A study investigated the meaning to participating mothers of their involvement in a family literacy program, the Family Reading Program, based in an elementary school in a low-income urban neighborhood. The Family Reading Program is a workshop series for adult family members. In the program, the adults read interesting children's books and learn…

This document is comprised of the two 2000 issues of a biannually-published journal featuring research studies, theoretical essays, and classroom practice articles about the development and education of kindergarten children as well as occasional articles concerning preschool and the early primary grades. The spring 2000 issue contains the…

This paper provides an overview of Reading Recovery, a preventative one-on-one tutoring program that targets first-grade students whose reading skills place them in the lowest 10-20% at their school. First implemented in the United States in 1986, by 1995-96, the program was being used by over 9,000 schools in 2,940 districts. Key components of…

This study examined effects of immersing four primary grade students with mild mental retardation in a literacy-rich environment. A variety of instructional strategies was used to assist students in understanding stories read aloud by adults, developing decoding skills, and developing prereading/writing skills. Results indicated the students made…

Explores the applicability of "scaffolding" (adults providing support for children in tasks they cannot learn on their own) in the Reading Recovery program. Reading Recovery is an intervention program consisting of daily half-hour lessons taught by a teacher trained to diagnose and respond to reading disabilities. (MJP)

A first-grade teacher in Hawaii's Kamehameha Schools describes her experiences introducing educational technology into the classroom, examining her fears and successes as she and her students learned to use optical scanners, telecommunications, CD-ROM, and electronic mail to enhance their reading and writing skills. (SM)

A followup of 380 limited-English-speaking Hispanic children in 20 Texas elementary schools found that most acquired English oral language skills at expected rates and were reading in English at expected levels by third grade. Reading achievement was related to instructional factors and early oral competence in either language. Contains 22…

Identifies factors, both helpful and obstructive, influencing teachers' transition from basal to a whole-language curriculum. Observations from two first-grade classrooms and interviews with school principals and two classroom teachers (one whole-language veteran and the other in transition into whole language) are evaluated. (GLR)

The Fairfax County (Virginia) Schools have developed a pilot program, Success by Eight, that groups students ages 5 to 8 for different types of learning, based on performance in each subject. By restructuring K-2 classes into multiple, flexible groups, the program provides opportunities for continuous learning and development during critical…

In response to a legislative mandate to teach phonics, a rural North Carolina school district devised a plan where at-risk children received small-group instruction in phonics, reading, writing, and spelling in addition to regular reading instruction. A local university trained teacher assistants to implement the plan. Reading, writing, and…

Study explored differences in conversational power by comparing discourse in whole language and traditional basal second-grade classrooms. Researchers compared the contextual setting and discourse of rug-time during reading instruction in the classrooms. Results suggested two contrasts between teachers' rug-time discourse: imposed versus generated…

Describes a course that linked first-grade students using emergent writing skills with university early-childhood majors studying the process of emergent literacy, and, in so doing provided an authentic and meaningful learning context for both groups. Suggests that the pen-pal project demonstrates the value of interactive writing exchanges.…

This document describes an elementary school curriculum implemented at the Ganado Primary School in Arizona. The curriculum is based on traditional Navajo teachings associated with the four cardinal directions. The goal is to help students live harmonious lives by developing a sound belief and value system, learning ways to make a living, learning…

A literature-based reading program was introduced to 98 students in 5 second-grade classrooms in an urban school district with a socioeconomic status ranging from middle class to disadvantaged. Students were primarily African American or Hispanic. Of the total, 22% had previously been classified as "at risk" as determined by state regulations. The…

This paper reports on a study of primary-grade students (N=79) and their parents in an attempt to identify opportunities for enhancing the collaborative interaction between home and school when designing quality learning environments. In particular, the study looked at the children's print concept development, reading attitudes, and family…