Methods that will improve student achievement include: start early; focus on reading and math; bring in trained tutors; invest in teachers; shrink the size of classes and schools; and increase the amount of time spent learning. Offers guidelines for evaluating initiatives for improving student achievement, discusses technology, and provides…

A study assessed an intensive fluency intervention for low-achieving at-risk beginning Spanish readers in grades 1-2. Data from 53 first- and second-graders in bilingual classrooms in southeast Texas indicated that implementing intensive reading fluency interventions in bilingual classrooms is feasible and valuable if conducted with fidelity and…

Four case studies are presented illustrating how kindergarten curricula can enhance early literacy development. Curriculum components described include student choice, activities appropriate for multiple developmental levels, large blocks of work time, shared voice, theme-based learning, access to materials, respect for autonomy, and minimal large…

The purpose of this article is to question the amount of time that beginning readers should spend reading connected text in school. Based on a study of 66 children in 26 classrooms, the authors found that children in first-grade classrooms with "less" reading of connected text achieved more in their phonics learning than children in classrooms…

This study examined the validity and feasibility of a group-administered test of alphabetic reading skills for first-grade students. Two versions of a phonemic spelling test (production and multiple-choice) were administered in classroom groups to 153 students. Measures of vocabulary, phoneme awareness, letter sound knowledge, phonemic decoding,…

This study is a follow-up on a previous study of the effects of 2 beginning reading programs implemented in 1st grade. In the previous study, 40 1st-grade students who were matched based on their Concepts About Print Test (Clay, 1979) and Phonological Segmentation Fluency from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS; Good…

Evidence regarding the centrality of word recognition to the reading process is considered, based on a review of research on beginning reading from 15 secondary sources. The research includes diverse learners who are low performers, learning or reading disabled, remedial readers, high achievers, culturally disadvantaged, language delayed, and…

The Catholic Education Office of Sydney, Australia, has completed the first year of a 3-year literacy initiative which included an early literacy strand providing professional development for all kindergarten, Year One, and Year Two teachers, with a particular focus on the needs of beginning readers and writers. This paper outlines the planning,…

Noting that many parents who might teach their young children are often discouraged by a lack of information or fear of being labeled "pushy," this book provides parents with a step-by-step program for teaching preschoolers letters and numbers as a way of giving children a head start on formal education. The handbook consists of a…

A 6-year ex post facto study compared the word study skills, word reading/reading vocabulary, reading comprehension, and total reading achievement of Choctaw Indian first and second grade classes that participated in the Sing, Spell, Read, & Write (SSRW) program and classes that had not participated in the program. Subjects were 84 students in…

Placing reading instruction in a child-centered, language-rich environment, this book provides preservice elementary teachers at the undergraduate and introductory graduate level with a detailed understanding of how to implement a developmental reading program. The book discusses the role of basal readers, and also discusses teaching reading…

The Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (GPLC) worked with Beginning with Books (BWB) to develop a family literacy component for tutor training. Four objectives were achieved: (1) a family literacy segment was added to the beginning tutor training course; (2) tutor trainers were prepared to present the segment; (3) family literacy materials for…

Research reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications of research are provided in this status report covering the period of January 1 through March 31, 1983. The 16 reports deal with the following topics: (1) the influence of subcategorical mismatches on lexical access, (2) the Serbo-Croatian…

To provide the most effective instruction, materials, and support for beginning readers, teachers need to know if young children are more likely to process from print to meaning-- bottom-up or text-driven processing--or to interpret print to follow meaning--top-down or concept-driven processing. While some studies reveal a correlation between…

Drawn from an annual symposium held at the University of Guam to recognize and encourage scholarly activities of graduate students in the reading education department and to promote continued interdepartmental dialogue on the teaching of reading, the nine papers in this compilation deal with various approaches to reading instruction. Topics…