This research study examined the difference between a formal pre-kindergarten (pre-K) experience and a non-formal pre-kindergarten experience and the impact it had on the academic achievement of kindergarten students. The study also examined the impact these experiences had on kindergarten students as it relates to the Phonological Awareness…

This investigation explored the relationship between educator preparation programs and teachers' perceptions of instructional readiness in foundational literacy skills. This study also examined the impact that early childhood, elementary, and specialty endorsement education programs of study, reading methods courses, and clinical field experiences…

Children in the researcher's rural school district have limited opportunities for a high quality preschool programming that prepares them for school readiness. Quality preschool programming is defined as teachers with proper qualifications and training, small class size, stimulating curriculum, and parent involvement. The theoretical foundation…

Expresses a joint statement of concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. Guidelines and recommendations are the result of a collaboration among six national organizations. (KS)

This document collects technical resources for assessing literacy among young children and the literacy environments of early childhood programs. Contents include: (1) a checklist for assessing the literacy environments of kindergartens; (2) an article on assessment and early literacy; (3) a discussion of basic aspects of the formal and informal…

Discusses 3 different categories of literacy programs discerned in observations of 37 kindergarten classrooms over an 8-year period: maturationist teachers, basal teachers, and emergent literacy teachers. Provides perceived rationales for the existence of these categories. (SR)

A study investigated kindergarten children's awareness of how they are learning to read at home and in school. Fifty-six children were selected from two schools with contrasting instruction for beginning reading. Children were interviewed in kindergarten and first grade and asked questions designed to tap their awareness of how they were learning…

A NEW CURRICULUM OF CODING GAMES WAS DEVELOPED FOR BEGINNING READERS. THE CURRICULUM'S CONTENT EMPHASIZED TEACHING THE CHILD TO DECODE LETTERS INTO SOUNDS THAT REPRESENT LANGUAGE. THE PURPOSE WAS TO SHOW THE CHILD THE REASONABLENESS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WRITING AND SPEECH. THE CODING GAMES BEGAN WITH AN EMPHASIS ON LANGUAGE AND THE VARIOUS…

Focusing on the learning styles of young children, this position statement presents current research and information that document the need for developmentally appropriate reading experiences during the kindergarten and prekindergarten years. The paper contains the following sections: (1) a background statement, (2) current literacy research…