Explains ways in which a kindergarten teacher can encourage reading among children by sharing books with them; sharing ideas about the conventions of print, art and writing; and discussing children's ideas for pictures, stories, and writing. (BB)

Describes a teacher's metamorphosis from a controlling kindergarten teacher to one who recognized that children already have a great deal of language and print awareness and who could assist them in self-directed learning by giving their language instruction a context. (HTH)

For one teacher switching from teaching first grade to teaching kindergarten, giving her students knowledge and power was her goal. Specifically, she wanted her students to benefit from the power and freedom that literacy holds. This paper relates how the teacher came to choose balanced literacy as a well rounded approach to teaching communication…

Presents issues concerning kindergarten, Grade one and Grade two curriculum content, which is now more academically oriented than 30 years ago. Using examples drawn from teaching experience, discusses related issues of school entrance age, the ungraded K-2 classroom, beginning reading instruction, and parent involvement. (NH)

Reviews the research literature on Writing to Read (WTR), a computer-based language arts program designed to help kindergarten and first grade students develop reading and writing skills. Limitations of the evaluation reports, research projects, and specialized applications of WTR are reviewed, and problems in research design and methodology are…