Analyzes state standards for early reading/language arts from perspective of what is known about early reading and about standards. Reviews standards of 42 states, with emphasis on subset for grades K-3 in areas of equity, content, and specificity established by Council of Chief State School Officers. Discusses implications for development of…

This review focuses on areas of converging evidence concerning the importance of phonological awareness and the corresponding curricular and instructional implications for diverse learners. Five areas of converging evidence are identified: (1) phonological processing ability explains significant differences between good and poor readers; (2)…

The validity of recent research concerning invented spelling, the developmental stages in children's writing, and whether children will attempt writing before reading and continue writing while learning to read were examined. Five developmental stages in spelling have been identified: (1) the precommunicative stage, involving the use of random…

A study examined the kindergarten placement decisions of elementary school principals and the extent to which the grouping patterns persisted into the first grade. Subjects, 555 nonpreschool attenders who were enrolled in kindergarten at 22 elementary schools, were randomly selected from each strata of low, medium, and high student eligibility for…

Beginning reading instruction is a challenge that teachers can meet successfully by using imagination, working hard, displaying enthusiasm, and expressing genuine concern for the young children that they teach. This paper offers guidelines for beginning reading teachers who base their programs on traditional basal readers. The guidelines are…

An approach to teaching reading and writing through the use of children's books, poetry, and songs are described. It is suggested that reading be taught by presenting in chart form the words that already have been remembered orally in song, rhyme, or story, such as "Polly Put the Kettle On" or sections from the "Little Red…

The 1978 South Carolina Basic Skills Assessment Act mandated that a readiness test be administered to each beginning first grade student, and that the results be used to plan appropriate instruction. The Cognitive Skills Assessment Battery (CSAB) was selected for this purpose. This study was designed to determine if the CSAB provides adequate…

Individual interviews and a series of ten tests were used to investigate the order in which children acquire reading concepts and demonstrate reading skills. Each of 44 first grade and 22 kindergarten students was tested and interviewed three times during the 1977-78 school year, and their responses were sorted and tabulated to determine whether…

This study compared the first grade reading comprehension and vocabulary scores of children who were exposed to a Language Experience Approach in kindergarten to the scores of children who participated in a traditional kindergarten reading readiness program. Two groups of 22 students each were matched for sex and for scores on standardized reading…

Designed to provide teachers with a listing of sequentially ordered objectives in specific language arts areas, this kindergarten teaching guide was developed in Plano, Texas, as part of an elementary series keyed to the reading, language, spelling, and handwriting books used in that district. Divided according to visual, auditory, and verbal…

Reader ability to predict text structure based on previous experiences with written language appears to be an important foundation for comprehension of reading materials. A pilot study was conducted to explore ways of comparing the story structure awareness of beginning readers. Story schema analyses of stories told by eight first-graders--four…

To aid in the early identification of potential learning disabled children a multiple regression equation using analysis of covariance was used to determine which composite predictor variables obtained in kindergarten correlate maximally with first-grade achievement. Eighty-seven kindergarten students in Lawrence, Kansas, who had been instructed…

Presented is a curriculum guide to the readiness level of the child who is hyperactive, a behavior problem, or unable to sustain attention. The following areas are included: language development (including perceptual-motor skills), physical development (following the Frostig Perceptual Program), alphabet and sounds, creative exercises, language…

This program, included in "Effective Reading Programs...," serves 115 disadvantaged children in first through third grade and includes black, Filipino, white, and Spanish-surname students. Begun in 1965, Total Reading is a complete language arts program for the primary grades which integrates the teaching of reading, writing, spelling,…

Examines the difference between the reading instruction young children receive at home and that which they encounter in grade one. Suggests that teachers integrate some of the strategies used at home into classroom instruction. (AEW)