Two groups of fourth-grade boys, one group reading at grade level or above, the other reading below grade level, were selected for this study. All boys in both groups had scored at the 30th percentile or below on a kindergarten reading-readiness test. The mothers of these boys were interviewed to assess their participation, instigation, and level…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the relationships among alphabet skills, auditory discrimination, and visual discrimination for five-year-olds prior to kindergarten were similar to those found in studies of subskills of first grade children. The sample consisted of 23 middle class nursery school children between the ages of 5.1 and…

In order to determine if there is a relationship between reading achievement and the ability to conserve as measured by replications of Piagetian conservation tasks, 160 beginning second-grade students were identified as achievers or low achievers according to reading and intelligence test scores, and their performance on the Piagetian tasks was…

This investigation examined the specific relationships between two reading achievement measures at the end of the first grade and the following measures: (1) three selected oral language measures, (2) five readiness measures, and (3) a combination of these measures. Further, the study attempted to determine if the relationships between the oral…

This study was designed to determine the relationship between sex, race, and the vocabulary development of kindergarten children essential for readiness to read. Fifty-one kindergarten children (twenty-nine males and twenty-two females) from Texas public schools were given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the vocabulary subtest of the…

The effects of a prescribed, sequential program of reading and mathematics readiness activities were investigated in an experimental study of 229 middle-class kindergarten children. Eight of 16 kindergarten classes received the experimental treatment for six months; the other eight served as a control group. Readiness tests were given before and…

The relationship between level of cognitive functioning at the beginning of first grade and level of reading achievement at the end of first grade was investigated in a sample of 325 children. The EITS Concept Assessment Kit-Conservation was used to classify the children as being in the preconceptual stage, the intuitive stage, or the concrete…

Acquiring literacy is one of the most important elements in building a foundation for success in education and life. This study describes a program that was implemented from January through May, 2001, for improvement in phonological awareness, alphabetic awareness and reading readiness skills through explicit instruction of phonemic awareness with…

This dissertation report describes a 3-year study which compared the effectiveness of full-day kindergarten sessions (the experimental condition) and half-day sessions (the control condition) in promoting academic achievement. A group of 20 5-year-olds was assigned to each condition; each group contained equal numbers of culturally disadvantaged,…

The purposes of this study were to investigate possible relationships between haptic abilities and first grade reading achievement and to determine whether significant differences in haptic function existed among defined subgroups of first grade subjects. Ninety-nine subjects, stratified by both sex and risk of failure (a combination of reading…

The purposes of this study were to search out, against a framework of discernible periods, representative "Elementary English" articles on reading which typify the trends, controversies, and research efforts of the era, and to assemble commentary about the selected articles into a single volume. Articles which best met a four point criteria were…

After a review of the research related to the feasibility of initiating reading instruction before first grade, kindergarten curriculum guides from l3 large cities were studied and analyzed. These analyses indicated a trend toward less postponement of reading instruction, though reading readiness still tended to be defined in terms of oral…

This report describes a literacy program that provides readers with materials and instructions that fit their individual levels of development. The targeted population consists of kindergarten students in a northwest suburb that is characterized by higher than average household earnings, highly educated residents, and a population encompassing all…

This report describes a program for improving language and literacy development among young children. The targeted population consisted of public school children, ages three to five, enrolled in an early childhood special education program and an at-risk prekindergarten program. The problems of delayed language and literacy development skills were…

Students entering first grade are not prepared to read. They lack the readiness skills that provide the foundation for success. Learning to read and write is a struggle, particularly for those students who have not had a variety of experience with reading and writing prior to entering school. In an effort to increase the readiness skills of…