This set of 10 fact sheets (each 2 to 4 pages long) addresses aspects of Reading Recovery, a program that helps children to be proficient readers and writers by the end of the first grade. It discusses the basic facts of Reading Recovery; Reading Recovery for Spanish literacy; Reading Recovery lessons; Reading Recovery professional development;…

This paper investigates the validity of two current approaches for estimating text difficulty at the first-grade level--the Scale for Text Accessibility and Support-Grade 1 (STAS-1) and the Fountas/ Pinnell system--and analyzed student performance in relation to each. Subjects, 105 first graders in two schools, used "little books"--easy to read…

Standard operating procedures of the Reading Recovery program allow for students to be dropped from the program if they have not met the criterion for success after 20 weeks of participation. This paper follows the actions of over 600 first-grade Reading Recovery students in a medium-sized school district over the course of a complete year of…

This report describes a program for improving students' reading fluency in order to become more proficient readers. The targeted population consists of first and second grade students in a growing middle class community located in the Midwest. The lack of fluent reading was documented through teacher observation and the calculation of how many…

This report describes a program to increase sight/functional vocabulary to improve reading comprehension. The targeted population consisted of one 2nd-3rd grade and one 6th-8th grade cross-categorical self-contained class, located in an elementary school and a middle school. The schools were located in a northeast suburb of a major city in the…

The study evaluates the influence of time devoted to reading-related classroom experiences on reading achievement for first grade children with lower versus higher IQ scores. Initially, it was anticipated that lower IQ children in classrooms with more time allocated to reading-related activities would make greater gains in word decoding skill than…

Reading while listening (RWL) is an instructional technique in which children associate unfamiliar written words with their corresponding familiar sounds. In RWL children listen to a text (often a "talking book" on audiotape or computer software) while following along in a printed version. A study examined the effect of RWL, with reader…

Acquiring literacy is one of the most important elements in building a foundation for success in education and life. This study describes a program that was implemented from January through May, 2001, for improvement in phonological awareness, alphabetic awareness and reading readiness skills through explicit instruction of phonemic awareness with…

Research indicates that parental involvement in activities that support academic areas is directly correlated with reading achievement and development. This study stresses the importance of reading aloud to your child, the connections between reading aloud at home and at school, the value of implementing hands-on literacy based activities that…

Containing four sections of materials for workshop presenters to teach Word Analysis, this guide assists primary grade teachers in enhancing the Reading and Language Arts knowledge and skills of Texas students. Section 1, an introduction, defines the purpose of the guide and outlines six goals. Section 2, Professional Development, includes…

Including the Spring 1999 reading data from all public elementary schools in Louisiana containing first, second, and third grades, this report provides the results of the analysis of the Developmental Reading Assessment data that measured the reading abilities of all students in Louisiana. Louisiana is committed to improving students' reading…

This paper states that the unequivocal goal that Governor George Bush has set for the state of Texas is that "all students should be able to read on grade level or higher by the end of third grade and continue to read on grade level or higher throughout their schooling." The paper explains that the governor identified eight key elements…

Compares the Edison Responsive Environment (ERE) type of programmed instruction and a non-automated, multimedia instructional system. (RW)

Describes a program in which first-grade minority group children wrote the books to stock a classroom library. (FL)

Concludes that a preschool intervention program contributed in positive ways to the school achievement of the participating primary school migrant children. (FL)