Examines what is entailed in effective phonics instruction and shows how such instruction can be integrated into a wide variety of approaches to the teaching of beginning reading. Discusses nine guidelines for exemplary phonics instruction that can be incorporated into classrooms using basal readers, whole-language philosophy, or shared reading of…

Gives suggestions for teaching decoding to the beginning reader. It is important to align decoding with the stages of reading development as well as with the structure of the English language. Systematic, explicit instruction ensures the success of most children. Keeping instruction connected to meaning respects the ways that children learn…

Outlines a psycholinguistic framework for reading and spelling methodology at the preliminary stage. Based on the theory of metalinguistic development of A. Karmiloff-Smith and J. Gombert, the framework involves a three-step model for early reading and spelling instruction. The approach balances focus on meaning with focus on skill. (SLD)

In this article, the authors assist teachers who are working with young students at risk for reading disabilities by helping make sense of the large--but unwieldy--scientific knowledge base. They offer a conceptual framework for thinking about beginning reading instruction and intervention across three dimensions: the "content of instruction"…

This article systematically reviews research on the achievement outcomes of four types of approaches to improving the reading success of children in the elementary grades: reading curricula, instructional technology, instructional process programs, and combinations of curricula and instructional process. Study inclusion criteria included use of…

Presents a brief analysis of the arguments for teaching standard English and those for a bidialectal approach to beginning reading. (RB)

The authors suggest that how a child learns is as important as what he learns. The school psychologist can help determine the most suitable methods of teaching for those students who are having difficulty learning, and pupil instruction can then be individualized. (HMV)

A CONFERENCE ON BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION WAS ATTENDED BY PROFESSIONAL AUTHORITIES AND LEADERS IN THE FIELD OF READING AND RELATED DISCIPLINE AREAS. THE PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE WAS TO REPORT ON RESEARCH IN CANADA AND ENGLAND, AS WELL AS IN THE UNITED STATES, AND TO REVIEW A VARIETY OF PRACTICES IN ELEMENTARY READING. THE BULLETIN WAS…

The employment of the graphoneme approach in reading instruction is based on several generally accepted concepts regarding the learning process and the nature of the English language. A graphoneme is a closed syllable, a syllable which begins with a vowel and ends with a consonant, and it is thought to be the stable unit in the relationship…

A teacher-parent recounts how she used labels on grocery items and other advertising formats to help her preschooler gain confidence in beginning reading. (JMB)

Children's rhymes are one way of introducing children to the world of print and reading instruction. (DD)

Suggests that teaching words with a regular phonetic structure first will help children learn, and presents lists of words with regular phonetic structure and three procedures teachers can use in an instructural program. (JM)

Reviews the history of phonics and whole word instruction, arguing that students' reading proficiency does benefit from learning fundamentals of phonics. (HTH)

Expresses a joint statement of concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. Guidelines and recommendations are the result of a collaboration among six national organizations. (KS)

Dr. Seuss wrote in "Horton Hears a Who," "Don't give up! I believe in you all! A person's a person no matter how small." What a beautiful, encouraging message this is to his readers. Millions of children can't figure out the words on the pages of their books, because they don't know the speech sounds of the alphabet. This is called the alphabetic…