Study comparing two approaches conducted in the Kindergarten classes in Waterville, Maine. (MB)

A year-long, quasi-experimental study investigated the comparative effects of a whole language approach and a code emphasis approach upon the emergent literacy of 53 girls in two kindergarten classes in an all girls' parochial school in the Northeast. Subjects in the experimental class received instruction in Holdaway's Shared Book Experience…

Compares the effectiveness of two approaches for teaching basic sight words to educable mentally handicapped students: (1) using the Language Experience Approach (LEA) alone; and (2) using LEA with nursery rhymes. Finds the subjects learned words more easily and rapidly when using nursery rhymes. (RS)

Compares two instructional programs--the structure of the Intellect-Learning Abilities and the Language Experience in Reading--utilized in a rural midwestern laboratory school. Reports no significant difference between experimental and control groups in four out of five operation areas, although the control group scored significantly higher in…

A study was conducted to determine whether students comprehend student-authored material more easily than the material of published authors. The Fry Readability Graph was used to estimate the readability of 8 published passages of 200-270 words, which varied from grade 5 through grade 10. The topic of each passage was listed and used in a 2-day…

Compares two groups of primary-grade classrooms differing in their instructional approach to beginning reading to assess the relationship between learning activities, cognitive ability, and reading skill. (HOD)

Compares a structured phonics method with a child-centered language experience approach to teach beginning reading in kindergarten. Finds no difference in achievement between the two groups. Finds that children evidenced more motivation and social interaction related to language activities in the language experience approach. (KEH)

In the Neurological Impress Method (NIM) for helping children with reading problems, the teacher and student read aloud together while the child points with an index finger to the words that are being spoken. The system thus provides visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile input for learners. A review of the scant information on NIM reported in…

Discusses the Global Method of reading instruction, which is used worldwide and which is based upon the belief that reading is a part of a language-based process, incorporating all of the communication skills. Examines its similarities to LEA, as well as its differences, and explains its advantages as a content area reading technique. (FL)

Publishers of basal reading series claim that beginning reading materials must contain primarily high frequency words and that new words must be introduced gradually. Inherent in their argument is the position that reading is based on the student's ability to recognize words and that short, phonetically regular words are easier to read. To examine…

To examine the effects of the language experience approach (LEA) on beginning reading achievement, a study analyzed five projects conducted as part of the United States Office of Education first grade studies and 32 additional studies comparing basal reading approaches to LEA. Using two methods of quantitative synthesis (vote-counting and…

Examines different approaches to reading acquisition used in four first grades of a suburban elementary school. Supports the use of a language experience approach as a viable alternative to the basal reader approach for teaching reading and writing. (JK)

Reports on two studies that examined differences in the processing strategies of beginning readers, as indicated by an analysis of oral reading errors. (FL)

A study compared the effectiveness of intensive phonics instruction (a combination of the Distar and Lippincott methods) with a language experience approach (Success in Reading program) in the first and second grades. Subjects, 48 first and second grade students in the Hillsboro School District in Oregon, were divided into two groups (matched…

Creating a link between current research findings and classroom practice, this book analyzes, compares, and critiques prevalent classroom strategies in beginning reading instruction in light of expertise available in other countries. The book begins with a section on "Points of Departure," consisting of three chapters:…