"The Comprehensive Intervention Model: Fostering Self-Regulated Readers Through Responsive Teaching" by Linda Dorn, Carla Soffos, and Adria Klein introduces educators to an innovative intervention model that puts theory to practice then gives that practice a framework. When implemented with fidelity, the framework has the potential to…

Now in its sixth edition, "Striking a Balance" clearly illustrates how to create a comprehensive early literacy program that places direct skills instruction within the context of rich and varied reading and writing experiences. Text discussions, dynamic activities, and valuable appendices provide a variety of effective instructional…

Based on a first grade teacher's search for approaches to promote successful reading acquisition in her first grade classroom, the authors present a curricular engagement in which the teacher explored using music, specifically singing songs, as a fun and motivating way to accelerate reading progress. The premise is that singing (while at the…

Many reading problems are caused by using the wrong teaching methods. This article advocates using a reading style inventory and matching the teaching method to the student's reading style. The author holds copyright to this article. (Contains 3 figures.)

For future literacy teachers just beginning their professional education, nothing's more important than the first core text that builds their foundation for classroom success. That's why every preservice teacher should start with this introductory reading textbook, ideal for teaching fundamental literacy skills to students in pre-K-Grade 6. Based…

As the number of learning support assistants (also referred to as classroom assistants, teaching aides, auxiliary support and paraeducators) employed in the primary sector continues to increase, questions concerning the contribution they make to raising standards of attainment remain to be answered. This article reports evidence from a small-scale…

The teaching of phonics, the relationship of sounds to letters in an alphabetic language like English, is important for success in learning to read competently. Noting that there continues to be much debate as to what constitutes good phonics instruction, this paper presents a rather simple but basically sound and inexpensive approach for teaching…

This book presents a practical approach for assessing children's spelling and word knowledge abilities and offering effective, appropriate instruction. Included in the book is the Developmental Spelling Analysis (DSA), a dictated word inventory that enables teachers to evaluate students' stages of spelling development and their knowledge of…

"Phonics with Feeling" is a teacher-written phonics-based literature series promoting student self esteem and self expression. The 4- to 6-week project has been used with first and second grade students for 2 years. "Phonics with Feeling" is a series of four books, each reinforcing a specific phonetic skill while integrating…

There seems to be a pendulum in the field of education that sways from one extreme to another when a teaching method is introduced. The whole language concept caught on, and phonics instruction was then considered defunct. The pendulum now in the process of swinging back is being intercepted, before it goes to the extreme of "all…

Much is written and spoken about in terms of whole language versus phonics in early reading instruction in the public schools, but the issue between whole language versus phonics probably pertains to what is needed by individual pupils. There are advantages as well as disadvantages for whole language approaches in reading instruction. Needs differ…

Noting that the role of phonics in learning to read is hotly debated, this book speaks to educators who seek to establish sound instructional practice that values phonics as an important tool for understanding and using written language within a balanced, comprehensive program for reading and writing. It explains what phonics is and the…

Various lines of research demonstrate that children do not need intensive phonics instruction to develop the functional command of letter/sound patterns that they need as readers. The fact that children normally learn highly complex processes and systems by merely interacting with the external world is perhaps the most important reason why…

This book is about managing and balancing the merging of literacy assessment and instruction in classrooms. The activities discussed have been used again and again by students ages 5 to 18 in integrated literacy environments; the instructional strategies easily adapt to self-monitoring activities. Chapters in the book are: (1) "A Rationale for…

This research review on basic reading skills begins with an historical perspective on reading methods, followed by an overview of reading instruction methods for the general population. Research findings are presented on several instructional methods, including phonetic, linguistic, artificial orthography, basal reading, and language experience…