Seeks to identify particular phonological skills that precede and facilitate the development of reading. Assesses preliterate children during and at the end of their first school year. Finds (1) phonological awareness comprises a cluster of related skills; (2) diversified developmental paths; and (3) letter knowledge was a more potent predictor of…

Presents a classic study originally published in this journal in 1963, which analyzed 45 phonic generalizations found in teacher's manuals. Finds that only 18 of the 45 generalizations are useful in having a reasonable degree of application (valid 75% of the time) to words commonly met in primary grade material. (SR)

A battery of various tasks was used with nine children with Down syndrome (ages 5 to 8) to assess their phonological awareness and basic reading skills. Results suggest that children with Down syndrome are at risk for reading acquisition difficulties due to reduced phonological awareness skills and that these deficits are in addition to delays…

Describes a reading lesson for first graders in which phonics is taught both explicitly and contextually. Discusses three prerequisite understandings about print that make learning to read much easier for children. Advocates a balanced approach toward literacy instruction that helps children integrate what they already know with new strategies,…

Describes a tool for finding texts that match children's decoding skills. Begins with an overview of current thinking and research on the use of decodable text in beginning reading instruction. Presents five steps to show how teachers can locate decodable texts that match and supplement their phonics instruction. (SG)

Notes that the main problem with using Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs) for measuring reading growth is that running records and miscue analyses are gathered on variable levels of text that are appropriate for each child. Presents several possible solutions to the measurement problem beyond the simple profile descriptions usually reported from…

Considers whether dramatic play with toys would be as important for beginning readers and whether it could be used to support their story writing. Discusses the introduction of toys to the writers' workshop. Considers how to reflect on the physical world as a source for story ideas. (SG)

Discusses the narrative role of images in three prize-winning children's books. Argues that the contribution of images to interpretive possibilities of the narrative are typically not sufficiently addressed in reviewing picture books. Suggests reviewers and teachers should take an approach described as "reading images." (PM)

Reviews "Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print," a book which reviews and synthesizes decades of research on beginning reading. (MG)

Describes how using a flashlight to read language experience chart stories can provide a concrete way to build a foundation for many emergent reader concepts, such as directionality. (SR)

Investigates the effect of teaching kindergarten children orthographic analogies based on onset and rime units. Finds that analogy training specifically based on onset-rime units is an effective method to assist children as they move into reading, benefiting children differently depending on their prior segmentation level. (SR)

Recounts the author's experiences as a 2-year-old Elvis Presley fan who learned how to recognize, retrieve, and play a large number of his favorite 45 rpm recordings. (RS)

Describes using reading centers, called Reading Choices, placed around a kindergarten room to provide kindergarten students with more opportunities to read and interact with stories and with print. (SR)

Reviews some basic knowledge of phonics all teachers should know. Provides instructional activities to incorporate phonics within a balanced literacy program. Recognizes different approaches to teaching phonics and the importance of phonics. Discusses the use of consonants, blends and digraphs, short vowels, long vowels, and other strange vowel…

Explores early stages of reading acquisition, specifically the relation of phoneme blending and letter recoding to individual differences in word decoding. Examines the ability to recode letters, blend phonemes and decode words in Dutch children. Indicates that results are consistent with the self teaching hypothesis and other theories that imply…