A 2-year study was conducted in 1965-67 for the following purposes: (1) to evaluate the materials and techniques of a new beginning reading program, Listen Look Learn (LLL) Multi-Media Communication Skills System, in order to make revisions where necessary and (2) to compare the LLL system in its formative stage with that of basal reader programs.…

This guide is divided into seven main sections. "How to Help Your Child Read" discusses the importance of being aware of your child, your schools, school-related factors, particular ways of helping your child in reading, and yourself. The Unit: "Help Me Help My Child" discusses assignment of pupil to teacher, grouping procedures, size of groups,…

Explains how to administer and score a test of early spelling ability, how to assess what the test revealed at the beginning of the school year about 26 first graders' knowledge of the function of letters in written language, and how to use that information in "natural" writing projects. (HOD)

Supports the theory that poor school achievement by many minority group children is related to the nature of teacher-pupil classroom interaction and describes a new construct, the balance of rights in speaking and turntaking between teacher and students. (AEA)

Reading readiness is defined, and the assessment of emergent literacy is discussed. An informal Reading Readiness Inventory is proposed to provide a profile of students' specific strengths and weaknesses at the beginning levels. The assessment comprises such subtests as oral cloze, sound/symbol relationships, and instant recognition of high…

Contends that the methods used to measure literacy development of young British children lag behind understanding of how that literacy develops. Argues for new measures to assess children's early literacy, including their ways of responding to environmental print, sharing books and stories, and early writing. Discusses the placement of assessment…

A study examined the effectiveness of a project to increase reading readiness skills. The targeted population consisted of kindergarten students in a growing middle class community located in northern Illinois. The problems of lack of reading readiness were documented through teacher observation and district assessment tools. Analysis of probable…

The inclusion of talk, written language, and body language are critically important in primary classrooms. Although reading and writing may be regarded as cognitive activities, they are embedded in a social/cultural milieu, and the practice of mechanical decoding as a necessary precedent to real reading is not pedagogically sound. A whole class…

A study used the "Emergent Reading Ability Judgments for Favorite Storybooks" (ERAJFS) scale to provide an informative description of children's emergent reading behaviors during a school year. Subjects, children ranging in age from two and one half years to five years who were enrolled in a day care center classroom, took part in two…

A study investigated kindergarten children's awareness of how they are learning to read at home and in school. Fifty-six children were selected from two schools with contrasting instruction for beginning reading. Children were interviewed in kindergarten and first grade and asked questions designed to tap their awareness of how they were learning…

A study examined what parents of preschool children (infancy through age five) do to help their children get ready for a formal reading program, such as how often parents carried out prereading activities and how the activities compared with those generally suggested by early childhood education experts. Surveys completed by 157 parents indicated…

Useful for teachers and parents of children who are developmentally ready for a beginning reading program, this guide is intended to help plan activities differentiated according to children's readiness for reading and individualized according to their strengths and needs. The guide is also helpful for young children who are either early readers…

A comparative analysis evaluated three studies that dealt with the differences among five-year-olds that should be considered before reading instruction is initiated in kindergarten. The premise of the comparison was that children from different countries (especially Israel, where these studies were conducted), have different abilities, react…

Based on the premise that reading and writing, like other aspects of development, have histories that reach back into infancy, this book for teachers and parents introduces a comprehensive understanding of literacy development for infants through preschool age children. A practical approach, it emphasizes age-appropriate methods, books, and…

This report is an educational guide for parents of young children with reading problems. It explains the prereading skills, such as sitting quietly, paying attention, and listening, that must be mastered before a child can learn to read and then describes nine approaches used by public schools for teaching reading. The report offers practical ways…