The phonics screening check (PSC) was introduced in England in 2012 for children in Year 1. There have been criticisms in relation to its reliability and appropriateness as an assessment tool for early reading although supporters of the PSC see it as a valuable tool in securing progress in reading. The DfE-funded evaluation concluded, however,…

While numerous studies evaluate the effectiveness of teacher training and textbook distribution programs, few look at the effects of training programs on vulnerable students, those at the lower end of academic performance. Addressing this gap is important to improve the efficiency of student learning and address the equity gaps in early education.…

In Haiti, 49% of students cannot read a single word in Creole by the time they start grade 3, which is reflective of a broader learning crisis in low-income and fragile contexts. Read to Learn, an early-grade literacy intervention, was implemented and evaluated from fall 2014 through spring 2016 with the aim of improving students' reading skills.…

This study analysed the effects of a classroom intervention focusing on phonological awareness and/or automatized word recognition in children with a deficit in the domains of phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming ("double deficit"). According to the double-deficit hypothesis (Wolf & Bowers, 1999), these children belong…

Explores the relation between preschool phoneme awareness and initial reading development. Confirms a significant impact of functional letter knowledge on the length of the foundation period and on later reading development. Argues that phonemic awareness is an indispensable catalyst in the development of initial word processing ability. (SG)

Background: It is widely recognized that effective interventions for poor reading involve training in phoneme awareness and letter-sound knowledge, linked in the context of reading books. From the applied perspective, it is important to gather data on the effectiveness of different forms of implementation of literacy support within this framework.…

Examines the relationship between pre-school reading and reading achievement among 343 seven year-old students. Pre-school reading scores were significantly related to word matching ability, concepts about print, letter identification, word reading, and oral vocabulary. (RKM)

The 25 articles in this collection focus on reading as a humanizing experience. The topics covered include the following: (1) the politics of literacy; (2) the holographic nature of the reading process; (3) literacy through language communication; (4) life-long reading; (5) diagnosis of reading disabilities based on psychoeducational analysis of…

Noting that the task of increasing literacy around the world is far too massive for the schools alone to undertake, this book is intended as part of an effort to increase the role of parents and families in promoting the reading development of children. The six articles in the book discuss the following topics: (1) family contributions to reading…

Reports on a study which investigated the possibility of improving five-year-olds' critical thinking skills in reading and mathematics by using computers. Results indicate improvement in the reading area but not in the mathematics area. (RKM)

The Catholic Education Office of Sydney, Australia, has completed the first year of a 3-year literacy initiative which included an early literacy strand providing professional development for all kindergarten, Year One, and Year Two teachers, with a particular focus on the needs of beginning readers and writers. This paper outlines the planning,…

Extending Beginning Reading was a research project based at the School of Education, University of Manchester, England, from September 1973 to December 1977. The project, aimed at helping readers seven years and older improve their reading skills, is detailed in this book, in which most of the seven sections contain implications for teachers. The…