In this study, the student texts and teacher guides of two reading intervention programs for at-risk, first-grade students were analyzed and compared: Fountas and Pinnell's "Leveled Literacy Intervention" (LLI) and Scott Foresman's "My Sidewalks" (MS). The analyses drew on the framework of available theory and…

The purpose of this cluster-randomized control field trial was to examine whether kindergarten teachers could learn to differentiate classroom reading instruction using Individualized Student Instruction for Kindergarten (ISI-K) and to test the efficacy of differentiation on reading outcomes. The study involved 14 schools, 23 ISI-K (n = 305…

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aligning classroom core reading instruction with the supplementary reading instruction provided to 133 struggling grade 2 readers. A 2-group, pre-posttest true experimental design was employed in this study. In 11 elementary schools, 12 teachers taught both the aligned and unaligned core and…

In this article we briefly examine the meta-analysis of systematic phonics instruction published in "Teaching Children to Read," the influential 2000 report by the National Reading Panel. A brief review of this study, and the ensuing reanalysis by Camilli, Vargas, and Yurecko, is given. Following this, we report new analyses that…

Reviews Laura Zirbes' long career with particular emphasis on her theories of progressive reading instruction. Suggests that she is a neglected but important figure in modern education. Examines the implications of Zirbes' work for contemporary progressive education. (DR)

A critical review of the National Society for the Study of Education yearbook entitled Innovation and Change in Reading Instruction. (WY)

Cites results from more than a dozen research studies generally favoring the use of the typewriter as a teaching tool in the elementary school classroom. (BR)

Reviews representative instructional studies of inference training, reciprocal teaching, and process training. Discusses both the concept of explicit comprehension instruction and potential difficulties in classroom implementation. Raises two important curricular concerns. (NH)

Based upon the theory of successive approximation (children learn language in a series of stages that come closer and closer to replicating adult language), the method of assisted reading instruction for children, ages four and above is explained in detail. Studies supporting this method are discussed. (ED)

Reexamines two current, popularly held views about reading: the relative importance of word perception versus the reader's attention to the larger syntactic and semantic redundancies of the text. Some recent findings suggest the seriousness of the difficulty for those who cannot read high-frequency simple words. (Author/DB)

Describes transactional strategies instruction, an approach to teaching reading comprehension in elementary classes that focuses on student and teacher transactions with text. Contends that the approach differs from traditional strategy instruction. Provides examples of transactional strategies instruction, including dialogs between teachers and…