This paper reports the consistency of phonic generalization employing two kinds of frequency determined from a corpus of the 18,000 most frequently occurring words in the English language. Twenty-two commonly taught phonic generalizations were analyzed using a computer. It was concluded that consistency alone is not a sufficient criterion on which…

Concludes that a substantial number of children in inner-city early grades do not comprehend the basic nature of the writing system, even at the end of one year of reading instruction with a phonics-oriented method. (RB)

To determine the number and types of spelling errors made by college students, a study examined students' spelling errors on four complex word patterns which occur in related words. Fifty students attending a four-year engineering institute were selected and classified as group A (good readers/good spellers) or group B (poor readers/poor spellers)…

Shows that mentally handicapped preschool children can learn to read words when word cards become tools for communicating their wishes. Indicates also that language skills improve and that these transfer to other situations. (FL)

This exploratory multivariable comparison of an augmented structural (Stern and Gould) and an enriched basal (Winston) program was conducted with two matched classes of low to average ability disadvantaged children in grades 1 and 2. At the end of grade 1 the basal class rated significantly superior on the Gates-MacGinitie Comprehension Test and…

Describes the controversy over phonics versus whole-language reading instruction, and cites research concluding the necessity for combining the two methods to achieve comprehension. Gives examples of practitioner techniques of combining phonemics, phonics, and whole language in early reading instruction. Sidebars highlight key resource…

A study compared the effectiveness of intensive phonics instruction (a combination of the Distar and Lippincott methods) with a language experience approach (Success in Reading program) in the first and second grades. Subjects, 48 first and second grade students in the Hillsboro School District in Oregon, were divided into two groups (matched…

The purpose of the third edition of this book is to explore what must be involved in reading by addressing such topics as language, information theory, learning theory, the development of spoken language ability, and the physiology of the eye and brain. It is designed to serve as a handbook for language arts teachers, a text on the psychology of…