In a bilingual education program, reading should be introduced in the child's stronger language. Reading in the second language should be delayed until the child has become fully literate in the first language. Ideally that point should be determined for each child individually. The relative emphasis given to reading in each language is based on…

This paper reviews the studies involving the more commonly measured reading readiness factors, discusses some unique studies, and projects what some needs of future research should be. The research areas discussed include reading readiness tests as predictors of success in beginning reading, auditory discrimination factors and their relation to…

The importance of word analysis skills to reading ability is discussed, and methodologies for teaching such skills are examined. It is stated that a child cannot become proficient in reading if he does not master the skill of associating printed letter symbols with the sounds they represent. Instructional procedures which augment the alphabet with…

The effectiveness of prephonic training between kindergarten and first grade levels as a tool for acquiring reading skills was explored throughout the public school system in the city of New Bedford, Massachusetts. A sample population of 260 kindergartners was identified as having potential learning difficulties by the results shown on the…

This study investigated possible differences in reading achievement of first graders when grouped by sex. The study also explored whether these groups' attitudes toward school, learning, and new experiences varied and, if so, how this affected reading achievement. Children were placed in five classrooms: one class of boys, one of girls, and three…

The processes involved in learning to read and write are described and analyzed using a behavioral-engineering approach. A theoretical model of the learning process is presented and supported by discussions of learning as a discriminative process, of learning modalities, stimulus processing, and information processing during reading and writing.…

Article provided some major findings on how children learn to read and some ways to improve reading instruction. (Editor/RK)

First graders taught with the initial teaching alphabet showed superior word recognition when compared with matched subjects taught in the traditional English alphabet instructional format. Retesting in third grade showed no significant differences between the groups, but indicated that auditory memory affected reading performance in both…

This joint statement expresses concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. The statement was prepared by seven organizations concerned with preschool education and/or reading instruction. (BD)

Examines the nature of early school reading material and its distinct discourse structures, which are used to present possible social worlds and characters to children. Argues that understanding the interpretive challenges and problems that such texts present to children aids teachers in enhancing literacy. (RAE)

The order of difficulty of positions and the segmentability of phoneme categories are discussed in relation to the hypothesis that phonemes are functioning units in the perception and production of speech. The final version of the program for teaching phonemic segmentation is described. (Author/LMO)

Study compares the vocabulary generated from writing samples of 52 first-grade children in two whole language classrooms with vocabulary contained in the basal reader program. Concludes that whole language instruction does not limit children's exposure to systematic repetition of important vocabulary. (MM)

Two studies involving 215 subjects tested the hypothesis that orthographic coding bypasses phonological coding after the early stages of reading or spelling. It was found that nondyslexics continue to develop phonological coding skill until adulthood and rely on it for reading and spelling to a significantly greater extent than do dyslexics.…

Recent research on reading reveals many methods work for teaching reading. There are three individual reading styles: (1) those who need phonics, (2) those who can learn it but don't need it, and (3) those unable to learn phonics. The level of reading achievement depends on how well instructional program accommodates to an individual's reading…

Indicates that oral reading, turning the text into a big book, interpretive activities, and repeated shared readings can give even young children a command of the text. (FL)