Offers a short introduction to this new column and then offers brief annotations of 36 books of children's literature divided into 4 groups: books that lead to lively conversations, that support beginning readers, that enrich the teaching of history, and that enrich the teaching of science. (SR)

Considers what kind of classroom environment must be created to encourage first grade students to choose to read and write. Describes how the author changed her classroom arrangement, dividing it into 7 centers: the science center; information center; computer center; library center; family room; learning center, and the writing center. (SG)

Discusses how educators must begin to appreciate home culture as a key factor in school success. Reflects on the author's own personal experiences and struggles in his first experiences learning to read. Presents instructional approaches for working with culturally diverse learners. Considers the social context of learning to read. (SG)

Investigates strategies beginners use to learn to read words in a relatively regular writing system, Brazilian Portuguese. Finds strategies used depend on the method of instruction (phonics or whole-word), similar to what happens for children learning to read English. Suggests any differences between children learning to read more or less…

This article presents 20 activities to promote phonemic awareness in students, including teaching nursery rhymes, playing the "I Spy" game using initial sounds of words, creating a sound box, having students sort picture cards based on initial sounds, playing phoneme deletion games, and having students clap and count syllables. (Contains 4…

Preschoolers at high or low family risk for reading disability (RD) were evaluated yearly from preschool through second grade. Findings indicated that participants who became RD showed deficits in phonological skills at all time points. Both risk groups underwent a similar--though not simultaneous-- developmental shift from letter-name knowledge…

This introductory article discusses the current status of our knowledge as well as critical research needs in the earliest stages of literacy, before formal schooling begins. It summarizes articles addressing this topic that are based on a three-day workshop on emergent and early literacy learning held in September, 2001. (Contains three…

Flannelboards have been a storytime staple for years in school and public libraries. The flannelboard, or feltboard as it often is called, is a great tool to help children build early literacy skills. Reading research tells us that reading aloud is most effective when it is an interactive experience between the reader and the child. Flannelboard…

Kindergarten students at risk for reading difficulties who received beginning reading instruction in Spanish demonstrated mixed results following supplemental instruction from their classroom teachers when compared to two other groups: typically achieving peers in the same school and at-risk students in a control school. Following the…

Responding to a recent U.S. survey that indicated declines in pleasure reading, the author asks, "Are adults reading less or are they just reading differently?" From this springboard, she goes on to discuss trends in early literacy and elementary education, along with different types of literate behaviors. By looking at the increasing availability…

Two studies investigated whether knowledge of specific letter-sound correspondences is a necessary precursor of children's ability to isolate phonemes in speech. In both studies, Czech and English children reliably isolated phonemes for which they did not know the corresponding letter. These data refute the idea that phoneme manipulation ability…

Several research studies linking early phonemic awareness to the prevention of later reading difficulties strongly suggest that phoneme segmentation and blending, rather than rhyming and alliteration abilities, are the key aspects of phonemic awareness that are related to the prevention of difficulties. Yet there is a persistent belief among many…

This guide will help teach phonemic awareness to Pre K-3 students. It presents phonemic awareness as a sophisticated branch of phonological awareness through interactive activities that allows the student to succeed in learning the sounds represented by the letters of the alphabet. The book is designed to provide easy-to-follow suggestions for:…

A large body of research evidence highlights the required conditions for children to become skilled readers. Within the past decade, research also has uncovered the fact that the origins of skilled reading begin to develop even before children start school. The intent of this article is to provide a brief summary of what is known about the…

Development of reading skills was examined in 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending a prekindergarten program. Fall to spring gains in letter identification were examined and compared with skills in phonological processing, rhyme detection, and environmental print, and with performance on a screening tool ("Get Ready to Read"). It…