Reports that after more than 50 years of argument as to whether children should be taught the names of letters as part of learning to read, American researchers have begun to suggest that letter name instruction and phonics instruction interact for better learning. (FL)

This literature review provides evidence of dialect interference in black children's performance on oral reading, but large gaps exist in knowledge about Black English and the task of reading. The evidence of dialect interference in reading is equivocal at present, and the educational alternatives considered here are seen as premature. (RC)

Survey of criteria and procedures used by children's book publishers in selecting beginning reading books. Discusses relationship of these practices to the role of the media specialist in the teaching of reading. (KP)

Educators and politicians in Texas have played significant roles in pushing early reading instruction from one extreme position to another through shifts in textbook adoption requirements. These policy actions are shaping a national curriculum for reading. The current study looks at changes in texts for beginning reading instruction that resulted…

This book, a custom edition for the Ohio Summer Institute for Reading Intervention (Summer 2001), reprints selected chapters from two books, "Literacy Development in the Early Years: Helping Children Read and Write," Fourth Edition (Lesley Mandel Morrow) and "Literacy's Beginnings: Supporting Young Readers and Writers," Third Edition (Lea M. McGee…

This digest is intended to help parents support young children's literacy learning. It begins with definitions of literacy and then follows with suggestions for parent involvement in children's early literacy development, based on recommendations from the National Reading Panel. It also lists 23 additional resources (organizations, books,…

With reading, as with all academic content and skills, effective instruction is informed by sound assessment. Teachers' knowledge about classroom-embedded reading assessment must continue to be developed so that they can use the information it yields to make informed instructional decisions. At the same time, districts and schools must develop…

Success in school and life are more dependent than ever before on literacy skills. Within the context of California's Proposition 10, the "Children and Families First Act," this report provides practical, and to the extent possible, evidence-based guidelines for considering strategies to promote children's development relevant to…

Three Canadian teachers (an English language first grade teacher, a French immersion first grade teacher, and a grade four/five teacher of students with special needs) used an action research framework and a multidimensional model of teaching to study and expand their literacy strategies and watch the effects on their students. The model they…

Methods used for teaching children to read could be the whole language approach, or the phonics approach, or maybe a balance of both. This paper is a discussion of appropriate and effective teaching practices through interesting methods such as music, the use of culturally diverse materials, and the role of toys and television as they relate to…

Principals and school administrators across the country know that "quick fixes" are not likely to help when children are not learning to read. For years, teaching reading has focused primarily on curriculum and instruction, but the focus needs to shift from teaching reading to learning to read. This report contends that because…

Children's capacity for learning to read and write at school is directly linked to the experiences children have at home with language, books, and writing. This videotape shows how parents can provide a home environment that promotes literacy growth for their children. The 25-minute video first highlights the elements of a literacy-rich…

This Topical Bibliography and Commentary examines recent studies on phonological awareness, finding the evidence conclusive that teaching phonological awareness to young children greatly facilitates the reading process. Researchers have studied problems children experience in reading for many years. The focus of research during the 1990s has been…

To help teachers understand the cognitive development that occurs as children learn to read, the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) has created The Cognitive Foundations of Learning to Read: A Framework. It describes the various cognitive domains that research has shown to be necessary for reading acquisition, and also illustrates…

This book stems from the idea that literacy learning is the single most significant challenge facing this country and confronting people all over the globe. Chapter 1, "The Meaning of Literacy," explores various interpretations of the word "literacy" as a necessary basis for analyzing and evaluating literary programs. Chapter…