Legislation mandates that all children, including children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), be taught to read in ways that are consistent with reading research and target the five components of evidence-based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies. This review synthesized…

Reviews the literature on phonic generalizations and presents a formula measuring the usefulness of word recognition, concluding that further research is needed. (RB)

See related article by Kenneth S. Goodman, CS 705 852. (RB)

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)

Discusses the implications of Goswami and Bryant's (1990) theory about important causal connections in reading for classroom teaching, and reviews more recent "rhyme and analogy" research within this framework. Discusses new research on the nature of the English spelling system and the representation of linguistic knowledge. Emphasizes the…

Analyzes research in the phonics section of the Report of the National Reading Panel to examine what the data, as opposed to the Panel's interpretation and reporting of the data, say about the role of phonics in reading instruction. Suggests the methodology of the Report is flawed, and results reported in the Summary are not supported by the…

During the 1970s direct phonics instruction was the preferred method of reading instruction. In the 1980s the whole language concept caught on and phonics instruction was considered defunct. In the 1990s the pendulum, in the process of swinging back, was intercepted before it went to the extreme of "all phonics," by a balanced approach…

Seven studies of the usefulness of 45 phonic generalizations were selected for comparison on the basis of similarity in research design. Combining the results into a single summary table, 25 of the 45 generalizations were found to be useful. The authors suggest that, where possible, these generalizations should be consolidated to simplify the…

Outlines a strategy for resolving disputes between the whole language and phonics camps in reading instruction. Reviews research on the role of context in word recognition, the process of reading acquisition, and analytic versus holistic approaches to reading acquisition. Suggests that the way is clear for whole language advocates to reconstitute…

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…

Author calls for well-controlled, longitudinal studies of several issues needing further investigation in beginning reading. (MB)

This Topical Bibliography and Commentary examines recent studies on phonological awareness, finding the evidence conclusive that teaching phonological awareness to young children greatly facilitates the reading process. Researchers have studied problems children experience in reading for many years. The focus of research during the 1990s has been…

Noting that early reading achievement is increasingly being named as a top priority in venues ranging from national policy arenas to local schools and school districts, this book consolidates and summarizes research on early reading achievement, making it accessible to parents, teachers, administrators, and others concerned with children's reading…

Explains new research findings about how children learn letter-sound correspondences, relates the findings to whole-language reading instruction, and outlines a theory for how children acquire the letter-sound system without direct instruction in phonics. Describes recent findings on phonological processes involved in learning letter-sound…