This article examines recent research and developments relating to the role of phonemic awareness and phonics in early literacy education and the relevance of these findings for school counsellors and teachers. It defines and reviews the role of phonemic awareness and phonics in theoretical models of reading processes, including whole-language,…

A recent report entitled "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children" (Snow, Burns, and Griffin, 1998) concludes that both phonics and whole language are important in teaching young children how to read. These two strategies--along with plenty of time for children to read, to be read to, and to write--are important components of…

Critique on two overstatements about literacy: the illiteracy problem is much worse than many people think and is getting worse; and literacy development is both the cause and the solution to many social problems and will lead to economic development. Explores issues in literacy education such as skills versus processes, standardized testing,…

Beginning readers and proficient readers can be characterized by using research found in professional journal articles and other educational sources. Learning to read requires numerous abilities, several of which are acquired before a child begins school; this time period between birth and when a child begins school is called the "emergent…

Reviews significant findings from the author's research and speculates on differential responses to his work. Argues that appropriately chosen direct instruction in the spelling-sound code is the reality that will enable the romance with whole language to be a long-lasting one and that educators must let scientific evidence answer questions about…

This paper reviews literature on the effectiveness of reading-for-comprehension strategies at the primary (kindergarten through second grade) and intermediate (third through fifth grade) levels. The first section of the paper examines studies that seek to examine the distinctiveness hypothesis; the effectiveness of whole language instruction…

This paper reviews the literature relative to the theory and practice of literature-based reading instruction, and seeks to bring clarity concerning the concept of literature-based reading instruction. The paper points out that from a theoretical point of view advocates of literature-based reading instruction draw upon the whole language…