The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Distar Reading and Language Program as a method for beginning reading instruction. The subjects in the Distar group were 24 prekindergarteners, 60 kindergarteners, and 68 first graders. There were 24 children in the control prekindergarten group, 61 in the kindergarten, and 72 in…

Description of, and guidelines for, a preventative early intervention program designed to provide a strong academic, social, and emotional foundation for postkindergarten students considered to be at risk for future academic difficulties. (Author/DCS)

This report describes a process for increasing primary students' reading comprehension skills through the use of a guided reading program. The targeted population consisted of primary students in a northwest suburban area of a large city in the Midwest. The problems of poor reading comprehension scores were documented through the use of the…

Supported by the Corporation for National Service, AmeriCorps' members serve with local and national organizations to meet community needs while earning education awards to help finance college or training. This report is the final product of the "AmeriCorps Tutoring Outcomes Study" of the AmeriCorps State/National Literacy Programs. The…

This pamphlet describes the Texas Reading Initiative, a comprehensive plan aimed at improving reading instruction in Texas and begun after a challenge was issued by Governor George W. Bush that each and every child must learn to read. It lists the 8 key elements that were established to guide the initiative (including increasing awareness of…

In years past, Maryland has provided little guidance toward adoption and implementation of Scientifically Based Reading Research (SBRR) programs. Only recently, with the implementation of the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration program and the Reading Excellence Act (REA) program, have schools or local education agencies been required to…

This nine-week study examined the effect of the Accelerated Reader program on the reading comprehension scores of third grade students in a socio-economically disadvantaged area of West Virginia. Two separate third grade classes, with different teachers, but within the same school, participated in this study. The experimental group of students was…

This report discusses a program to increase student self-esteem in order to improve student reading achievement. The targeted population consisted of students in grades first, second, and third. The study took place in the northwestern suburbs of a large metropolitan area in Illinois. The problems of low self-esteem and low reading achievement…

Offers an alternative to round-robin oral reading that uses paired, choral, imitative, and mumble reading. (FL)

Investigates children's reading strategies and progress when a meaning-based approach to reading instruction was implemented in a first-grade reading classroom. Describes the design of a reading program in which the teacher introduced totally predictable books, literacy-related centers, and minilessons in context on selected letter-sound…

Outlines the following teaching strategies to improve the reading fluency of beginning readers: paired reading, echo reading, mumble reading, chanting lists or stories, repeated and choral readings, memorization tasks, and phrase boundary marking. (MM)

A Delaware district has pioneered an approach to ensure that all students can read proficiently by the time they leave third grade. To achieve this goal, the district adopted some safety nets, including identifying students early, using Chapter 1 tutors in regular classrooms, and testing mastery through a series of assessments. (MLH)

Determines the potential benefits of using literature webbing in books with predictable narratives. Finds webbing to be an effective means for improving comprehension, reading ability, and story structure knowledge. (RS)

Considers how the development of reading proficiency in children is perhaps the highest-ranking educational objective of legislators, administrators, teachers, parents, and the community. Determines if parental training and involvement in the teaching of selected reading lessons increased their first-grade children's reading levels. Finds that the…

Highlights the teacher's critical role in spelling instruction and provides examples of how to support spelling development in classrooms. Argues that educators need to look closely at children's emerging capacities as writers, focusing especially on the issue of invented spelling, and its use and misuse in classroom practices. (SG)