Considers some research evidence, and extracts from it strategies and techniques that could profitably be used in the classroom. (HOD)

Determined that kindergarten children needed more trials to learn a list of similar than dissimilar words but made fewer overgeneralization errors on subsequent transfer tasks. (HOD)

Fifteen children (ages 5.1 to 6) received a 12-week intervention on measures of phonological processing skills and reading. At posttest, students performed significantly better than the control group on measures of phonological processing skills and in reading. Results suggest such early intervention may enhance early reading and possibly reduce…

Evaluated the effect of training to improve letter-naming speed on beginning reading skills with 39 first graders. Results show that trained students demonstrated significantly faster letter-naming speed as compared to untrained peers. However, this difference did not lead to a significant difference in overall measured reading skill. (RJM)

Discusses how teachers can foster the development of self-monitoring and searching behaviors in beginning readers. Describes reading strategies and cues that tend to be used rather automatically. Discusses two types of processing strategies (monitoring and searching) and observing cues used for self-monitoring. Describes how to foster…

Argues that the National Reading Panel is too narrow in its presentation of scientifically valid reading research. Presents a sample of practices that enjoy support but were ignored by the panel and qualitative research that was out of bounds because of the methodological guidelines of the panel. Concludes that most of the cutting edge of the…

Observes the point when students begin to see the role that words play in their lives. Discusses how the author wants each student to begin acquiring the many different discourses that will make him or her successful in school, and in life. (SG)

Word boxes and word sorts are two word study phonics approaches that involve teaching phonemic awareness, making letter-sound associations, and teaching spelling through the use of well-established behavioral principles. The current study examines the effectiveness of word boxes and word sorts. Findings revealed that word boxes and word sort…

This study examined 2,570 Chinese characters taught in Chinese elementary schools. Findings indicated that visual complexity, phonetic regularity, and semantic transparency of characters increased from early to later grades. Characters introduced in first/second grade contained fewer strokes but were less likely to be regular or transparent than…

Finds in year 1, children showed effects of neighborhood size in high frequency words read in stories and in low frequency words read in lists and stories; in year 2, rimes from large neighborhoods were read more accurately than rimes from other neighborhoods; and by year 3, effects on low-frequency words continued, but not for high-frequency…

Finds that teachers trained in Reading Recovery (RR) modified their regular classroom teaching to use RR-type instructional practices and taught students the strategies typically taught during RR tutoring sessions. Concludes that further research should be done to understand how aspects of this beginning reading intervention program affect the…

Looks closely at students to discover if the conception of reading as decoding is sufficient for beginning readers. Discusses how one student did not seem to know how to enter into the imaginative world of texts or how to listen and respond to literature. Outlines how the notion of culture helps educators enable students to approach texts in…

Discusses the apprenticeship approach to teaching reading. Finds two useful insights to be drawn from traditional apprenticeship: (1) the movement from observation, through coaching, to practice can act as a model for reading instruction; and (2) the importance of the social context in which learning takes place. (MG)

Provides an A to Z listing of alphabet book activities that are appropriate for both beginning and developing readers. (MG)