Compares Danish reading instruction methods to U.S. methods within a cultural context and suggests that U.S. children might benefit from the more relaxed attitude of the Danish approach. (JC)

Examines the Decoding Skills Test (DST), a criterion referenced, diagnostic instrument designed to identify deficiencies in word decoding. (JC)

Suggests that reading educators need to change several pervasive attitudes in order to translate current reading research into more effective instruction. (JC)

Claims that in the conventional administration of the Informal Reading Inventory (IRI) comprehension diagnosis is inordinately influenced by the reader's ability to recall information. Suggests that allowing reinspection by the reader restores recall to its proper function and may result in other advantages. (NH)

Describes a program adopted by five native Indian bands in British Columbia in which parents promote their children's early language and reading skills in the home. (FL)

Provides sources of aid and encouragement for parents of children of all ages who want to help their children develop positive attitudes toward reading and sharpen their reading skills. (FL)

Describes a summer remedial reading program for first-grade students. Includes discussions of the activities and strategies used to promote comprehension, fluency, and vocabulary development. (FL)

Reports on a longitudinal study of Finnish student development in literacy skills, especially reading skills. Notes that children from the rural northern areas gained most in test-intelligence and literacy skills, catching up with their coevals from the southern and urban areas. (RL)

Offers five guidelines for teaching slow readers: (1) use age-appropriate content; (2) build background and highlight key concepts; (3) keep assignments short; (4) focus on only a few skills and strategies; and (5) practice the chosen objectives to achieve success. (MG)

Evaluates Screening Children for Related Early Educational Needs (SCREEN), a test which assesses beginning skills in oral language, reading, written expression, and math. Concludes that although SCREEN is useful to measure kindergarten or first-grade students at high risk for learning problems, its usefulness at the preschool level is…

Reports on a study of six fourth grade reading groups that were observed to see if vocabulary instruction was a priority, what kinds of vocabulary instruction occurred, and what shaped teaching decisions. (JC)

Offers 10 suggestions for literacy educators' rights, noting that they should serve as points for discussion and action. Explains that these rights place the responsibility for literacy lessons on the teachers, where it belongs. (MG)

Discusses the many different things teachers can do with book introductions to give children better access to a new story so that they can read it fluently and independently at the first reading. (MG)

Describes three characteristics of whole-literacy instruction and relates these characteristics to current perspectives on vocabulary instruction. Includes examples designed by middle-grade teachers who were interested in using these ideas to shape classroom instruction. (MG)

Develops several lessons that integrate reading and writing for the purpose of understanding and retaining knowledge. Illustrates the use of a feature matrix, as well as webs, outlines, and timelines as organizational devices to engage the students in active comprehension of text. (NKA)