Phoneme awareness, letter knowledge, and rapid automatized naming (RAN) are well-known kindergarten predictors of later word recognition skills, but it is not clear whether they predict developments in accuracy or speed, or both. The present longitudinal study of 172 Danish beginning readers found that speed of word recognition mainly developed…

There is a gap between "w..aa..sss" and "woz" ("was"). This is a gap between the output from a phonological recoding of a word and its lexical pronunciation. We suggest that ease of recognition of words from spelling pronunciations (like "w..aa..sss") contributes independent variance to word decoding ability…

Explores the relation between preschool phoneme awareness and initial reading development. Confirms a significant impact of functional letter knowledge on the length of the foundation period and on later reading development. Argues that phonemic awareness is an indispensable catalyst in the development of initial word processing ability. (SG)

Although a recent study shows that school children in Denmark are acquiring initial reading proficiencies at a slower pace than in previous years, that there were more very good readers and more very poor readers in 1972-73 than in 1966, that the average reading performance was lower in 1972-73 than in 1966, and that children in 1972-73 read more…

This document reviews the changes in reading in Denmark from 1934 to 1976 and discusses factors that brought about the changes. The paper indicates the importance of the library in reading development and notes that children use the library more extensively today than they did earlier. Changes in society and their effects on the educational system…

This book describes the teaching of reading in Denmark. Topics discussed are the holistic educational approach to reading (essentially an eclectic reading method), reading instruction techniques used from kindergarten through high school, remedial instruction, individualization, and speed reading. An individualized speed reading method for adults…

Examines a program in Denmark that uses metalinguistic games and exercises to stimulate preschool children's discovery of the phonological structure of language. Concludes that phonological awareness can be developed outside the context of the acquisition of an alphabetic writing system, and that this awareness facilitates subsequent reading and…