Reading skills in a Midwestern suburban school are poorly developed. Evidence of the problem includes test scores, students' inability to read directions in text as reported by the teachers of the school, and oral reading performances by the students. This action research study describes methods for increasing active strategic reading as an…

The Texas Reading Initiative began in 1996 in response to Governor George W. Bush's challenge to all Texans to focus on the most basic of educational goals--teaching all children to read. This booklet describes important aspects of effective reading instruction, as well as elements of classroom and campus support for effective instruction. The…

As part of a series of booklets designed to support parents and carers of young children in the home, this issue focuses on how to teach children to read books as well as to help children from birth become familiar with language and texts in many different forms. Following an introductory section emphasizing the early years as the foundation for…

This report summarizes research supports addressing three areas as targets for educational improvement in Alabama: beginning reading, expansion of reading power, and intensive intervention for those who are reading below grade level. The paper also describes Alabama's statewide initiative to implement best practices in these areas and summarizes…

As many schools are adapting to an ever-increasing broad range of learners, it becomes more important than ever to develop instruction to respond to these academically diverse students. Without differentiated reading instruction, some children will fall further behind, while others will be left unchallenged. This book presents the Small-Group…

Created with the input of hundreds of early literacy teachers, this book compiles 7,500 caption books, natural language texts, series books, and children's literature for kindergarten through grade 3. The books are organized by both title and level of difficulty. Word counts are provided for most books to assist teachers as they take running…

A balanced, systematic, instructional reading program was designed to increase word recognition in beginning readers. The targeted population consisted of first graders in an upper middle class community located in the Chicago suburbs. The lack of word recognition was documented through assessments revealing students' phonemic awareness, reading…

Addressing current research on the foundational skills of reading for the state of Alaska, this booklet is designed to get the most current information available about how children learn to read into the hands of everyone who can help children learn and grow as readers. It outlines previously researched core abilities including phonemic awareness,…

This workshop seeks to enable parents to analyze their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills so they can serve as models for their children. It also seeks to support the ongoing, natural process of their children's emerging literacy through thoughtful reading, writing, speaking, and listening home activities. Some key concepts--language…

This final report, covering the period September 1, 1997 to August 31, 2001, discusses the development, activities, and outcomes of Upgrading Preparatory Work To Augment Reading Development: UPWARD for Students with Disabilities, a multi-faceted program for providing children with disabilities intensive, phonological awareness and other early…

This paper argues that the standards for reporting and interpreting educational research should be raised. It suggests the need for a higher standard is urgent in fields such as beginning reading, in which public interest is intense, because findings can quickly become distorted or misinterpreted and enshrined through misinformed policy decisions.…

The "shared book experience," a teaching model developed in New Zealand to introduce Pacific Island children to literacy education, is described. The model, based on use of popular children's books, teaches children to master literacy skills the way they master spoken language. Research on early pre-reading behavior is discussed. (PP)

Describes a summer remedial reading program for first-grade students. Includes discussions of the activities and strategies used to promote comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development. (FL)