1,000 words were rated for imagery by adults. 63 first graders and kindergarteners were then taught to read 756 of these words. Results showed that this imagery rating was significantly related to the subjects' ability to read (learn) the words. The word list with imagery ratings is presented. (RC)

Cognitive confusion is the common state of young persons in regard to concepts of units of writing. In the past 10 years, research has accumulated to show that all children pass through the important stage of initial cognitive confusion in learning to read. Children often confuse "writing" with "drawing,""letter" with "number," and so on.…

This study investigated how reading begins in speech. The subjects were nonreading kindergarten children divided into a control group of 20 students and an experimental group of 20 students. Both groups had an equal amount of discrimination practice upon the same sentences prior to test for word identification. The sentences for the experimental…

The cognitive clarity theory may be stated quite simply and briefly: (1) Learning to read involved applying general intellectual abilities to the task. (2) Reading is usually a silent activity, and there are very few outward signs of what the behavior involves. (3) Children do not know the basic concepts involved in thinking about the tasks of…

TO TEST THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE READING PROCESS IS A NATURAL EMERGENCE OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, A HYPOTHETICAL STRUCTURE WAS DEVISED TO RECAPITULATE THE PROCESS THAT IT IS ASSUMED THE CHILD GOES THROUGH. EACH OF 25 PRINTED WORD SYMBOLS WAS PRESENTED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER--(1) A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SYMBOL IN ITS NATURAL SETTING, (2) A DRAWING OF THE…

Numerous controversies pertain to the psychology and pedagogy of reading. Among the more important controversies are questions pertaining to the existence of a hierarchy of reading subskills and the advisability of using a subskill approach. Several influential writers have warned that when the process of learning to read is fractionated into…

The cognitive clarity theory focuses on the learning-to-read process rather than on the reading process of the mature reader. The cognitive clarity theory already seems to show some power in explaining some puzzling findings in reading research. Some examples of these paradoxes are: earlier letter-name knowledge is highly correlated with later…

In order to understand better the elemental processes involved in beginning reading (specifically, how cognitive skills are acquired and whether a relationship exists among basic skills), Robert Calfee and colleagues conducted a first-grade reading diary study. Forty target children in 1973-1974 and 50 children in 1974-1975 were observed as they…

PROJECT LITERACY IS A GROUP OF COOPERATING RESEARCHERS WHO PLAN THEIR RESEARCH TOGETHER AND MAKE THEIR FINDINGS RAPIDLY AVAILABLE FOR SMALL-SCALE TRYOUTS. IN THIS WAY, ADVANCES BOTH IN BASIC EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICE CAN BE PROMOTED. THE FOLLOWING ASSUMPTIONS HAVE GUIDED A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS AT CORNELL--READING INVOLVES…

Descriptions of models of the initial acquisition stages of reading development and of methods for teaching beginning reading are provided in this conference report which not only describes individual models and strategies, but also draws together and summarizes current thinking in this area. The models range from the behavioristic works of…

Discusses the relationship between children's knowledge of their language and the process of reading, along with some implications for teachers. (MP)

In discussing instructional approaches to reading, this book offers several definitions of reading and discusses teaching techniques, including early methods, the basal approach, and recent trends, among them the phonics approach, the linguistics approach, the language experience approach, the initial teaching alphabet, individualized reading,…

As a reference for future teachers and for those already working in the field of early childhood education, this book presents information about young children's language development, emphasizing language as the primary basis for reading acquisition. In the first section of the book, language growth during preschool years is explored, with…