Describes the Reading Is Fundamental, UK program. Argues for taking books to children and families in areas where there is little or no book culture. Notes that through free book distributions and accompanying high-quality motivation events, the program has shown that children who choose reading for pleasure are more likely to use reading for…

This study reports the results of a long-term follow-up of an exercise-based approach to dyslexia-related disorders (Reynolds, Nicolson, & Hambly, "Dyslexia," 2003; 9(1): 48-71). In the initial study, children at risk of dyslexia were identified in 3 years of a junior school. One half then undertook a 6 month, home-based exercise…

A study investigated the effectiveness of a listening program using the reciprocal teaching procedure and the direct instruction model. Subjects, 95 9- to 11-year-old students from 6 special schools for children with learning disabilities, were chosen based on their very low scores on a decoding test, low scores on a reading comprehension test,…

Designed to reinforce initial training and to provide a collection of useful ideas for students who serve as peer tutors, this guidebook provides tips for tutors to improve the reading abilities. Following an introduction which asserts the benefits of peer tutoring programs, the guidebook is divided into two major sections: "Tutoring…

The Mexican educational system is highly centralized, with all plans, programs, textbooks, curriculum materials, and teacher training programs controlled by the Ministry of Education. Each teacher is required to follow a set program, and enforcement is assured through a corps of inspectors who are responsible for the schools. The official method…

A survey was made of the reading programs which exist in commercial reading firms, college and university reading centers, and corporations in the United States and Canada. The resulting data, recorded here, are presented so that one may become familiar with the current status of reading improvement programs in both countries. Fifteen tables…

This paper reports the early stages of a 3-year evaluation of the Early Intervention Programme in Scotland. The Early Intervention Programme is a high-profile government initiative which receives major government funding (60 million pounds sterling over 5 years) and is designed to improve standards of literacy and numeracy in the first 2 years of…

Reading while listening (RWL) is an instructional technique in which children associate unfamiliar written words with their corresponding familiar sounds. In RWL children listen to a text (often a "talking book" on audiotape or computer software) while following along in a printed version. A study examined the effect of RWL, with reader…

Argues that the positive impact of the Universal Primary Education scheme in Nigeria was that more people went to school, and greater numbers of them are able to read and write and seem better informed, but it also has resulted in a reduced standard of learning. Scheme planners failed to appreciate the importance of the availability of enough…

Presents a study evaluating the effect of reading intervention with children at risk of reading failure. Explains the program spanned 10 weeks and emphasized word building and phonics skills. States there is a need for continual support as opposed to a short intervention. Includes references. (CMK)

Integrated treatment methods of neuropsychological and cognitive origin were evaluated with 80 Dutch children (ages 6-15) with severe dyslexia. Treatment with flash cards, which exercised automatic letter-sound conversions, had a robust and slight effect in preclinical and clinical phases respectively, whereas hemisphere stimulation produced…

Evaluates the effectiveness of Reading Recovery (RR) in 10 schools in New South Wales. Finds that the RR group was superior to control students after 15 weeks, but that no differences were found after 30 weeks. Finds that 12 months after discontinuation, 35% of the students directly benefitted from the program, 35% had not been…

A diverse group of 27 adults completed 100 hours of computer-assisted reading instruction. Reading gains ranged from 0.4-7.5 grade levels and were greatest for subjects with a minimum pretest second grade reading level. Participants indicated the importance of skilled and empathic support from staff. (SV)

Reports on the initial implementation of the Success For All (SFA) reading/school improvement program in inner city primary schools in Nottingham, England. Finds students made as much progress in one term in reading as they would normally make in one year; and their motivation, behavior, attitude to and skills in learning also increased. (RS)

Development of reading speed in Italian children with dyslexia was estimated using individualized growth curves for 38 children with dyslexia tested longitudinally from 2nd-8th grade and compared with controls. Their reading speed development followed a linear trend of .3 syllables per second per grade, half the increment observed in controls.…