Designed to provide prospective teachers with an introduction to some of the best books available for use with children ages one through eight, this book also provides a methodology for teaching literature with attention to the special needs and interests of young children. It may be used as a resource book or as a supplementary textbook for…

Explains some of the objectives for a pre-first-grade reading program, describes what children know about oral and written language before they come to school, expresses some professional concerns about pre-first-grade reading programs, and offers recommendations for improvement. (HOD)

A study of young children's use of literature during free play, of the physical design of library corners, and of teacher's literature activities found positive correlations among these elements. Observations of nursery school classrooms revealed that many lacked inviting library corners and that many teachers did not sufficiently encourage…

Reviews research pertaining to various aspects of early cognitive development in deaf children. (CM)

One hundred thirteen kindergartners and first graders completed phonological awareness (PA) tasks designed to separate task difficulty from linguistic complexity. Comparison of these results with measures of early literacy suggests that PA measured by differences in linguistic complexity seems more closely related to the single factor on which…

Examined a kindergarten teacher's implementation of a whole-language program and her students' responses to questions about reading, such as, Can you read? What can you read? What is reading? and When did you learn to read? Seventy-five percent of the children indicated that they had learned to read during kindergarten or when they were…

Organized into five sections, this book discusses how children learn to read and write and provides suggestions for parents on how they can nurture children's growth in these areas. Section 1, "How Children Learn To Read and Write," explains general principles that apply to all early age groups. This section discusses how oral and…

A study established some characteristics of early readers and their homes and families, how they learned to read, and how their surroundings, and particularly the school, reacted. Approximately 300 Danish early readers and their families were interviewed and completed questionnaires. Results indicated that: (1) half the early readers had either a…

Criticisms leveled at readiness tests in general by a variety of early childhood groups and at reading tests in general by reading researchers certainly appear to be valid for traditional paper and pencil reading readiness tests. These reading readiness tests have not kept pace with advances in early literacy instructional techniques, such as…

Data on beginning reading practices in 23 countries are presented in this report. Each entry provides information about the age at which children are introduced to reading; the methods, materials, and classroom organization used in the primary reading classes; and the involvement of parents and family in beginning reading activities. Selected…

A variety of factors related to beginning reading in Sweden are considered in this paper. Among the topics discussed are the following: age of school entrance and beginning reading, factors related to school maturity and reading readiness, the importance of appropriate teaching techniques in the critical beginning stages of reading instruction,…

This study describes certain characteristics of early readers, with emphasis on their accomplishments on eight Piagetian tasks. The early readers were defined as those children who were between four and six years old, who could read at the pre-primer level or higher, and who had not attended elementary school. The population of the study consisted…

Enumerates ways to help early readers without negatively affecting their development in other areas, such as: (l) providing an atmosphere rich in environment print and positive role models, (2) using encouragement rather than praise as a means of reinforcing their progress, (3) exhibiting respect for the child, (4) eliminating criticism and…

Early reading for deaf and hearing-impaired children using the natural reading method inspired by Doman is advocated. The Doman method is described. What educational research on deaf and hearing-impaired children says concerning the process of reading acquisition is discussed. (RM)

Teaching young children to read is the most critical educational priority facing this country. Encouragingly, this is an area where some of the best and most rigorous scientifically based research is available. The Reading First program helps States and districts apply this research--and the proven instructional and assessment tools consistent…