Teaching students how to read is one of the most important tasks in elementary schools. The majority of schools use published basal programs to teach students to read. Several published reviews have indicated that past editions of basal readers did not align with appropriate instruction for beginning level readers. In this study I reviewed five of…

A reading instructor interested in reliving the experience of learning to read for the first time attempted to read "Androcles and the Lion" in Shavian Alphabet. The would-be reader of Shavian faces a page of hooks and slants completely unfamiliar, but there is no translation problem. As soon as the reader can pronounce out loud the…

Intended to help children learn phonics and to learn how to use phonics, this handbook is modeled on the 15th century hornbook. The handbook is divided into three parts: (1) "What Went Wrong?"; (2) "HOW to Teach Someone to Read by Beginning with Basic Phonics"; and (3) "Special Problems." Nineteen references and a…

The varied results of three beginning reading research studies are presented. Methods of teaching beginning reading, including i/t/a, whole word approach, and code emphasis, are briefly discussed. A research project that supports evidence against claims of a "single solution" to beginning reading is discussed, and a list of practical suggestions…

The Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) was designed by Sir James Pitman as a reading teaching medium from which immediate and efficient transition may be made to the alphabet of regular English. Questions and answers covered in this booklet provide information concerning its history, effectiveness, methods of use, teaching areas, and relationship…

Reviews the research on the initial teaching alphabet (i/t/a), the sources of conflict and misunderstanding involving its use, and its future in reading instruction. (FL)

The primary purpose of this paper on reading instruction is to inform teachers and parents of the superiority of phonics or code-based approaches over the whole-word method (still the dominant method in the United States). The first section deals with the nature of reading skills, the second section covers the history and present status of the…

The following approaches to beginning reading were compared: (1) a basal reader program utilizing a whole word, carefully controlled vocabulary, and ability grouping procedures; (2) a phonics approach, with many different words, using essentially whole class procedures; (3) a combination whole word basal program supplemented with a phonics…

To make this report more readable for teachers and still present all the data, it was compiled in two parts: (1) Report to Teachers and (2) Technical Report. The investigation was conducted (1) to compare the longitudinal effects of the initial teaching alphabet (i.t.a.) and traditional orthography (T.O.) beginning reading programs through and end…

The advantages of teaching beginning reading with the use of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) and some of the questions which are raised pertaining to its use are discussed. The difficulties which many children experience in learning to read with traditional orthography (T.O.) are pointed out. These include the variety of patterns for any…

This paper discusses and recommends diagnosis and remediation procedures in teaching pupils in the area of reading. The first section of the paper addresses diagnostic emphasis in reading and discusses individualized reading, experience charts, and 5 recommendations for teaching phonics. The next section discusses basal readers, argues that good…

AN INVESTIGATION OF TWO INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS FOR BEGINNING READERS WHICH OFFER PHONETIC REGULARITY WAS CONDUCTED AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF EACH WAS THEN COMPARED TO A MORE TRADITIONAL READING APPROACH. THREE METHODS STUDIED AND COMPARED WERE (1) THE INITIAL TEACHING ALPHABET (ITA), (2) THE DIACRITICAL MARKING SYSTEM (DMS), AND (3) A BASAL APPROACH…

SOME IMPLICATIONS OF RESEARCH ARGUMENTS ARE PRESENTED FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF WIDER AND MORE RAPID READING AND FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VARIED SKILLS BASIC TO SUCCESS IN ANY TYPE OF READING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT READING BE TAUGHT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A WELL-ROUNDED LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM IN A MANNER THAT WILL PROMOTE EFFECTIVE LEARNING IN ALL…