In the action research project report, the teacher researchers found that many kindergarten and first-grade students did not have the reading readiness skills to be reading at their benchmark target. The purpose of the project was to improve the students overall reading ability. The dates of the project began on September 8 through December 20,…

This paper explores the conflict between instruction that characterizes Chapter 1 programs (which appear to advocate segmentation, isolated skills instruction, and other curricular incongruencies with the core reading classroom) and instruction that results from whole language philosophy. The paper maintains that the conflict may be due to a…

This study was designed to answer two questions: Will the percentage of utility for a group of phonic generalizations in a college-level vocabulary sample be similar to generalizations in a primary-level sample? Will qualitative differences in the types of phonic generalizations be apparent? A 1,495-word sample was selected from George Feinstein's…

This report describes a program for increasing phonemic awareness in the primary grades. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students from middle class communities located in the Midwest. Research indicated that students who enter primary grades without phonemic awareness might have reading difficulties. Lack of phonemic…

A child's ability to read is at the very foundation of his or her learning in school and plays a significant role in scholastic success. Although no one literacy model can ever represent the range of diverse learners in our schools, Cunningham, Hall, and Defee's literacy model known as Four-Block attempts to meet the needs of as many learners as…

This report describes a program for enhancing the phonemic awareness and phonetic ability needed when decoding print and spelling. The targeted population consists of first grade students in a growing suburban community located in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. Evidence for the existence of this problem are documented through a letter…

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of the Hello Reader Scholastic Phonics program as an addition to an already rich, literature-based curriculum. Test data suggested that primary grade students were not developing phonetic skills sufficient to meet district expectations. This research was designed to…

The Reading Comprehension and Spelling subtests of the Stanford Achievement Test were administered to 170 eighth grade students to test four null hypotheses about the differences between reading ability, spelling ability, and phonic generalization spelling errors. In addition, a specially constructed Phonics Generalization Spelling Test was…

An action research study implemented a program for improving the reading ability of first-grade students who enter school with low reading readiness skills. The targeted population came from a mid-size, middle-class town in northern Illinois that has experienced recent growth and socioeconomic changes. The problem was evidenced by teacher…

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…

The purposes of this study were to determine the difference between selected groups of fourth grade pupils instructed by proficient teachers of phonics and those instructed by non-proficient teachers, and to determine the difference in pupils' achievement when students are divided into groups based on the number of years of teaching experience and…

Forty first-grade and third-grade students participated in an investigation of differences between oral reading strategies of students taught with a phonics emphasis and those of students taught with an analytic-eclectic program. Results from analysis of a reading miscue inventory used with each student indicated that miscue patterns are directly…

This report describes a program for advancing student writing skills through the use of systematic and creative phonics instruction. The targeted population consisted of first and fourth grade students in a middle class suburban community located in the suburbs of Chicago. The problems of poor phonics skills and writing abilities were documented…

This report describes phonics programs that will increase students' fluency and independent reading skills. The targeted population consisted of second grade students in a growing affluent community and first grade students in a large metropolitan city. The first and second grade students demonstrated a lack of awareness between phonemes and their…

This study focused on using technology to supplement a phonics based reading program. The research took place in a transition class (a class between kindergarten and first grade for students who are not mature enough for first grade but who do not need to repeat kindergarten) in Knox County (Tennessee) Schools. The class was divided into two…