Examines the following: the history and current status of the assessment of prereading skills or reading readiness in the United States, recent research findings with implications for readiness testing, future directions for prereading measures, and classroom implications of prereading assessment research. (GT)

Reviews literature on different aspects of reading readiness, then presents a reading readiness material analysis inventory constructed according to the findings of the review. Explains how the instrument can be used by educators to compare readiness program materials. (FL)

A review of literature by reading authorities identified seven criteria necessary for meaningful research about reading readiness tests. These criteria were then used in analysis of 15 research studies dealing with the "Metropolitan Readiness Test" and first grade reading achievement. Five major findings resulted from this analysis:…

Reviews "Happily Ever After," a reading readiness program that is designed to help those children who lack many of the concepts and abilities assumed by most readiness programs. (FL)

Notes that research supports the idea that children are confused about concepts related to beginning reading instruction. Reports on assessment instruments that are commercially available or can be devised by teachers. (FL)

Explains the origin and use of reading expectancy formulas and examines to what extent different formulas can actually predict reading achievement. (AEA)

Discusses Jean Piaget's information-processing model of cognitive development. (FL)

A review of reading research supports the notion that providing opportunities for children to develop rich experiences prior to beginning reading is essential. Further, there are definite links between these experiences and the development of cognitive structures that provide the basics for comprehension. (HOD)

Discusses the concept of "emergent literacy," contrasting this term with the concept of reading readiness. Proposes that a program of kindergarten instruction related to literacy should provide opportunities for children to interact successfully with print. (MM)

To better understand language-disordered children, the article describes prelinguistic development in normal children including such precursors to literacy as literacy socialization, a life filled with literacy events and functions, language awareness, word consciousness, ability to segment sentences into words, phonological awareness, and…

To answer the question of how phonemic awareness works to facilitate reading acquisition, this paper explores the fundamental connection between phonemic awareness, the alphabetic principle, and phonics in learning to read. The paper undertook a literature review to prove that phonemic awareness is an essential element in the path to literacy. It…

Contends that improved visual screening techniques can identify gross visual problems, but reading professionals should be aware of their limitations. (FL)

Reviews research discussing early writing and invented spellings of young children as indicators of their readiness to learn to read and write. (MKM)

Argues that Piagetian theory does not support the use of a code-breaking approach to teaching children to read prior to the advent of concrete operations. Suggests that primary instructional emphasis with these children should be placed upon the meaning-getting aspects of reading. (FL)

Reviews studies dealing with dyslexia, reading development, and reading materials and interests. (DF)