The context of this paper is studies worldwide on influence of phonological factors in language development of children. Such studies reveal the significance of Phonological Awareness in development language skills: including, predictive value of phonological short-term memory for reading skills in Grade 1. This paper throws light on factors in…

A study explored the holistic nature of reading failure from the perspective of those who have endured the emotional and intellectual burden of not being able to read. Reading failure is frequently viewed from a fragmented, reductionist perspective. Getting to know and understand the individual's perception of literacy failure is ignored in the…

This paper reports on an innovative approach to the teaching of reading. The thrust of the approach lies in application of findings from Meeker's research which since 1963 had identified certain clusters of Guilford's Structure of Intellect and intellectual abilities found to be necessary in the process of learning to read. Several programs are…

The Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.), devised by Sir James Pitman as a simplified alphabet for beginning readers, consists of 44 characters plus a set of rules for standard spellings of English words using these characters. The characters and rules are designed to ensure easy transition from i.t.a. to traditional orthography (T.O.). In September…

A study examined the cost effectiveness of a summer school for failed first grade students and the long-term effects of first grade reading failure on reading achievement. Subjects, 361 students who were enrolled in the Cincinnati Public Schools' first grade in 1981, were given the California Achievement Test. Students who failed were denied…

Boys Town cares for boys and girls (average age 15 years) who are socially and emotionally at risk because of problems such as chronic neglect or abuse, broken homes, and school failure. The majority are behaviorally disordered and emotionally impaired. Within a week of coming to Boys Town, students take the Diagnostic Assessments of Reading Test.…

The series of studies discussed here was designed to provide an extensive investigation into the hypothesis that reading disabilities and deficits in selective attention are related. Three studies were carried out on three different groups of children from first grade through sixth grade, and five different tasks were employed. Subjects were…

Recent reports on the relationship between nutritional deficiencies and reading disabilities include the following findings: many children are undernourished but not underfed; undernutrition may decrease learning time, interfere with learning at critical periods of development, and lead to motivational and personality changes; inadequate diet…

If motivation to read fails to develop, reading failure is the outcome. All of us have very delicately balanced neural systems for integrating incoming sensory inputs, evaluating their significance in the light of past experience, and storing the learning for future use. Autistic and hyperkinetic children apparently have unbalanced neurological…

Recent research indicates the centrality of "attending" as a variable in reading acquisition. Attending is, in fact, more important than such traditionally accepted influences as intelligence, cognitive style, attitudes, and language background. Differences in attending behavior, which are molded through match and mismatch of expectations with…

There is a growing awareness among researchers that the magnitude of cognitive sex differences is affected by a number of subject variables. To examine spatial and verbal cognitive sex differences as a function of personal and family handedness, the 478 offspring who participated in the Minnesota family study and 454 offspring who participated in…

This review of literature on stress and reading disabilities covers some affective research and theoretical footings. The research is considered in terms of historical research foundations (up to 1979) and recent research findings (1979-1989). The literature relates emotional stress either as cause, effect, or a concomitant aspect of reading…

Thirty-one first grade students from four schools participated in an investigation of the attitudes toward beginning reading held by children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Two of the schools were in inner-city, predominantly low-income, minority areas; one was in a middle-income area with approximately 27% minority enrollment, and one…

Many young children are being placed in a formal reading program before they are cognitively ready. Jean Piaget's developmental theory challenges educators to begin viewing learning and cognitive development from the child's point of view. Interpreters of Piaget's theory have addressed themselves to the teaching of math and science concepts, but…

The performance of good and poor readers was compared on a series of three visually presented paired associate tasks varying the verbal codability level of response items. Performance of the 32 poor readers was significantly lower than that of the 32 good readers across all three tasks. There were no differences between good and poor readers in…