The 12 articles in this publication contain information designed to help parents of preschool and elementary school children understand the complex psychological and sociological process of language development and its relationship to learning to read. The articles also provide specific suggestions for parents who wish to participate in their…

An examination is made of proposals for early reading in terms of the best time for beginning instruction and the effects upon children. In any discussion regarding early reading one must distinguish between prereading activities and formal reading instruction and must determine whether formal instruction is intended for all children or for those…

This document reports an investigation of the developmental changes in the use of certain syntactic structures by white, monolingual, middle class five- and seven-year-olds, and of the differences between the syntax of young children and that used in beginning reading textbooks. Approximately half of the publication presents the methods and…

Contrasts the effects of a storybook reading approach to traditional reading readiness approaches on the literacy development of urban at-risk kindergarten children. Finds that the storybook reading groups scored significantly higher on a variety of literacy measures. Finds no significant differences between the groups on standardized measures of…

The first volume of this final report of a large study that detailed the day-to-day workings of, and student response to, two philosophically different approaches to reading readiness as they were used in six Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) kindergartens reports on the literate environment approach. The background section explains that this approach…

In response to the research findings of Head Start programs, in particular, and of research in early childhood education, in general, this manual was created by the Kindergarten Study Group of the Cincinnati Public Schools to examine the kindergarten program. The purpose of this manual is to help teachers broaden and extend the learning of the…

Based on a weekly newspaper column intended to encourage parents to become involved in their children's education, this book provides encouragement and specific suggestions, in 16 chapters, for parents who want to help their children learn from everyday experiences. The chapters are: (1) "Who, Me? A Teacher?" (2) "Your Child's Self…

A practicum was designed to help parents of kindergartners in a low income area help their children develop literacy. The primary goal was to secure the active involvement of parents in their children's learning experiences. Other goals included improving kindergarten teachers' communication skills and expanding their strategies for reaching out…

A study examined the use of a body awareness microcomputer program on young children as a predictor of early reading achievement. Subjects, 58 preschool and kindergarten students (prereaders) from a university laboratory school in the southern region of the United States, were asked to work in the microcomputer center in small groups to identify…

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…

Long ago the traditional way for Yakima Indian children to learn was by listening for long hours to the grandparents or other story tellers. In keeping with this auditory tradition, this book teaches pre-reading skills through use of sequenced pictures and stories that children will retell after learning. It helps the teacher assist Indian…

Studies low-achieving fifth-grade readers to evaluate the feasibility of a cross-age reading program and to clarify implementation details for a large-scale project. Finds that quantitative results and qualitative data suggest that cross-age reading programs are a promising way to help poor readers to improve their reading. (MG)

A 12-week study concentrated on the improvement and development of literacy skills in the young child, aiming to encourage emergent reading ability, written language development, and oral expression. A process-centered classroom program was designed for 25 kindergarten students to become competent users of language. Students were exposed to a wide…

Six weeks were spent working with a five-year-old kindergarten child who had an excellent understanding of sound/symbol relationships but did not know how to read for meaning. A variety of techniques was used to help the child develop reading strategies and increase confidence: directed reading-thinking activity in week one; student retelling of a…

A curriculum guide is provided for the kindergarten program in the public schools of Prince George's County, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The sections of the guide, which follow a brief introduction and glossary, focus on (1) characteristics of the kindergarten child; (2) classroom organization; (3) early identification and intervention programs; (4)…