This study aimed to explore the literacy interactions of deaf and hearing parents with their preschool children in Saudi Arabia. The participants were three sets of parents (six individuals) of preschoolers. Data were collected through home literacy observation, experience sampling method, and interviews. All participants endorsed learning through…

The term "balanced literacy" was popularized in the mid-1990s to describe a middle ground in terms of text selection, instruction, skills, and strategies. The intention was to merge the promising elements of whole language and phonics. Interactions with educators and literacy leaders across the country currently suggest that a term that…

The purpose of this study was to examine how my reading instruction had been situated within my school's literacy program. As a way to investigate this study, I employed qualitative teacher research. I used reading theory (Whole Language and Direct Instruction) as the analytical lens for my analysis. The results illustrated how the Direct…

"Sharing the ownership of knowing" (a constructivist concept of motivation for literacy learning) is a dynamic classroom interaction in which a teacher's constructivist epistemological stance facilitates students' sense of their own construction of meaning and the integrity of their own thinking. Sharing the ownership of knowing was one…

Describes an ESL department's whole language approach to writing and reading, replacing its traditional grammar-based ESL instructional sequence. Reports the positive quantitative and qualitative results of the first three years of using the new approach. (KEH)

Argues that California's low fourth-grade National Assessment of Educational Progress reading scores between 1987 and 1992 were not related to the whole-language approach to reading instruction introduced in 1987. Suggests that low scores are caused by limited student access to books in school and public libraries. (Contains 36 references.) (PKP)

Examined the effect of sociodramatic play on the literacy learning of first graders. Found that sociodramatic play provided a vehicle through which the players practiced what they knew about literacy and provided an opportunity to think about literacy in the context of various play themes. Adult mediation enhanced the players' incorporation of…

Nine elementary students with mild to moderate mental retardation were taught to use a balanced, multimethod, multilevel language arts framework that blended phonics and basal instruction with holistic and contextualized approaches. Children made gains in word identification and reading comprehension strategies, metalinguistics, written language,…

An ongoing investigation on the nature of literature-based instruction in schools that serve large numbers of economically disadvantaged children is in the process of describing various aspects of literacy teaching and learning in four schools, two rural, one urban, and one semi-urban. The investigation is qualitative in nature, longitudinal, and…

A continuing longitudinal study examined students' perceptions of their learning and motivation in a whole language classroom setting. Subjects, 14 fifth- or sixth-grade students who collaborated in the inquiry as co-researchers, were interviewed in depth. The mixed fifth- and sixth-grade classroom at the "Willow School" in southern…

Shares the findings of three classroom teachers and a university professor from their collaborative study of how whole language instruction affects the students that teachers worry about the most. Concludes that elements of time, choice, supported risk taking, belonging, and whole language experiences for real purposes make a difference in at-risk…

This four-document collection describes the implementation processes of dramatically improved literacy programs in elementary schools which are leading the move to restructure literacy education in the Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington). The first document in the collection, "Strategies for Improving School-Wide…

This article shows that bilingualism can be an enriching part of children's lives. A young child named Anna, living in a bilingual environment in which English and Finnish were spoken, was observed and her speech recorded. This discussion focuses on aspects of Anna's acquisition of language. Initial discussion works toward a definition of…

Describes a literacy training program for adults with deafness, along with pre- and posttraining results of assessments of 10 adults enrolled in the program. The results indicated that the computerized drill and practice items used in the program were effective in increasing the English literacy of program participants. (23 references) (MDM)

A study investigated access to books for children in schools that described their literacy curriculum as "literature-based." Six schools that served economically disadvantaged children exhibited a wide variation in the number of books available in both school libraries and classrooms. Two of the schools depict the influences on children's access…