It is well-established that language skills are amongst the best predictors of educational success. Consistent with this, findings from a population-based longitudinal study of parents and children in the UK indicate that language development at the age of two years predicts children's performance on entering primary school. Moreover, children who…

Which elementary reading approaches have been proven to help struggling readers to succeed? To find out, this review summarizes evidence on six types of programs designed to improve the reading achievement of children having difficulty in learning to read: (1) One-to-One Tutoring by Teachers (TT) such as "Reading Recovery," "Auditory…

Several decades of research have established the critical role of phonemic awareness in the development of beginning reading. In particular, phonemic awareness makes early phonics instruction useful for children and facilitates their ability to blend letter sounds while decoding words, to learn sight words reliably, and to spell phonetically. A…

"Success for All" ("SFA")[R] is a comprehensive school reform model that includes a reading, writing, and oral language development program for students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. Its underlying premise is that all children can and should be reading at grade level by the end of third grade and then remain at grade…

This article examines data from nine statewide administrations of the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (ICLA) over three-years. The ICLA measures pre-service teachers' knowledge of research-based content and pedagogy related to reading instruction and assessment. The purpose of this article was first to examine pre-service candidates'…

Reports an investigation into the reliability of generalizations in the pronunciation of digraphs and suggests more reliable generalizations. (MD)

This paper reports findings from a large-scale evaluation undertaken to explore the impact of the "linguistic phonics approach" (LPA) on young children's reading. The LPA is a systematic and applied programme that differs from traditional phonics programmes. For example, rather than ask children to look at letters and speculate on the…

The teaching of spelling is outlined and discussed in this pamphlet. Three major steps are described: the prewriting stage, teaching the principle of alphabetic writing--the understanding that spelling requires the sequencing of sounds within a word, and teaching the spelling patterns of written English. The pamphlet concludes that two current…

Presents two studies using Verstaen et al.'s method that occasionally replicates null phonemic masking effects, but challenges their interpretation. Reflects an inherent instability in the perception of homophones. Demonstrates that this instability is directly due to reliance on phonology, rather than to its control. (SG)

Discusses a number of current documents that reflect the renewed role of phonics in beginning reading instruction. (TO)

The study involving 36 learning disabled elementary students investigated a data based model of remedial phonics instruction which incorporated such principles as providing focus, teaching for mastery, distributing practice, training for discrimination, and emphasizing strategies for transfer. Ss, drawn from special education classes or clinics,…

With the exploration approach, children learn by doing--not by rote. (Editor)

The normal readers were able to read significantly more regular real words and nonsense words than were the learning disabled children. It was concluded that reading disabled children experience specific difficulty in learning to use the phonetic code to unlock unknown words. (Author/CL)

An analysis of children's response patterns to Test 7B of the Standard Reading Tests, designed to test knowledge of consonantal blends at beginnings of words, suggests that the response patterns reflect spoken or written vocabulary rather than knowledge of phonic elements. (GT)

Notes that federal officials stress that educators should not overlook key elements in reading instruction (phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension), even with the No Child Left Behind Act's emphasis on phonics. Discusses how families play a critical role in reading instruction. (SG)