Describes the current situation in phonics instruction, citing recent studies supporting its effectiveness. (FL)

Proposes a theory to explain why writing and reading contribute to growth in each other--both are compositional in nature or require the reader/writer to arrange responses to form a coherent whole. (AEA)

A comparison of oral and written language in six deaf infants from ages one and two for periods of four and five years indicated that written language acquisition is not dependent on oral language; that written language teaching can be initiated at about one year, and that written language is easy to learn. (Author/CL)

Reports on a study that investigated the ability of second grade students to listen to, infer, and produce the correct pronuciations of high-frequency words in a story-like context. (FL)

Reports the findings of a study that sought (1) to confirm for Australian children the pattern of print concept acquisition noted in North America and New Zealand and (2) to determine whether children of varying reading proficiency can be differentiated in terms of their print concepts. (FL)

Investigated the reading preferences of beginning readers in adult basic education (ABE) classes. Results indicated that ABE students want to read a variety of materials for a variety of reasons. Teachers should search for methods that will allow beginning readers to experience immediate success and joy in reading. (JOW)

The "Book Buddies" manual and "Emergent Reader" training videos provide comprehensive and easy-to-implement guidelines for setting up and running a successful tutorial program in the early grades. Portraying the "Book Buddies" model in practice, this 44-minute videotape, entitled "Emergent Reader--Mid-Year"…

This guide presents information and ideas to help parents support their children as they grow into readers. It provides literacy-building activities that parents can use to help their children acquire a solid foundation for learning to read and mastering other academic subjects. The guide is divided by age and grade: infants and toddlers,…

To assess early literacy development in Renaissance classrooms nationwide, the 2000 Early Literacy Survey was mailed to a sample of 411 randomly selected Renaissance Model and Master pre-K-3 educators. This population of teachers was chosen for the study because they have systematically certified that their implementation of Reading Renaissance is…

This pamphlet describes the Texas Reading Initiative, a comprehensive plan aimed at improving reading instruction in Texas and begun after a challenge was issued by Governor George W. Bush that each and every child must learn to read. It lists the 8 key elements that were established to guide the initiative (including increasing awareness of…

This article presents summaries of research on 13 core understandings about learning to read, from "Building a Knowledge Base in Reading" (Jane Braunger and Jan Patricia Lewis). In the article, each core understanding is followed by activity ideas and strategies useful for tutors--these activities were created with one-on-one tutoring in…

A study of state educational policymaking revealed a number of instances where assertions have been made about what the "research says" in offering support for particular policies; however, in many of these instances the available research seems to have been distorted or exaggerated in order to better leverage particular policy…

This collection of articles commemorates the 30th anniversary of an influential study by Guy Bond and Robert Dykstrain reading research, known as the First-Grade Studies. These articles provide a view of the historical implications of the First-Grade Studies and how the Studies continue to provide valuable insights for those who seek answers about…

To answer the question of how phonemic awareness works to facilitate reading acquisition, this paper explores the fundamental connection between phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, and phonics in learning to read. The paper undertook a literature review to prove that phonemic awareness is an essential element in the path to literacy. It…