This digest is intended to help parents support young children's literacy learning. It begins with definitions of literacy and then follows with suggestions for parent involvement in children's early literacy development, based on recommendations from the National Reading Panel. It also lists 23 additional resources (organizations, books,…

Statistics on the literacy skills of America's children reveal that approximately 40% of students across the nation cannot read at a basic level. And for low-income students, the figure is even worse. In response to this situation, a number of efforts are underway--spearheaded by federal and state policymakers and a number of independent…

This Topical Bibliography and Commentary examines recent studies on phonological awareness, finding the evidence conclusive that teaching phonological awareness to young children greatly facilitates the reading process. Researchers have studied problems children experience in reading for many years. The focus of research during the 1990s has been…

A considerable body of research has shown that Guided Reading lessons provide the structure students need to develop specific ways to approach reading a text. In guided reading, teachers first provide instruction for the reading involving general discussion of the text to build background information. Second, children participate in supported…

Offers guidelines for use by teachers in choosing the best supplementary reading materials for classroom use. (FL)

Describes activities and courses designed to help gifted secondary school students develop their skills in critical analysis and verbal expression. (FL)

Provides a brief review of research concerning the relationship between reading and writing, and of instructional strategies suggested by that research. (AEA)

Examines the arguments against the indiscriminate use of readability formulas. (FL)

Summarizes recent ERIC documents and journal articles that discuss the use of a balanced approach to reading instruction in the early grades. Also highlights related World Wide Web resources. (SD)

This digest provides basic information on phonological awareness in the process of learning to read for students with learning disabilities. It considers how phonological awareness fits into this process and the special problems experienced by children with learning disabilities or from culturally diverse backgrounds. Suggestions for teaching…

Focusing on how teachers can integrate computers into reading/writing instruction, this ERIC digest presents guidelines for helping language arts teachers match their use of computers with what is known about the reading/writing process. The guidelines for computers and reading presented in the digest point out that computer instruction in reading…

The controversial field of semiotics has been criticized for its "unwillingness to respect boundaries" and its "conviction that everything is a sign." The central concerns of this wide-ranging field, however, can be defined, and its implications for teaching can be outlined. Semiotics is the study of signs (symbols, icons, and…

Intended for teachers, this monograph encourages educators to think critically both about critical reading and about what constitutes instruction of critical thinking in schools. The book contains the following chapters: (1) "Crisis in Confidence: The Need for Learner-Centered Schools"; (2) "A Mechanistic World View: Knowledge as…

Reviews materials from the ERIC system and other sources on providing natural learning situations in which reading, writing, speaking, and listening can be developed together for real purposes and real audiences in the self-contained elementary classroom. (HTH)

Presents a variety of parent programs, projects, and activities that have been successful in involving parents in their adolescents' reading and reading achievement. (HOD)