The importance of building positive attitudes and habits in developing successful reading experiences is discussed. In order to have positive attitudes toward himself and toward his reading, the child must acquire basic concepts about language and its relation to himself. Among these concepts are (1) I can talk about what I think about, (2) what I…

Recently a team of reading specialists from fourteen different nations completed a study in comparative reading with the aim of comparing literacy acquisition in countries with different cultures and languages in an attempt to derive new hypotheses regarding sociological, psychological, and linguistic variables in learning to read and write.…

This study compared the relative effectiveness of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i. t. a.) program for teaching beginning reading with a matched program using traditional orthography (T. O.). Three waves of first grade students in ten predominately white elementary schools were randomly assigned to i. t. a. and T. O. classrooms. Summary evaluation…

This study was designed to assess the effect the summer vacation period has on the reading ability of first-grade subjects, as measured by norm- and criterion-referenced reading tests. The data were analyzed to determine if sex of subject, IQ, or type of school reading curriculum were related to the ability to retain overall reading ability or…

This thesis reviews those articles that have been published since the early 1960s in the area of perceptual-motor and sensory-motor programs which affect reading readiness in beginning readers at the kindergarten-first grade level. The contents include: "Reading: A Definition," which looks at some of the definitions proffered by authors in the…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate three kindergarten programs, each emphasizing phoneme-grapheme relationships. Thirteen classes consisting of more than 300 kindergarten children from two sourthern Maine communities were involved in the study. The population was divided into three treatment groups. Group one received basic reading…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the Macmillan Tutorial System when used as a supplement to regular classroom instruction in beginning reading. The experimental subjects were first grade children who ranked in the lower third of the distribution scores on the Macmillan Reading Readiness Test or who, in the opinion of their…

In this study, two ESEA Title I inner-city schools in the Salt Lake School District selected and trained upper-grade (grades 4, 5, and 6) students in structured tutoring techniques previously developed and proven effective by Grant V. Harrison in previous studies. Lower grade (first, second, and third grade) teachers identified the students…

Suggestions for various activities, games, and materials for teaching phonics are presented in this handbook for teachers and teachers in training. The chapters and materials covered include: (1) "Why Phonics," which presents the rationale for teaching phonics; (2) "A Suggested Order for Teaching Phonics," which discusses the order of difficulty…

This textbook is intended as supplementary material for children who need a K-4 interest-level and K-2 skill-level reader in either English or Spanish. The basic vocabulary is common to five of the seven most widely used basic English primers. A special feature of this reader is the introduction of new words in both languages. The color coding is…

This article systematically reviews research on elementary reading programs for English language learners and other language minority students. It focuses on studies that compared experimental and control groups on quantitative reading measures. Among beginning reading models, research supported structured, phonetic programs emphasizing language…

Volunteer tutors can make a difference in the reading skills and the lives of young children. This comprehensive tutorial manual has been developed from the Book Buddies Program of Charlottesville, Virginia, the first large-scale model to mobilize hundreds of community volunteers in an alternative of one-on-one intervention for children at risk…

This booklet presents suggestions for things people can do to help meet the America Reads Challenge of having all children read well and independently by the end of third grade. One of the ways to meet this challenge is through the research-based community reading initiative, called READ*WRITE*NOW!, which encourages students to read and write at…

This book seeks to help teachers discover approaches and techniques that fit their particular teaching styles and their teaching situations. The book's aim is to present as fairly, completely, and clearly as possible the major approaches and techniques that research and practice have indicated to be successful. The book also presents the theories…

This paper provides an overview of Breakthrough to Literacy, a research-based early literacy program that combines interactive software, quality print materials, take-home materials and staff development to provide individualized reading instruction for students. It uses technology to help children understand the relationship between sound, print,…