A rationale for teaching beginning reading from a learning theory perspective that is compatible with Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is presented in this paper. The model offered is based on a linguistic analysis and on current research. The logical thinking skills characteristic of each stage of development proposed by Piagetian…

To ascertain whether paradigmatic performance on a word association test administered at the end of kindergarten is an effective predictor of reading achievement, 37 children were tested on the Syntagmatic-Paradigmatic Assessment (SPA) at the end of their kindergarten year. At the end of their first grade year, the children were administered a…