The 12 articles in this publication contain information designed to help parents of preschool and elementary school children understand the complex psychological and sociological process of language development and its relationship to learning to read. The articles also provide specific suggestions for parents who wish to participate in their…

This document reports an investigation of the developmental changes in the use of certain syntactic structures by white, monolingual, middle class five- and seven-year-olds, and of the differences between the syntax of young children and that used in beginning reading textbooks. Approximately half of the publication presents the methods and…

Explores the relationship between drawing pictures and the development of reading skills in preschool and primary grades. Maintains that a definite link exists between the two and briefly notes some of the relevant research. Concludes that further investigation is warranted. Includes an 11-item related bibliography. (MJP)

Description of the "Writing to Read" (WTR) program highlights an evaluation of the WTR experience with first graders at two British Columbia schools. Treatments for experimental and control groups are described and measures used for the comparisons are explained, including reading readiness, reading achievement, and writing achievement.…

Contrasts the effects of a storybook reading approach to traditional reading readiness approaches on the literacy development of urban at-risk kindergarten children. Finds that the storybook reading groups scored significantly higher on a variety of literacy measures. Finds no significant differences between the groups on standardized measures of…

Presents the 1998 position statement regarding early literacy development formulated by the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Outlines issues and reviews research. Offers a set of principles and recommendations for teaching practices and public policy. Includes a continuum of…

This digest links the development of listening comprehension to the emerging reading comprehension of young American Indian students, and suggests ways that teachers can use locally produced materials to enhance young students' emergent literacy. Reading comprehension is the key to literacy, and prior knowledge supports listening and reading…

Effects of teacher-pupil ratio on kindergartners' mastery of reading readiness objectives were studied. The study was part of Tennessee's Project STAR, a 4-year study of class size. About 2,850 students in 38 elementary schools that served 4 types of communities: innercity, suburban, urban, and rural, in 26 Tennessee school systems participated.…

The first volume of this final report of a large study that detailed the day-to-day workings of, and student response to, two philosophically different approaches to reading readiness as they were used in six Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) kindergartens reports on the literate environment approach. The background section explains that this approach…

Step-by-step directions for primary and elementary level resource teachers, classroom teachers and aides instruct them about how to meet the individual reading instruction needs of Oregon migrant children (9,797 eligible in 1980-81) through predrafted Individual Short-Term Plan/Records. In this approach the teacher assumes the child will only be…

The performance of 68 preschool children, ages three (28), four (21), and five (19), on selected phoneme-grapheme correspondence tasks was analyzed for age and sex differences in two stages of data collection. First, the children spelled their first names and the initial of their last names with letters on a magnetic board, after which they…

This paper describes the scope and findings of a separately published comprehensive review of research on optimum age of entry into first grade, covering the literature from 1915 to 1976. (Not included was research on reading, the gifted, mentally retarded, and materials in popular journals.) Findings noted the inadequacy of chronological age as a…

This paper provides background information on school reform and describes efforts to implement an assessment system for students with disabilities in 12 nongraded primary classrooms. Background information briefly covers the school restructuring movement, the history of nongraded primary education, alternative assessment strategies which focus on…

The 140 tests cited in this bibliography consist of test items related to instructional objectives. Assessment of student gain is made in terms of mastery of objectives rather than by comparison with a group norm. The subject areas include mathematics, reading, vocabulary, spelling, science, and social studies. The tests are primarily designed for…

A practicum was designed to help parents of kindergartners in a low income area help their children develop literacy. The primary goal was to secure the active involvement of parents in their children's learning experiences. Other goals included improving kindergarten teachers' communication skills and expanding their strategies for reaching out…