A program to improve sixth through eighth grade underachieving students' reading comprehension was developed. Students were identified by comparing their anticipated and actual national percentile scores on the Test of Cognitive Skills (TCS) and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS). A survey of students' reading behavior, a review of…

A study explored the degree to which preservice teachers perceived that the interactive approach to language arts instruction was valuable in promoting their learning. Subjects, 63 students in two sections of an undergraduate reading course, completed a five-item questionnaire focusing on specific aspects of the course. Quantitative data analysis…

Children who are not encouraged to read at home are less likely to be successful in reading later. Parents who were unsuccessful in school or who were not read to themselves are less likely to read to their own children and may need direction in how and what to read. Parents can be taught how to talk through a story with their children through…

A study tested those theories upon which instruction and curriculum in speech and public communication are based. The study investigated the relationship of mode of delivery on ratings of individual speech characteristics as well as the relationship of these perceptions of effectiveness in a public communication setting. Twenty-four videotapes of…

A 3-year longitudinal study combined research in emergent storybook reading with research in parent-child interaction across income and cultural groups. In San Antonio, Texas, 8 families (4 each of low and middle income, with 2 families in each group being of Mexican-American heritage and 2 of Anglo heritage) tape recorded 1 storybook reading…

Drawing on Roger Schank's and Robert Abelson's theory of scripts as a way of viewing learning as behavior at four hierarchical levels, the study examined the literacy learning behavior of two Chicano sisters (one in the second grade and the other in kindergarten) reading orally from storybooks in a home setting. The English story books received in…

A study examined whether a group of eighth graders whose teacher read orally to them for 10 minutes daily would develop greater interest in reading for pleasure than similar students who did not experience the teacher reading orally to them. Subjects, 36 urban and suburban youngsters, were divided into an experimental and a control sample.…

Intended for parents, this paper shares tips for seizing opportunities to insure success in reading for children, observing that the three areas which have surfaced as most critical to reading success are all dependent upon what parents do with their children at home. The paper lists reading to children, talking and listening to them, and helping…

Providing young children with a better balance between narrative and expository text makes sense. Initially, children develop fluency through familiar narrative structures and themes. As the children achieve reading fluency, however, they benefit from increased exposure to expository text. Supporting this thrust are varied approaches and…

This study examined the effects of enthusiastic teaching on the listening comprehension skills of kindergarten children. Subjects were 26 kindergartners who were evenly divided into experimental and control groups. Twelve pieces of literature were read to each group 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Teachers read to the experimental group in a highly…

This practicum was designed to address the problem of preschoolers who attend a weekly full-time daycare program needing more exposure to children's literature to properly nourish their literacy development. Goals of the practicum sought to ensure that books and literacy experiences become more available for children, increase individualized…

A study examined how experienced kindergarten teachers read a story, an informational text, and a picture-phrase text to their students. Six teachers (five from schools in two small midwestern cities and one from a nearby rural area) were videotaped as they read each book to an average of 25 children in three classes each in order to capture their…

There are many ideas for class activities in a first grade whole language classroom that can make the class a richer environment without requiring a lot of time or preparation. "Whole language" is not a set of practices to teach reading; it is a set of beliefs, a philosophy about learning which derives from the notion of keeping learning…

A study examined the extent to which third and fourth grade classroom teachers utilized commonly recommended practices for the use of children's literature. A 39 item questionnaire was constructed and then mailed to 600 third and fourth grade classroom teachers in eight urban and suburban public school districts in Southern California and…

The parent education materials in this packet are intended for use by professionals, and some paraprofessionals, who work with children from birth through 5 years of age and with their families. Included are guidelines for choosing playthings for children of any age, and lists of suggested toys for children of various ages, and, in particular,…