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…

Purpose: This article provides an evidence-based perspective on what school communities can do to lower the prevalence of reading difficulties among their pupils through preventive interventions. It also delineates the roles that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) might play in these interventions. Method: This article is organized to first…

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:…

The increasing number of computerized storybooks now commercially available to teachers raises important questions about appropriate ways to make use of them in classrooms. This instructional resource offers suggestions that will help classroom teachers effectively incorporate these powerful resources into their instruction. It also summarizes…

This digest provides basic information on phonological awareness in the process of learning to read for students with learning disabilities. It considers how phonological awareness fits into this process and the special problems experienced by children with learning disabilities or from culturally diverse backgrounds. Suggestions for teaching…

Experienced whole language teachers have developed a number of practical strategies that can and should be used to facilitate the development of "graphophonic knowledge" in their students' literacy learning. Graphophonic knowledge is defined as the combination of the sound system (phonology), the graphic system (orthography), and how…

A study determined the initial success of the Compacted Approach to Reading (CAR) program as measured at the end of the program's pilot year. Subjects were 21 first graders and 7 second graders in Tennessee identified and recommended by their first and second grade classroom teacher. The CAR program was developed based on concepts observed in the…

This article tells the story of how the Ball-Stick-Bird reading system, intended for superior dyslexic students, was applied to the teaching of reading to individuals with severe to moderate mental retardation. The system incorporates developmental linguistics to make story reading easier for the beginning student. The first books of the series…

"Choices" is a collection of 13 stories that George Ella Lyon, a writer of children's books, wrote specifically for adult new readers after conferring with adult basic education students in Kentucky. Although the individual stories are written from various people's points of view, they all tell of the dreams, hopes, and lives of working class…

Conducted in three phases, a study examined the teaching of reading in the early stages of primary school. The study was done by a research team from the University of St. Andrews School of Psychology, Scotland. Phase one explored methods of teaching reading and spelling in a sample of 12 schools within one Education Authority. Phase two examined…

Developed for the America Reads Challenge Read*Write*Now! program, this tip sheet presents ideas and suggestions for strengthening efforts to help improve children's reading through community reading programs designed to keep children reading during the summer and after school. The tip sheet discusses building partnerships, recruiting volunteers,…

Research with beginning readers shows that children's sense of story plays a crucial role in successful reading comprehension. The purpose of this study was an extension of the speech-to-literacy process beyond the preschool years in a sample of 24 second graders with diverse levels of reading comprehension. Structural and graphic features, as…

This article presents an interview with Don Holdaway, early childhood educator and originator of "shared book experience." The article first provides a brief summary of themes embodied in Holdaway's first book, "The Foundations of Literacy." It then presents the interview with Holdaway, discussing literacy learning, big books,…

A practicum aimed to strengthen the reading abilities of first grade students. Objectives included having first graders: (1) strengthen phonetic and decoding skills; (2) progress to grade level in the basal reading series; and (3) master a problem solving process that would enrich critical thinking skills. Subjects, 52 first grade students,…

When studying the question, Do primary students learn better through listening or reading?, the readability of the material used should be considered. (JH)