Irreverently examines Rudolph Flesch's theories for teaching a child to read "properly." Alternatives to Flesch's method are also given. (HTH)

Urges the use of the language experience approach to helping children learn to read and to write. Suggests some activities for starting the school year using this approach. (TJ)

Reviews research findings that suggest the importance of systematic phonics instruction in beginning reading. Cites arguments against phonics teaching and indicates that they appear unsupportable since they are incompatible with research findings and since they make unwarrantedly negative accusations about the kind of teaching that must be used in…

Thirty-one reading materials were examined in terms of format, approach, content, and utility in teaching basic reading to high school students. Only three materials met 75 percent of the criteria, indicating a genuine lack of appropriate materials for this age group. (CL)

Reviews the literature concerning beginning reading instruction. Concludes that educators have differing opinions concerning the optimum time to begin reading instruction. (FL)

Teachers aware of the value of each child's language can do much to prevent initial reading difficulties among those who speak nonstandard dialects. (DD)

A review of reading research supports the notion that providing opportunities for children to develop rich experiences prior to beginning reading is essential. Further, there are definite links between these experiences and the development of cognitive structures that provide the basics for comprehension. (HOD)

Discusses how patterned reading materials may be used in initial reading to help students use their semantic and syntactic knowledge to predict meaning. (DD)

Seeks to identify particular phonological skills that precede and facilitate the development of reading. Assesses preliterate children during and at the end of their first school year. Finds (1) phonological awareness comprises a cluster of related skills; (2) diversified developmental paths; and (3) letter knowledge was a more potent predictor of…

Presents a classic study originally published in this journal in 1963, which analyzed 45 phonic generalizations found in teacher's manuals. Finds that only 18 of the 45 generalizations are useful in having a reasonable degree of application (valid 75% of the time) to words commonly met in primary grade material. (SR)

A battery of various tasks was used with nine children with Down syndrome (ages 5 to 8) to assess their phonological awareness and basic reading skills. Results suggest that children with Down syndrome are at risk for reading acquisition difficulties due to reduced phonological awareness skills and that these deficits are in addition to delays…

Describes a reading lesson for first graders in which phonics is taught both explicitly and contextually. Discusses three prerequisite understandings about print that make learning to read much easier for children. Advocates a balanced approach toward literacy instruction that helps children integrate what they already know with new strategies,…

Describes a tool for finding texts that match children's decoding skills. Begins with an overview of current thinking and research on the use of decodable text in beginning reading instruction. Presents five steps to show how teachers can locate decodable texts that match and supplement their phonics instruction. (SG)

Notes that the main problem with using Informal Reading Inventories (IRIs) for measuring reading growth is that running records and miscue analyses are gathered on variable levels of text that are appropriate for each child. Presents several possible solutions to the measurement problem beyond the simple profile descriptions usually reported from…

Considers whether dramatic play with toys would be as important for beginning readers and whether it could be used to support their story writing. Discusses the introduction of toys to the writers' workshop. Considers how to reflect on the physical world as a source for story ideas. (SG)