THE FIRST YEAR OF A 3-YEAR PROJECT ENTITLED "COMPARING READING APPROACHES IN FIRST GRADE TEACHING WITH DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN" (CRAFT) IS REPORTED. CRAFT COMPARES A SKILLS-CENTERED APPROACH WITH A LANGUAGE-EXPERIENCE APPROACH TO TEACHING READING. VARIATIONS OF THE SKILLS-CENTERED APPROACH ARE THE BASAL READER METHOD AND THE PHONOVISUAL…

THE VIEW THAT READING IS A ROTE, AUTOMATIC, CONDITIONED, NONMEANINGFUL PROCESS WHICH PRECEDES (THUS IS SEPARABLE FROM) COMPREHENSION IS CORROBORATED IN A TWO-PART INVESTIGATION. IN PART I, EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED TO SUPPORT THE POSITION THAT READING IS A NONMEANINGFUL PROCESS. IN PART II, A STUDY OF THE EFFICACY OF AN AUDITORY APPROACH TO…

A study was undertaken to discover whether there were differences between disabled children's linguistic cue use and that of normal readers under controlled conditions. Fifty-one children, 22 learning disabled and 29 control, were drawn from a poor, inner-city school district; 28 children, 14 in each group, from an affluent, suburban area. After…

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…

A structured tutoring technique utilizing the services of parents and high school students was devised. A study was carried out in Provo, Utah, with 10 children in each of six groups--three kindergarten and three first-grade groups consisting of one control group, one with parent tutors, and one with student tutors. The tutors were given a manual…

In an attempt to determine the effects on creative or free writing of the i.t.a. program, as well as to determine whether any relationship exists between scores on a readiness test and achievement in this form of written composition, an empirical study was conducted in two middle income communities with 140 white first-grade youngsters. The i.t.a.…

The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent the knowledge of letter names, letter sounds, or the combination of both facilitates the acquisition of word recognition ability. Forty-eight first graders were pretested and posttested on their knowledge of letter names and sounds, and measures of auditory and visual discrimination…

Concludes that three experimental programs were more effective than traditional approaches in beginning reading instruction: (1) a literature program using special decoding strategies, (2) a literature program not using the special strategies, and (3) a traditional basal approach using the special decoding strategies. (FL)

An extensive case history of instructional environment and acquisition of reading skills by 50 first-grade students in ten classrooms indicates that the rate at which students mastered decoding depended on classroom instruction with direct instruction appearing most profitable for children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds. (MKM)

Details an investigation of the relative contribution of two dimensions of field dependence-independence to the prediction of specific reading skills for first-grade children in an intensive phonics program and in a basal reader program supplemented with phonics. (FL)

Investigates the effectiveness of the Char-L Intensive Phonics program within a six-week summer tutorial program for students with learning problems. Finds significant gains in reading for most students and improved word attack skills for all students completing academic tasks requiring reading. (KEH)

Investigates the long-term effects of daily training sessions in word analysis (phoneme isolation or positional treatment versus phoneme segmentation or sequential treatment) on 10 first grade classes in Norway. Concludes that both forms of phonological training had a facilitating effect on reading and spelling. Suggests that lower ability…

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…

Research suggests New Zealand has the biggest gap between its highest and lowest achievers, and this is known as the "long tail". The debate over whole language and phonics approaches to reading is unfinished, but must now focus on where the point of difference lies. While reading involves a range of skills, teachers need to model the…

Presenting the viewpoint that teaching reading is not an "either/or" situation of phonics versus whole language, this book offers a comprehensive compilation of research and best practice on the specifics of skill development and how skills should be organized, taught, and integrated into the language arts program. The book helps…