During the 1985-1986 school year the Instructional Aide Program served 2,370 pupils in kindergarten and first grade in the Columbus Public Schools. The program provided educational support for underachieving pupils by training and placing 124 aides in the classrooms of 227 teachers. The aides provided direct instruction to pupils under the…

Until recently, kindergartens were designed to foster a positive attitude toward school and provide a well-rounded development through the use of suitable play, art, and social activities. Unfortunately, many kindergarten programs have begun to rely on inappropriate materials and techniques taken from formal first-grade programs. Such programs…

The rich oral language experiences given children in Russian preschools and primary schools accounts for their subsequent success in reading. (JH)

This report describes the comparisons of three groups of 1976-77 kindergarten students in the Seattle, Washington public schools: (1) early entrants who were screened by the Student Services Office; (2) early entrants admitted by school principals; and (3) a random sample of non-early entrants. The groups were compared on the basis of teacher…

An evaluation of children's ability to conceptualize auditory pattern contrasts was made. At the end of the 1968-69 school year, 56 kindergarteners, 31 first graders, 24 second graders, and four fourth graders were tested on their ability to conceptualize the sequential relationships of phonemes in both nonsyllabic and syllabic patterns. An…

The Pre-School Kindergarten Readiness Inventory (PKRI) is a brief diagnostic instrument designed to be administered by the classroom teacher. It can be administered and scored in 10 to 12 minutes. The PKRI was developed to measure abilities and skills that are regarded as necessary for success in school. These include social awareness, motor…

Intended for practitioners, this comprehensive, year-long reading readiness curriculum is for use with 2 1/2 -- 6-year-old children. Readiness skills are taught through other subjects appropriate for young children. A major objective of the curriculum is to establish a positive motivational framework for reading instruction, based on early…

Bridge-to-Reading is a comprehensive, year-long reading readiness curriculum for use with 2 1/2 -- 6-year-old children. It teaches readiness skills through other subjects that are appropriate for young children. A major objective of the curriculum is to establish a positive motivational framework for reading instruction, based on early learning…

"Science" is the fifth manual in the Bridge-to-Reading series, a comprehensive, year-long reading readiness curriculum for use with 2 1/2 -- 6-year-old children. Developed to help teachers and child caregivers, the curriculum teaches readiness skills through other subjects that are appropriate for young children. A major objective of the…

Bridge-to-Reading is a comprehensive, easy-to-implement readiness curriculum (for ages 2 1/2 -- 6) based on the premise that young children learn language and prereading skills most easily by "doing" and then learning to talk, write, and read about their own experiences. Each section in the series is presented in a separate notebook containing…

This pilot study addressed tension and anxiety states that may accompany reading readiness training in the kindergarten. Seventy-two children (36 boys and 36 girls) were randomly selected from three urban elementary schools. Six kindergarten classes were included, representing: (1) 2 classes conducting systematic reading programs; (2) 2 classes…

A study conducted with 17 experimental and 17 control kindergarten classes of Mexican-American, Black, and Other White children of varied academic achievement socio-economic background attempted to determine whether training in pre-reading skills would improve test scores in beginning reading. While children in the control groups experienced the…

After a review of the research related to the feasibility of initiating reading instruction before first grade, kindergarten curriculum guides from l3 large cities were studied and analyzed. These analyses indicated a trend toward less postponement of reading instruction, though reading readiness still tended to be defined in terms of oral…

Reports findings of a study of current practices in kindergarten programs showing that teachers seldom use test results to adapt instruction to individual needs. (FL)

This paper presents one perspective on a new methodology of program evaluation which defines four phases corresponding to the operational life of a school program. Examples and results are discussed in terms of relevance to basic skills improvement efforts and cost-effects. (LMO)