Comments on 114 studies in such areas as language, oral communication, written communication, pre-first grade programs, and beginning reading instruction. (DD)

Most very young children seem to have a natural interest in books. As children grow, some maintain this disposition, learn to read early, and become lifelong lovers of books; however, some children lose the disposition or do not develop it at all, and they never experience the joy of the written word. This paper looks at the educator's role in…

This resource guide is designed to provide school districts with information and guidelines to help meet the requirements of Texas Education Code 28.006. The guide contains the list of reading instruments adopted for the 1999-2000 school year, recommendations for administering the instruments, guidance on professional development, suggestions for…

A study described and evaluated the Early Literacy Learning Initiative (ELLI), a collaborative effort between individual schools and school districts and the Ohio State University. The overall goal of ELLI is to significantly raise the level of literacy achievement of kindergarten, first, and second grade students by implementing instructional…

A study described and evaluated the Literacy Collaborative, a collaborative effort between individual schools and school districts and the Ohio State University. The overall goal of the Literacy Collaborative is to significantly raise the level of literacy achievement of kindergarten, first, and second grade students by implementing instructional…

This report describes the Literacy Collaborative, which provides long-term professional development and support for teachers who are helping children learn effective literacy skills. The overall goal is to significantly raise the level of literacy achievement for children across the elementary years. The first two sections of the report describe…

In this lesson plan, students explore the cultural significance of masks. After exploring the world of African masks and storytelling, they create masks that tell stories of their own. In these six lessons, students first recall contexts in which masks are worn in the United States, and then discuss their use in stories. Students then investigate…

Before children can make sense of phonics study, they first must learn that print conveys meaning. Children who do not have this foundation concept may do phonics workbook pages, but without understanding or processing the concepts. That is why--unlike books on traditional phonics teaching--this book emphasizes the making of sound instructional…

The America Reads Challenge Act of 1997 created a nationwide effort to meet President Clinton's challenge for American citizens to volunteer as reading tutors "to ensure that every American child...learns to read well and independently by the end of third grade" (USDOE, 1997). Research has shown that volunteer tutors can be effective in…

This report summarizes a study of the impact of Indiana's Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program (ELIGP) on schools in the third year of funding, 1999-2000. This impact study replicates the study completed in the first 2 years of ELIGP funding (1997-98, 1998-99) and includes the following: an analysis of the impact of ELIGP, focusing on changes…

This catalog deals with an exhibition of historical reading materials used in the United States--old primers, spellers, and readers--which contained mostly items from privately owned collections. The catalog is divided into the following chronological sections: (1) Following in the Footsteps of Our English Forebears: The Alphabet Method Reigns…

The number of packages--kits, games, computer discs, audiotapes, and videotapes--offering phonics instruction is growing almost daily. These commercial packages are marketed to parents to use with their children or to teachers and school districts as supplements to classroom programs of reading instruction. This booklet outlines questions which…

Suggesting that too often initiatives have been placed in schools without attention to the implementation process, this paper discusses a model used in a professional development program for teachers of beginning reading and then describes and documents how each feature of the model was addressed through development and implementation work. The…

This book provides the tools classroom teachers need to determine which children lack the phonological awareness skills needed to become successful readers as well as to pinpoint deficiencies and address various needs. The book's unique features include the following: a comprehensive assessment that measures children's phonological awareness…

The early literacy challenge in Indiana is to increase the literacy skills of students in Grades K-3 who are at risk for school failure. In 1997 the Indiana Department of Education began implementing the Early Literacy Intervention Grant Program (ELIGP)--close to half the ELIGP funding supported professional development for teachers and teacher…