A study investigated the effectiveness of supplemental reading instruction that included intensive, explicit, and systematic reading instruction in fluency, phonemic awareness, instructional-level reading with an emphasis on comprehension, word analysis, and spelling. The intervention was effective in improving the reading skills of 70…

Longitudinal study of literary acquisition among first-graders (N=166) from two distinct linguistic communities in a rural Moroccan town showed that the significant differences in Arabic (first literacy) reading achievement between Berber- and Arabic-speaking groups disappeared by the fifth grade. (Author/CB)

Reports on a content analysis of four popular first-grade basal series, examining decoding and comprehension instruction in teachers' manuals, student texts, workbooks, and supplementary activity packages. Reports that none of the programs present a balanced approach to teaching decoding and comprehension with very comprehensible stories. (MM)

Describes the author's year as a volunteer in the writing workshop in her son's first-grade classroom. Discusses her experiences and reflects on the growth she saw in children as readers and writers. (SR)

Describes the experiences of a bilingual kindergarten teacher implementing a whole-language approach. Emphasizes the importance of integrating writing into every activity. Proposes eight developmental writing stages, suggesting that those stages could help teachers and parents to set their expectations to meet children's level of development.…

Examines why seven third-grade teachers modified their skills-based reading and language arts program, and describes the instructional changes they made over a two-year period. Examines changes in students' reading and language arts standardized achievement test scores (increases in 4 classrooms), special education referrals (81% decrease), and…

Collaboration between a supervisor and a teacher of nine first and second graders with hearing loss is recounted. Discussion includes reconsideration of classroom setup, expansion of the reading program to include more guided reading, documentation of student progress, more guided writing, and more shared decision making. (DB)

Compares effectiveness of computer-based instruction in K-2 to traditional instruction on the reading and writing achievement of second graders. Finds educationally significant effect sizes on comparisons of reading scores and measures of writing in favor of the computer-based instruction group for at-risk students. Suggests that computer-based…

Describes a four-month investigation of first grade students' definitions of reading. Analysis of observations, interviews, and documents revealed that students in low- and high-reading groups constructed different understandings about reading. Suggestions for teacher educators include helping students develop "kid-watching" skills and…

A closed-circuit television system was used with a five-year-old girl with severely limited vision to develop visual skills, especially skills related to concept formation. At the end of training, the girl could recognize lines, forms, shapes, letters, numbers, and words and could read short sentences. (Author/JDD)

Four K-3 teachers (Brevard County School District) described their experiences using whole language programs. They had in common a child-centered attitude; an initial experience of frustration followed by encouragement from the children's excitement and involvement in learning; and an approach that began with the writing process and moved to…

Asserts that literature extension activities are an important part of any literature-based reading program for young children. Describes exercises based on the children's book "The Wolf's Chicken Stew" that enhance vocabulary, build higher-order thinking skills, improve comprehension, and develop writing and mathematical skills. (PRA)

Addresses the concerns of first-grade teachers about the implementation of a holistic literature-based reading series. Notes that the teachers in the "conversation group" had not been direct participants in the adoption decision. Suggests that the conversation group enabled the teachers to assimilate change through the sharing of the…

Describes a program that sends books home for parents to read to children in New Zealand. Reports on a study of classroom teachers and parents in 19 primary schools. Finds that, nearly all parents report participating, but there lacked a systematic communication between parents and teachers about instructional practices. (CFR)

Describes the successes of Writing to Read (WTR) program used with students in kindergarten and grade one as well as with two key subgroups (low-socioeconomic students and males who lag behind in reading and writing). Finds that with this program these subgroups can progress in reading and writing, and fewer students are recommended for remedial…