Progress in a primary-grade reading program was determined for 106 first-born, second-grade students at the end of the school year. Previous data available for this sample included Thomas-Chase-Birch temperament ratings, family intactness and socioeconomic status at age four, and Metropolitan Readiness Test scores at age six. The value of these…

Children are ready to learn to read when they are young and enjoy learning to read when they understand each step in the reading process, so that their cognitive growth is significatnly stimulated. This book presents the structural approach to teaching both reading readiness skills and reading and points out that teachers and parents must…

READING ABILITIES OF PRIMARY CHILDREN WITH VISUAL PERCEPTION PROBLEMS WHO WERE TAUGHT BY CONVENTIONAL METHODS WERE COMPARED TO THE ABILITIES OF CHILDREN GIVEN SPECIAL TRAINING DESIGNED TO IMPROVE FAULTY OR IMMATURE VISUAL PERCEPTION. ONE CONTROL GROUP PARTICIPATED IN SPECIAL ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PICTURE COLORING AND THE OTHER CONTROL GROUP RECEIVED…

A Piagetian framework is provided for understanding patterns of cognitive growth and their relation to early reading achievement among kindergarten children. Reference is made to relevant research, including recent Piagetian interpretations of prereading, language, and logical thinking. Instructional strategies are offered to guide kindergarten…

The study identified the perceptions of American Indian and non-Indian teachers of Indian students in order to determine the effect of their perceptions on the reading achievement of Indian first-grade students. Subjects were 4 female teachers of 72 Indian first-grade students enrolled in Federal elementary schools located in North Central…

This study was initiated both to follow up an earlier investigation and to gather additional descriptive data regarding the relationship between the Prereading Skills Program and the Word Attack area of the "Wisconsin Design." Four Wisconsin schools participated. In this study, kindergarten students who had completed one year of…

Two experiments were conducted with children to determine the units of word perception used in recognizing isolated words. In the first experiment, kindergarten children practiced visually discriminating whole words (big, pig, dig), single letters (b, p, d), or geometric forms (triangle, circle, square) before learning to read three words (big,…

This project was designed to test the effects of a language curriculum based on skills needed to learn the letters of the alphabet, to develop and test methods of assessing a language program, and to look at the training effects across differing subject populations. Subjects included boys (half of whom were black) who were from two integrated…

The language experience approach to teaching beginning reading uses a child's own language and experiences as the basis for the first reading material or lessons. The approach integrates the language arts skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The steps suggested for a teacher to follow in utilizing this approach are: (1) oral…

Research shows that kindergarten children can and do learn to read, but many questions about early instruction remain unanswered. (MKM)

Reports on a study to ascertain whether or not the ability of kindergarten children to segment oral language into separate words increased when they had used the Modified Rebus Reading Readiness Program (uses pictorial representatives of words) instead of a traditional reading readiness program. Significant differences did appear. (TJ)

Correlation coefficients were obtained between the Kindergarten Auditory Screening Test (KAST), the Metropolitan Readiness Test (MRT), and the Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests, Primary Form (GMRT). Neither the coefficients obtained nor an examination of extreme groups indicated that the KAST was an effective predictor of reading disability. (Author)

Compared was the relative effectiveness of a phonetic approach (Distar) and use of a special alphabet (Johnny Right-to-Read) to reading instruction for 24 second grade children with low levels of reading readiness. (Author/SBH)

Reports two studies in which 5- and 6-year-old children were given word order awareness tasks, followed 3 or 5 months later by vocabulary, reading achievement, and reading readiness (for the 5-year-olds) tests. (Author/NH)

This handbook offers a practical and comprehensive means of teaching and monitoring children's development of phonological awareness in the classroom. The handbook points out that studies have shown clearly that even informal phonological awareness activities, such as the natural and spontaneous word play found in stories, songs, and games, can…