As children begin to grasp the basic functions of literacy, they become engaged in meaning-making that alternates between and/or combines oral language, written and printed symbols, drawings, and other formats. This article examines the benefits to children of an integrated approach to literacy, highlighting the Reggio Emilia approach, and offers…

During a time of reform and accountability, school districts are closely monitoring teachers' instructional decisions, practices, and classroom environments. In this paper, we apply neocolonial theory to describe the experiences of elementary grade teachers in one California school district who are required to follow a scripted basal reading…

Outlining how teachers can best support a literate community yet still meet the needs of individual readers, this book explains how to create a balanced literacy program for grades K-3 based on guided reading and supported by reading aloud, shared reading, interactive writing, and other approaches. The book also presents guidelines for observation…

This book, which is written and designed for intermediate adult literacy students, relates selected outcomes of 12 "woman-positive" literacy and adult basic education programs that were sponsored/studied in different parts of Canada by the Canadian Congress for Learning Opportunities for Women (CCLOW). Part 1 discusses the mission of the…

Using the tools of systematic grammar, this case study examined 3- and 4-year-old children's experiences with storytelling and the potential effects of those experiences on the children's future success in learning to read. Subjects were students attending one of two nursery school classes held at a large primary school on the south coast of…

This booklet presents a reading and writing intervention program for French Canadian preschool children with developmental delays, to be implemented by parents or collaboratively by parents and teachers. The program calls for children to have frequent contacts with written language, in order to facilitate the development of a positive attitude…

Concern about the high percentage of underprepared minority students in American schools and the increasing demand that schools educate them to a level never before attained are discussed, and a study of reading disabled bilingual students is reported. It is noted that continuing to allow a disproportionate number of minority or disadvantaged…

This report documents the activities of the Research Network, a coordinated effort of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Department of Baroda University (India) during the period January 1990 to June 1993. The Research Network aimed to establish a network of consultative…

This handbook for early childhood educators describes the Sesame Street PEP, an educational enrichment program for 3- to 5-year-olds that makes learning a fun and challenging adventure by using the educational goals of the Sesame Street show, children's books, and developmentally appropriate activities. This program seeks to: (1) stimulate…

Designed for parents, this booklet provides parents with information about encouraging literacy in young children in the format of a children's book with illustrations from various works by noted children's illustrator Tomie dePaola. The booklet emphasizes the importance of reading to and with children, stressing that reading helps children learn…

The purpose of the 1990-91 Reading Recovery Program in the Columbus, Ohio public schools was to provide early intervention to underachieving first-grade pupils who appeared unlikely to read successfully without intensive instruction. The program featured individualized one-on-one lessons provided by specially trained teachers. The lessons were…

Undergraduate education students can often discuss the language experience approach intelligently, listing advantages and disadvantages with ease, but express bewilderment when it comes time in a reading practicum class to actually use the approach with a child. A teaching guide can serve as an aid to those students who have previously studied the…

The book summarizes the current state of knowledge concerning language development in children with Down Syndrome (DS). The first chapter reviews language development in normal children, noting such stages as gestures, first sounds, development of understanding, first spoken words, and the two-word stage. The next chapter examines language skills…

A three-part study examining the efficacy of a reading recovery program for learning disabled first grade students is described in this paper. An introduction outlines the Ohio Reading Recovery project and explains the purpose of the study. Part 1 describes the first phase of the study, in which 110 poor readers, including 35 learning disabled…

Four six-year-olds and their mothers were observed during the summer prior to starting first grade in a study designed to expand knowledge of the nature of verbal interactions during book reading. All of the children had some knowledge of letters and were making satisfactory progress in reading. The seven or eight observation sessions were taped…