Describes and analyzes a young deaf girl's written products from the home setting from age three to seven. Examines her working hypothesis towards the forms of print and compares to those of young hearing children, revealing the diversity of paths all children take in becoming writers and readers. (SR)

Experimental phonological synthesis (sound blending) and analysis (rhyme detection) tasks were administered to children (n=76) preceding kindergarten entry. Measures of beginning reading were administered after kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The sound blending task was significantly related to most interim and outcome measures. The…

Investigates how teachers' perceptions related to the reading process by examining their early recollections of learning to read. Uses comparative analysis between reported positive and negative recollections, yielding highly significant findings related to the variables of setting, age, most significant other, and locus of control. (SR)

The debate among major theorists of the whole-language approach (Kenneth Goodman and Frank Smith) and their critics (e.g., Philip Gough) is summarized. It concludes that the Goodman/Smith theoretical position has not stood the test of time, though some of their instructional recommendations may be valid for other reasons. (Author/DB)

Describes emergent literacy behaviors of five year olds and correlates them with scores on a standardized reading readiness test in kindergarten and a reading achievement test in third grade. Finds significant correlations, thus supporting the validity of literacy-related interpretations arising from these emergent literacy tasks. (SR)

This paper focuses on enhancement of literacy skills of young children with learning disabilities, through intentional learning, reciprocal teaching, and redefining the contexts of early literacy learning. Research results show that children benefit from strategy instruction occurring within classroom cultures that support collaborative discourse,…

Examines key concepts in a thorough understanding of fluent oral reading, noting such fluency is often neglected in classroom reading instruction. The article outlines procedures, activities, and instruments which encourage teachers to attend closely to students' oral reading fluency. With sufficient training, teachers can become accurate judges…

This case study examined the reading and writing progress of a first grade boy. Predictions that the boy would have learning difficulties were based on data from tests, expert assessments, reading and writing samples, and school instruction. Progress in first grade reading indicated that there was no relationship between test results and the…

Describes the chief characteristics of the Success for All program and reports some results of its effects on beginning readers and writers. Concludes that reading failure is fundamentally preventable for nearly all children, regardless of home background. (MG)

This article focuses on the value of developing the skills involved in grouping text into syntactically appropriate units with students having reading problems. It suggests use of phrase-cued texts (in which phrase boundaries are explicitly marked) to move from word-by-word reading to reading in meaningful phrases. (DB)

Finds that children identified as at-risk for reading disability scored higher on numerous measures of reading achievement after receiving two years of instruction in a structured phonics code-emphasis approach compared to similar children taught using a "context" approach in which children are taught to first identify unknown words using the…

Describes a program that links literacy instruction and evaluation in a kindergarten classroom. Describes various evaluation events that are integrated throughout curriculum and across instruction; discusses the importance of planning to write and reflect each day; describes the organization and management of the evaluation tools and data; and…

Studies beginning readers' response to phonological skills using specific computer programs. Observes three different training programs: training in blending separate letter sounds into words using computer programs; training in vocabulary also using computer programs; and training provided by teachers performing activities to promote phonological…

Analyzes the value of "time on the carpet" by examining how a class of first and second graders negotiate and construct meanings of letters from penpals (university preservice teacher candidates) during whole-class sharing time. Describes two functions of these meetings: sociocognitive re/construction and enculturation of textural norms…

Describes and analyzes some of the literacy events and practices taking place in selected multilingual early childhood classrooms in Cape Town, South Africa. Discusses the views and understanding teachers hold about reading and writing in early childhood, and the methods used for teaching children from different language and sociocultural…