Describes a technique for helping children learn the names of the letters of the alphabet. In the Alphabet Mnemonic System, each alphabet letter is assigned a phrase that will cue the learner to recall the name of the letter. A table is provided of the mnemonic alphabet cues. (CR)

This article briefly summarizes what is known about how phonological awareness fits into the beginning reading process and effective methods for teaching phonological awareness. Special difficulties with phonological awareness of children with learning disabilities or from culturally diverse backgrounds are noted. (DB)

This article presents 20 activities to promote phonemic awareness in students, including teaching nursery rhymes, playing the "I Spy" game using initial sounds of words, creating a sound box, having students sort picture cards based on initial sounds, playing phoneme deletion games, and having students clap and count syllables. (Contains 4…

This news digest issue, which accompanies a bibliography titled "Learning Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities", focuses on two promising interventions for students with learning disabilities: helping students develop their use of learning strategies and helping them develop their phonological awareness. In the first…

This article addresses two sets of organizing principles to guide prevention and intervention in beginning reading: (1) the complexity in our alphabetic writing system, and (2) the complexity in our schools. The first set is related to instructional design, while the second set is related to a schoolwide model. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This manual is designed to help Florida teachers incorporate assessment and instruction of phonological awareness into their pre-reading and reading curriculum. The first section describes what phonological awareness is and how it is related to reading instruction. It summarizes research evidence on the role of phonological awareness in reading…

Word boxes and word sorts are two phonic approaches that help children make connections between sound and print by gaining an awareness of the phonological and orthographic features of words. This article provides step-by-step procedures for using these approaches in small-group and whole-class settings. The use of peer tutors is discussed.…

Curriculum design principles developed by the National Center to Improve the Tools of Educators (NCITE) are recommended to evaluate and enhance basal reading programs for learning-disabled students. These principles provide a framework for fortifying instruction in ways that mediate difficulties that students encounter in phonological awareness,…

This article reviews the evidence for balanced literacy instruction in the elementary years. The case is made that the balanced instructional model is particularly appropriate and beneficial for students who have initial difficulties in learning to read and write. Key features of successful reading instruction programs are described. (Contains…

These five guidebooks are designed for literacy programs to enhance the quality of services provided to adults with learning disabilities. Each guidebook answers specific questions such as handling legal issues, screening for learning disabilities, selecting curriculum options, using effective instructional methods, and creating professional…