Reviews research pertaining to metalinguistic awareness in young children; examines issues related to the direction of cause between metalinguistic abilities and reading, disparities in research methodology between studies, and commercial instruments perporting to measure metalinguistic knowledge; and offers implications for reading instruction…

Examines prereading and beginning reading from both a historical and a current perspective with emphasis on the implications of recent findings on children's literacy learning for instruction. (FL)

Argues that songs, by their very nature, appeal to children and that the use of picture books with song lyrics can play a special role in reading instruction for all types of learners. (FL)

Provides a number of suggestions for teaching children often confused words. (FL)

Presents a checklist designed to measure the reading attitudes of beginning readers. Discusses the methods used to develop the instrument. (FL)

Concludes that early readers would profit from maximal contrast, high frequency words as first reading experiences. (FL)

Annotates 108 titles chosen by children as the best of 1984. (FL)

Examines the history of preschool reading instruction, what researchers recommend, and what is actually happening in preschools, then asks whether reading should be taught to young children. (FL)

Most educators agree that an approach balanced between phonics and whole language is the best method of teaching beginning readers. Marie Carbo (1996) discusses the importance of focusing on a balanced approach to reading, because different students have different learning styles. Children who learn best with phonics instruction have analytic and…

Shared reading involves reading aloud, making a variety of print materials available, and promoting positive attitudes toward literacy. Shared reading experience simulates the bedtime reading experience. It is a happy, secure situation that invites participation by children. Shared reading materials often use enlarged print which allows every…

This book presents a developmentally appropriate reading program created especially for young children to teach them to read fluently, and well, in 20 step-by-step lessons. It is suitable for both homeschooling and classroom use. The program offered in the book can also be used for children with reading difficulties. It offers a structured phonics…

The relationship between gender and reading achievement and gender and early literacy experiences was examined. It was hypothesized that gender differences do not exist in relation to reading achievement, but early literacy experiences do differ in relation to gender. Subjects were students in grades 6, 7, and 8. Results indicate that there are no…

A special subgroup of Limited English Speaking students is often referred to as students with limited formal schooling (LFS) or "preliterates" because they have not yet had the opportunity to learn to read. This digest explores important aspects of the LFS student population, defining LFS students and discussing their impact on schools,…

This article takes a look at Reading Recovery lesson elements to compare the teaching and learning within the lesson components to several areas of learning that have been identified at the national level as important to children's literacy learning. The lesson elements examined in the article are: (1) phonological awareness; (2) orthographic…

The purpose of this Digest is to provide information for family child care providers regarding children's early literacy development. A definition and the characteristics of family child care are discussed in the first part of this Digest. The second half focuses on research-based strategies and recommendations that help support early literacy…