Encourages teachers to model the thinking processes that take place as one begins to read and write. Notes that when a teacher thinks aloud as he or she writes, children can better grasp the inner dialogue that occurs. Explains components of the guided writing process and discusses simple suggestions as well as the benefits for early childhood…

Reports a study which assessed and compared the verbal responses of good and poor readers at the end of the first grade using a paradigmatic-syntagmatic classification scale for responses. (JM)

Reveals that only three structures--confrontation, episodic, and plotless--accounted for 87 percent of the story selections in six basal reader series. (FL)

Argues that due to unfamiliarity with certain English sounds, Spanish-speaking children may be hampered in learning initial decoding skills necessary for developing fluent reading. Concludes that a brief ear-training program for the development of overall auditory discrimination can be beneficial to such children. (FL)

Reviews recent research and concludes that it supports a continued and pragmatic developmental analysis of the processes involved in beginning reading. Discusses the instructional implications of this research. (FL)

Reports on a study that examined the effects of decentration training upon second-grade children's responses to reading instruction. Concludes that those who learned to decentrate did better on postinstruction comprehension tests than those who did not learn the technique. (FL)

Reports an investigation of the relationship between visual ordering and perception as determined by cognitive tasks and a child's understanding of reading readiness concepts. (FL)

Details an investigation of the relative contribution of two dimensions of field dependence-independence to the prediction of specific reading skills for first-grade children in an intensive phonics program and in a basal reader program supplemented with phonics. (FL)