A pilot study evaluated the instructional effectiveness of "Collections, a Harcourt Reading/Language Arts" program. A total of 40 primary-grade teachers in 4 different school districts in Texas volunteered to participate. Teachers selected two themes to pilot during a 9- to 12-week period and received training in implementing the…

Exploring ways to help primary school teachers extend the literacy of their pupils, this paper devises and classroom-tests strategies whereby teachers might develop the abilities of their children to use literacy more effectively as a means of learning. It focuses on the reading and writing of non-fiction text. Outlining four basic insights into…

Reports the findings of an experiment designed to assess the effects of parental involvement in the teaching of reading to young children, specifically the effects of hearing oral reading at home. The method of the study is described in detail. Five tables and a reference list are included. (JL)

Describes ERIC documents pertaining to the role of parents in preparing their children to read and the ways in which they can help shape and strengthen a school's reading program. (FL)

Reports that techniques that enhanced the quality and quantity of parents' communication with the school were found to improve children's short-term reading performance. (Author/FL)

The study, involving 92 second and third graders with deficits in reading and auditory sequential memory (ASM), examined the possibility of improving ASM through training and the relationship between this training and reading ability. (Author/CL)

Describes a set of activities and materials using Language Master machines, combined with more traditional listening-while-reading procedures that helped emergent readers grow rapidly in reading ability and motivation to read. (SR)

Finds that the number of books and the amount of time treatment group children read and/or were read to by family members significantly increased over no-treatment comparison children, especially for boys. (RS)

Findings from a study which compared methods for improving students' (N=20) reading fluency indicate: (1) both repeated readings and listening-while-reading treatments were effective in improving reading fluency and, (2) neither treatment was superior to the other in improving reading fluency. (IAH)

Presents results of a cross-sectional study of a sample of Year 2 children in reading. Finds an improvement in the attainment level of children in 1992 compared to 1991. Concludes that there is a need to view apparently rising standards in England, as measured solely by the Standard Assessment Task results, with a degree of caution. (PA)

Describes a 10-week project in two second-grade classrooms that used daily Readers' Theatre experiences to develop children's meaningful and fluent reading. Discusses access to manageable materials, effective reading models, rereadings, instructional support and feedback, choosing the texts, and preparing. (SR)

Describes pilot research that informed the early stages of development of the Catch Up Programme, a literacy intervention designed for children who are behind with reading at the start of Year 3 (7- to 8-year-olds). Finds a considerable increase in pupils' reading ages across a 10-week period. Finds similar results in another small study. (RS)

Investigates whether syllable and phoneme awareness make independent contributions to reading and spelling in Greek. Uses four measures: syllable awareness, phoneme awareness, reading and spelling. Concludes that phonological awareness is a multidimensional phenomenon and that the different dimensions contribute to reading and writing in Greek.…

Several considerations need to be made when monitoring student reading progress using Curriculum-Based Measurement: the instructional level of the student, the goal set for the student, and the material selected. This study examines whether similar material or challenging material would be the most sensitive for progress monitoring of student oral…

Reports the results of a case study measuring the impact of reading aloud to a first grader over a period of one year. Notes the student made substantial gains in reading and writing by the end of the school year, and that the student became a voracious reader of poetry. (NH)