop literacy. The primary goal was to secure the active involvement of parents in their children's learning experiences. Other goals included improving kindergarten teachers' communication skills and expanding their strategies for reaching out…

The primary goal of this practicum was to provide opportunities for rich and diverse language activities designed to enhance the kindergarten curriculum. New instructional guidelines were designed that encouraged daily classroom time devoted to language development activities. These activities replaced all formal isolated skill instruction.…

An intergenerational literacy program was developed for 40 teenage parents and their children enrolled in an alternative education center. The program was designed to empower teenage parents to develop the emerging literacy of their children while reducing their own literacy deficiencies. The Once upon a Time-Together program acquainted teenage…

A 12-week study concentrated on the improvement and development of literacy skills in the young child, aiming to encourage emergent reading ability, written language development, and oral expression. A process-centered classroom program was designed for 25 kindergarten students to become competent users of language. Students were exposed to a wide…