Children's visual perception of the letters b and d when confronted with them for the first time was studied. (KW)

The article by Speece (in this issue) underscores the disappointing accuracy results of early screening for reading difficulties and argues that development conceptualized as rate of learning matters. We respond by emphasizing three points. First, the purpose of early screening could be identifying students not at risk so that instructional…

Three experimental kindergarten curriculum enrichment approaches were tested in relation to their effect on reading readiness with a total of 106 children. (DLS)

Effectiveness of the MECCA program (Make Every Child Capable of Achieving--in which a learning disabilities specialist collaborates with a classroom teacher using a task analysis approach) was examined with 14 kindergarten age children in four MECCA classes, 17 children in four referral classes, and 37 controls. (SBH)

A study of 107 kindergarten children was undertaken to compare the predictive efficiency of kindergarten teachers' ratings with reading readiness and reading achievement over a four-year period. (PHR)

Reviewed are foreign and American studies on the relationship between school entrance age and reading readiness; and presented is the author's contention that children should be automatically admitted to kindergarten and first grade, with the school responsible for appropriate individualized instruction. (CL)

To aid in the early identification of potential learning disabled children, the predictive efficiency of three kindergarten measures (a reading readiness test, a reading achievement test, and a teacher rating scale) for 87 children was correlated with first grade achievement. (Author/CL)

Evaluated are four commercial programs and one technique for use with learning disabled children: the KeyMath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test, Learning by Doing, the Peabody Rebus Reading Program, Jumping Up and Down, and the use of a stopwatch. (DB)

Four computer-animated tasks were created to analyze the underlying structure of emerging phonological awareness at 3.5 years of age and to explore factors that influence children's (n=91) performance. The children were able to master tasks demanding identification, blending, and continuation of phonological units. Analysis supported two major…

To ascertain the prevalence of early school screening practices, the specific tests employed, and the use made of the test results, a survey was conducted of a representative sample of 980 school districts in the United States. (Author)

The study found that primary grade children with reading impairments (n=24) or learning disabilities (n=8) demonstrated a marked deficit in ability to discriminate patterned pairs of tones on the Seashore Rhythm Test compared to controls (n=26). Results suggest use of the test to detect young children with potential reading problems. (Author/DB)

Experimental phonological synthesis (sound blending) and analysis (rhyme detection) tasks were administered to children (n=76) preceding kindergarten entry. Measures of beginning reading were administered after kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. The sound blending task was significantly related to most interim and outcome measures. The…