Teaching children to read is one of the most fundamental goals of early years and primary education worldwide, and as such has attracted a large amount of research from a range of academic disciplines. The aims of this paper are: (a) to provide a new critical examination of research evidence relevant to effective teaching of phonics and reading in…

LXD Research conducted a third-party, mixed-methods efficacy study of 95 Percent Group's Phonics Core Program (95 PCP) to determine the program's impact on fourth and fifth grade students' literacy outcomes. Outcomes included Istation's Indicators of Progress (ISIP) Advanced Reading and the State of Texas Assessments of Readiness (STAAR). LXD…

In fall of 2019, the EdWeek Research Center set out to gain a clearer sense of nationwide teacher and teacher education perceptions and practices by sending out two surveys about topics related to early reading instruction, especially as it related to phonics. One survey was taken by 674 K-2 and elementary special education teachers who indicated…

Reading Recovery is an early intervention program used around the world for at-risk readers. Developed at a time when constructivist principles dominated educational philosophy, its efficacy has caused debate and division over the last three decades. This qualitative study employed in-depth interviews and observations to explore 10 Reading…

Considers how public opinion and entire theories of teaching reading are based in the false Just So story--Just Sound Out, and you can read. Explains why sounding out is a handicap. Suggests a better alternative, teaching by recognizing words. (SG)

Surveys 208 inservice elementary school teachers regarding their collective perceptions of integrated phonics instruction at several levels. Investigates the importance of phonics instruction, the integration of phonics instruction in current elementary classrooms, the preparation of the elementary teachers, and the teachers' perceptions towards…

Describes two schools that were moved into inclusive practices. Notes that in the first school, about half of the teachers considered themselves whole language teachers prior to the inclusion project, while in the second school, both whole language and inclusion were new to the teachers. Discusses the features of change in these schools. (SG)

Serves as a follow up to "Moving toward Inclusive Education: Two Stories" which appeared in the last issue of this journal. Demonstrates, in chart form, the commonalities between inclusive education and whole language. Includes a bibliography of readings in inclusive education and whole language. (SG)

Examines relationships between theoretical beliefs toward reading instruction and attitudes about pupil control. Uses the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) and Pupil Control Ideology (PCI). Finds that (1) as teachers moved toward the whole language end of the TORP scale, PCI scores were more humanistic; and (2) teachers oriented…

Presents a critical analysis demonstrating that scripted phonics programs hold student and teachers as curriculum hostages. Begins as an investigation into the uses of predictable texts to teach reading in primary classrooms. Discusses how the mandated program is so oriented to preciseness that the students are less willing to take risks as…

Examines relationships between 418 elementary school teachers' theoretical beliefs toward reading instruction and their attitudes about pupil control. Uses the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP) and the Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI) for data collection. Finds as teachers' scores moved toward the whole language end of the TORP…

Determines effectiveness of the Four Block Literacy Model in increasing students' ability to read. Describes the model along with associated research; describes the methods used to gather data at Ferdinand Elementary School (Ferdinand, Indiana) to establish the effects and perceptions of the program; and reports the actual data collected. Finds a…

Describes a workshop on phonics for preservice teachers developed by a staunch whole language literacy teacher. Notes that evaluations by participants were mixed at best. (RS)

Reports a study that examined the use of phonics instruction in fundamentalist Christian schools. Interviews with Christian educators and professionals at conferences indicated that support for phonics (because it is felt to be more traditional and to work) and distrust of the whole language approach is common among Christian educators. (SM)

A study that examined perceptions and knowledge of 252 preservice educators and 286 inservice educators about early reading instruction found inservice educators had more positive attitudes about explicit code instruction and preservice educators were more positive about implicit code instruction. However, both groups demonstrated limited…