Kindergarten isn't what it used to be. No longer is kindergarten a place for learning the social skills needed for success at school and sprinkled with a few letters, numbers, shapes and sizes. Today, kindergartners are expected to head to first grade as beginning readers with basic skills in place to ensure their success in core content areas. To…

Suggests a schema for school personnel interested in planning for the implementation of a Reading Recovery program. Emphasizes that Reading Recovery is a system of intervention, not a bag of tricks or quickie methods. Describes the nature of full implementation, its importance, and how to plan for it. (RS)

Discusses two questions concerning entering first graders' abilities in language awareness: what are the connections from skills knowledge to beginning reading for these children; and what additional skills or experiences are needed that will help these children move toward reading on their own? (NH)

This article describes a teacher-created instructional phonics program that shares philosophical underpinnings of the whole-language movement which is not always adequate in helping at-risk beginning readers. In this program, phonics is taught directly in a way that is natural, authentic, interesting, meaningful, and fun for children. (JDD)

Suggesting that Reading Recovery belongs on the restructuring agenda of American education, this booklet introduces educators and others to how Reading Recovery works, how teachers are trained to use the program, and how it can be implemented in a school or district. Sections of the booklet are: Introduction; Overview of Reading Recovery; How…

Intended for reading teachers and school administrators, this paper proposes a whole language, comprehension based approach to reading instruction that is rooted in the humanistic acceptance of the learner as problem solver and that builds on strengths and minimizes preoccupation with reading deficiency. Following an introduction and rationale for…

Asserting that early reading success is a strong predictor of academic success in later grades and that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) are critical for literacy development, this issue brief explores actions states can take to develop and support literacy-rich environments for children. Following an introductory summary, the brief…

This article tells the story of how the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system, intended for superior dyslexic students, was applied to the teaching of reading to individuals with severe to moderate mental retardation. The system incorporates developmental linguistics to make story reading easier for the beginning student. The first books of the series…

The No Child Left Behind program changes the federal role in education by asking America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The information in this reading guide was developed by the United States Department of Education to assist parents, caregivers, and teachers in understanding the importance of…

The No Child Left Behind program changes the federal role in education by asking America's schools to describe their success in terms of what each student accomplishes. The information in this reading guide, presented in Spanish, was developed by the United States Department of Education to assist parents, caregivers, and teachers in understanding…

Analysis of the requirements for diagnostic testing of the early stages of reading competence shows that diagnostic testing needs to focus on decoding, word knowledge, and sentence processing. Reading diagnostic tests also need to assess "entry" skills for the assignment of pupils to instruction, and "exit" skills at each grade…

The Texas Reading Initiative began in 1996 in response to Governor George W. Bush's challenge to all Texans to focus on the most basic of educational goals--teaching all children to read. This booklet describes important aspects of effective reading instruction, as well as elements of classroom and campus support for effective instruction. The…

Discusses the role of the elementary teacher in instilling a love of reading in children. Stresses need to provide material of interest to children, the pitfalls of oral reading, and the need to help parents plan book purchases. (CJM)

A total communication program was introduced to enhance the communication skills of 8 students, age 11-14, with severe and moderate retardation. The method gradually developed into a successful introductory reading program, with instruction focused on sight vocabulary and comprehension skills. (JDD)

The New York State Rural Education Advisory Committee conducted an intergenerational project in which rural schools and agencies/facilities serving older persons were brought together to help young children build the reading skills necessary for academic success. Intergenerational programs such as this can help schools reach higher standards while…