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…

A study examined whether there were any differences in the concepts about print, writing vocabulary, and prereading performance of selected kindergarten children who were provided with (1) independent writing time and exposure to a writing model in the school environment, (2) independent writing time without the writing role model, and (3) neither…

Teachers of extended day kindergarten classes and regular kindergarten classes are encouraged to help the poor risk child, who demonstrates the potential for having difficulty with the academics of first grade, by identifying the child's levels in reading readiness, developing the hows and whys of learning (teaching the child how to learn),…

A study examined the effects of preschool reading intervention procedures on the knowledge about reading (reading readiness) of the subjects as they entered kindergarten. One such intervention, carried out for two consecutive years, involved giving low and middle income parents packets of several small, easy-to-read books and guidelines for using…

Oral responses of black youngsters are no more limited than those of whites. (JH)

This handbook is designed to help local school districts in Oregon plan and administer kindergarten programs. Outlined are the administrative steps for starting a public kindergarten and suggestions for assessing classroom space and facility needs, developing a budget, employing kindergarten staff, planning an instructional program, purchasing…

The question of whether children should be taught to read before first grade has long been discussed, but never settled. As the educational level of the people and the demands of industry increase, the rate of functional illiteracy also rises, provoking criticism of school programs and creating a need to find new ways of dealing with the problems.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if (1) kindergarten reading readiness can be enhanced by differentiated instruction in visuo-motor (V-M) skills, (2) the Gesell Developmental Placement Examination is effective for inter-class grouping, and (3) developmental growth can be accelerated with differentiated instruction in V-M skills.…

This study measured the effectiveness of mothers conducting a structured visual perception program with their children under the training and direction of the investigator. The subjects were four- and five-year-old children in an inner-city school district who were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups and tested on the Frostig…

The study investigated the relationship between scores made by 20 kindergarten children on a test of reading readiness skills and tests of auditory reception of language, and between their scores on a test of academic achievement and tests of auditory reception of language. (Author)

Reviewed are foreign and American studies on the relationship between school entrance age and reading readiness; and presented is the author's contention that children should be automatically admitted to kindergarten and first grade, with the school responsible for appropriate individualized instruction. (CL)

Describes children's process of constructing their own knowledge by going through one level after another of being "wrong" and relates this process to reading. Describes six strategies children invent and discusses implications for teaching. (AS)

Reports two studies that provide correlational and experimental evidence for causal relationships between linguistic coding deficits and reading disability. Concludes that phonological coding deficits constitute a major source of reading difficulty in beginning readers, although there was suggestive evidence that semantic and syntactic deficits…

The software "Breakthrough to Literacy" was introduced in kindergarten classrooms in a suburban school district in 1999 and focuses on oral language development. Through observations, the author studied the effects the software had on individual children's oral language and pre-reading readiness skills. Along with reading skill development, oral…

Kindergarten readiness assessment is considered important for identifying and facilitating successful school experiences for young children. However, little is known about the assessment process schools are using. The purpose of this study was to examine teachers', parents', and administrators' perceptions of the kindergarten readiness assessment…