This paper analyzes each of three different plans of reading instruction and raises questions regarding these individual plans of teaching reading. The paper first discusses state standards and the reading curriculum and whether state-mandated testing improves the reading curriculum. In contrast to state-mandated testing, it then considers…

This paper develops and tests a new logical model for assessing the impact of early reading interventions. The analyses use a survey of Indiana's elementary schools, including schools funded for Reading Recovery and classwide interventions, as well as a group of control schools. The findings indicate that state-funded Reading Recovery was…

The Reading First initiative is a central part of the federal "No Child Left Behind Act" of 2001. Reading First's primary goal is to improve reading instruction and student performance in kindergarten through grade 3. By March 2003 only half of the 50 state plans had been approved for funding. Approved states included seven Southern…

Discusses the use of syllabication in teaching decoding to beginning readers. (RB)

Describes a pattern book activity that provides a means of introducing and reinforcing high frequency vocabulary within a language experience approach. (FL)

Finds that many Canadian and American preservice and inservice teachers are not being prepared adequately to teach reading in kindergarten. (FL)

Suggests that by modifying the manner in which workbook pages are presented to students, teachers can increase their effectiveness as teaching tools. (FL)

Offers Request, the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity, the Expectation Outline, the Prereading Guided Reading Procedure, Word Wonder, and Semantic Webbing as techniques that use many of the basic principles of the directed reading activity while adjusting to the needs of specific materials and students. (FL)

Teachers aware of the value of each child's language can do much to prevent initial reading difficulties among those who speak nonstandard dialects. (DD)

Examines the relationship between three methods of testing students' phonics mastery. Questions existing ways of interpreting test results and suggests two alternatives. (FL)

Presents three activities for teaching the 120 words that primary students use and need most. The high frequency word list (120 words) is included. (SM)

Presents a classic study originally published in this journal in 1963, which analyzed 45 phonic generalizations found in teacher's manuals. Finds that only 18 of the 45 generalizations are useful in having a reasonable degree of application (valid 75% of the time) to words commonly met in primary grade material. (SR)

Provides an overview of the goals of English orthography which counter the misconception that its spelling is chaotic. Examines a survey of first grade text vocabulary, which show that spelling consistency is increased significantly if the position of the phoneme within the syllable and the identity of the phonemes in the environment are taken…

Describes a reading lesson for first graders in which phonics is taught both explicitly and contextually. Discusses three prerequisite understandings about print that make learning to read much easier for children. Advocates a balanced approach toward literacy instruction that helps children integrate what they already know with new strategies,…

Notes the author's third-grade students had three years of rich experiences with the world of storytelling and realizes that they were ready (whether she was or not) to study William Shakespeare and learn from this timeless master and teller of stories. Notes how she incorporated teaching William Shakespeare into her third grade classroom. (SG)