The behaviorist and cognitive views of learning and language are contrasted, and some methodologies derived from the opposing positions are described. Programed reading in the form of machines, kits, and self-servicing devices of all sorts and most basal reader programs are identified as products of the behaviorist theory of reading instruction.…

Discusses the relationship of cognitive development or thinking skills to language development and beginning reading. (MKM)

The child approaching reading for the first time comes well-equipped with developmental tools to lighten the task. Linguistically speaking, in addition to some decoding skills, the child has a full-blown syntactic system consisting of the basic syntactic forms, though some of the more intricate forms will not be mastered until much later.…

Parents and teachers are encouraged in this paper to provide home and school cognitive science activities to help their preschool-age children develop prereading skills. Many of the activities mentioned could be introduced prior to the age of 3 years and all by the age of 5 years. In general, activities that develop cognitive skills should precede…

The extended effects of two instructional approaches, the Coordinated Basal Language Arts Approach and the Integrated Experience Approach to Communication, on pupils' language development at the second- and third-grade levels were investigated. Original subjects were 669 first graders who were pretested for readiness and intelligence. Of these,…

Describes the "ALERT" procedure, whereby teachers may combine the language experience approach with the use of radio, television, newspaper, and magazine advertisements in a strategy that is useful for developing critical thinking skills, even in very young students. (ARH)

Intended to be a guide for novice volunteers, this book discusses both the theoretical foundations and the practical details that will help a person to understand a child's literacy development. The book begins with an overview of the reading process and then moves into addressing key concerns such as the first day as a volunteer, the kinds of…

Focusing on writing as a language process, this booklet describes a framework for writing instruction that has as a major consideration the totality of language. The first section discusses writing as a language process, emphasizing that as children learn to write, they can also learn to listen, speak, and read. The second section focuses on the…

Part of the "Land of Enchantment" series of instructional materials, this very detailed teaching manual is designed to help teachers in bilingual programs prepare students to read Spanish. It contains suggestions for developing reading readiness skills and ways to teach a basic 30-word reading vocabulary. The reading program follows five steps:…

Descriptions of language learning and reading behaviors are presented, in this paper, within the context of a model of cognitive processing that reflects a continuum for the logical procession of language skills in human maturation and learning. Portions of the paper differentiate silent and oral reading in terms of cognitive load, which is a…

This booklet contains over 35 sample student activities designed by teachers to support the development of prerequisite skills for reading comprehension and to offer opportunities for mastery learning. Activities are suggested in the areas of letter/sound relationships, word recognition, experiential concept development, cognitive concept…

A supplemental reading program designed to increase basic reading vocabulary was implemented as a practicum project with first-grade students demonstrating deficiencies in reading. The students were assigned to teams (organized according to alphabetized lists of topics generated by the students) to write, illustrate, and read books cooperatively…

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using oral story making experiences to improve the oral language proficiencies and "sense of story" of fourth grade remedial reading students through select literary experiences. These experiences included exposing the students to literature in read-aloud exercises, and using wordless…

Discusses the idea of narrative being central to all human experience. Asserts that Piagetian theory and other developmental approaches limit the place of art in early childhood education. Recommends exposing young children to folk art and music that represent significant cultural traits. (CFR)

Describes strategies which teachers can model to help their students become cognitively aware of language. Suggests that teachers model writing and reading strategies at the same time they demonstrate word processing functions. (MG)