In this article, I illustrate how research from cognitive science and the science of reading can inform research on the science of reading instruction. This purpose is accomplished by focusing on four recently published randomized control trials of instruction designed to teach alphabet letters to 3- and 4-year-old children (N = 342) attending…

Lists criticisms and responses to the i.t.a. (MM)

Reports on a visual-auditory analysis of each of the 1575 e-ending words found on the "Rinsland Vocabulary List" to determine whether the e should be considered as a diacritic. (RB)

Discusses what studies of i.t.a. throughout the past eleven years have revealed for teachers and researchers in the field of reading. (TO)

A reading instructor interested in reliving the experience of learning to read for the first time attempted to read "Androcles and the Lion" in Shavian Alphabet. The would-be reader of Shavian faces a page of hooks and slants completely unfamiliar, but there is no translation problem. As soon as the reader can pronounce out loud the…

In this study, written compositions were obtained from each of the elementary students during the four years of testing. The students were shown silent movies--thereby eliminating any possibility of providing spelling clues--and were then asked to write their compositions explaining how the movie made them feel or what they say in the movie. The…

This booklet summarizes forty-two Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.)research reports, highlighting the major features of each study. With minor variation, usually resulting from an absence of complete information, each abstract indicates the number and type of students involved, their grade level, and how they were assigned to experimental or…

Reviews the research on the initial teaching alphabet (i/t/a), the sources of conflict and misunderstanding involving its use, and its future in reading instruction. (FL)

A questionnaire was constructed and evaluated by specialists in the field of reading instruction to gain information regarding the use of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i/t/a). Elementary teachers and reading specialists in 16 randomly sampled school districts in nine states were questioned. Eight of the systems were in districts generally…

This pamphlet deals with the principle of systematizing traditional orthography (TO) to produce initial teaching media and the application of that principle in Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.). Part 1 discusses: three causes of failure in literacy, the need for systematizing TO for the better learning of literacy, TO research with infants,…

From among the papers the author has presented at various conferences and the articles she has written for different journals, nine were selected to form this book. They are all concerned with beginning reading, and each forms a chapter of the book. Chapter one, "Approaches to Beginning Reading in Great Britain," discusses background…

A brief glance at traditional orthographies and the initial teaching alphabet points up the need for spelling reform. (RB)

Concludes that i.t.a taught first grade students demonstrate no negative achievements characteristics in reading, language arts factors, or spelling when compared to their T.O. counterparts in the 10th grade year on standardized tests of achievement. (RB)