This study investigated children's profiles on four constructs fundamental to areas of children's early literacy acquisition: auditory processing, crystallized ability, processing speed, and short-term memory. These areas were measured using six tests: Memory for Sentences, Visual Matching, Incomplete Words, Sound Blending, Oral Vocabulary, and…

Based directly on the findings from the National Research Council's report "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," this guide offers a "checklist" that will help teachers and principals recognize at a glance the key characteristics of quality reading programs identified in the research. The guide does not describe any single way to…

Based directly on the reports of the National Reading Panel ("Teaching Children To Read") and the National Research Council ("Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children"), this guide is designed to be an accessible and practical document that delivers research findings about effective reading instruction that may serve as guidelines for…

Interactive books have parts or pieces that children can manipulate while reading the text. In the interactive books described in this classroom resource book for students in grades PreK-1, the pieces are attached to Velcro and can be moved from one part of the book to another, while the text consists of verses set to familiar tunes so that…

National attention is focused on early literacy, as several panels investigate and debate new directions in teaching children to read and write. This booklet reviews selected research recommended by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development as a sound basis for designing literacy programs and particular intervention programs to…

This guide is designed to help school communities make good choices about early literacy intervention. The guide distinguishes between "reading" (a process of learning to decode and comprehend texts) and a broader concept of "literacy" that includes understanding of the value of language and reading (emergent literacy), the…

Noting that language arts and reading across the curriculum are in vogue, this paper asserts that reading is an important and distinct part of the language arts and overall school curriculum. It discusses actions and methods involved in the teaching of reading itself, including: (1) oral reading to and by students; (2) availability of a variety of…

This report addresses how reading comprehension can be assessed when children have limited decoding skills. Successful teachers use reading assessments for many purposes. A Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) survey of 496 teachers in "beat the odds" schools revealed that they use many informal reading tasks to assess…

The new television series "Between the Lions" on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) is designed to teach children ages 4 to 7 the values and purposes for literacy, along with the skills they need to become literate. Highlighted among the curriculum components are: (1) purposes of reading, including reading for pleasure, information, and…

Embedded multimedia refers to teaching methods that embed video or DVD content within teachers' lessons. The research of Mayer (2001) and others has suggested that multimedia instruction can enhance learning by using the capacity of both visual and verbal memory systems. The present study evaluated embedded multimedia in a year-long randomized…

Reports a study supporting the teaching of auditory analysis skills to prekindergarten children. (TO)

Teacher uses a context clue approach to help early readers and struggling readers to master difficult words. (GB)

Reports a study identifying the most commonly used words in 110 highly recommended trade books for children in grades one and two. (TO)

Reviews several instruments frequently used in evaluating a pre-first grade child's readiness for learning to read with the focus on the extent to which published research has raised or resolved questions regarding the use of these instruments. (TO)

Analyzes six ideas related to language experience intended to improve the teaching of reading. (RB)