Discusses two pilot studies which validated a "Language Experience Checklist." (DD)

Presents book reviews of "How to Manage Communications Problems in Young Children" (Kersner and Wright), "The First Years at School: Developing Teachers and Teaching (2nd Ed.)" (Anning), "The Teaching of Reading" (Riley), and "Starting from the Child? Teaching and Learning From 4 to 8" (Fisher). (KB)

Presents a five-step lesson to teach young children with disabilities to recognize and decode words by actively involving the children in rhythm and movement. The lesson's objectives are provided as well as step-by-step instructions. The lesson calls for students to engage in guided and individual practice. (CR)

Reprints an exemplary article published in this journal in 1955, which points out that phonics is only one part of a total reading program. Emphasizes the fact that meaning for the reader must be the essential part of all reading instruction. (SR)

Describes how kindergarten children in literature-based classrooms listen to stories again and again during shared readings by teachers, and then they pretend-read the stories on their own. Uses hierarchical regression to explore relationships among factors, such as one-to-one correspondence concepts and automaticity in letter name recognition.…

Describes the look/listen approach and the look/talk approach of the language experience method of early reading instruction. Suggests guidelines for early literacy development that integrate these approaches through the use of trained classroom volunteers. Identifies resources for implementing the integrated literacy approach. (KB)

Identifies inaccuracies and distortions in the research supporting the No Child Left Behind legislation, as well as in government documents and the National Reading Panel "Summary Booklet." Offers alternatives to the limitations of the Reading First initiative through five major sections. Presents 12 recommendations regarding Reading…

Presents annotations of 24 books for children and young adults that are about bears, events at school, and learning respect. Lists some books for younger children, books anchored in history, and books that address family. (SG)

Studied the impact of high (syntax and semantics) and low (graphemes) linguistic levels in the oral reading of running texts of 50 beginning readers in Sweden. The analysis reveals various strategies among the readers, both in the extent to which they were sensitive to higher linguistic levels and the extent to which they used particular…

Reviews 42 studies of computer-assisted instruction published from 1990 to the present, comprising 75 experimental comparisons. The corrected effect size estimate was 0.19. Two variables, effect size at the time of pretesting and language of instruction, accounted for 61% of the variability in effect sizes. Advises caution in interpreting results…

Encourages teachers to model the thinking processes that take place as one begins to read and write. Notes that when a teacher thinks aloud as he or she writes, children can better grasp the inner dialogue that occurs. Explains components of the guided writing process and discusses simple suggestions as well as the benefits for early childhood…

Examines two independent data sets to support argument that although onset-rime sensitivity typically predicts school entrants' later word reading skills, phoneme sensitivity predicts more variation. Maintains that multiple regression analyses do not reveal level of phonological sensitivity needed to understand alphabetic reading instruction and…

Presents a means to teach phonics in conjunction with children's literature by presenting an overview of the literature, describing a comprehensive instructional plan that unites phonics instruction and children's literature, and discussing when and when not to use the strategy. (MG)

Offers some suggestions for articulating curricular objectives and activities based on the theoretical principles underlying emergent literacy. Suggests readings for extending and strengthening the knowledge and understanding needed to foster young children's language and literacy. (MG)

Describes a procedure for providing children with multiple opportunities to recognize high frequency words in dependable musical contexts. Contends that music is a potential tool for helping build successful readers. (RS)