In this study an attempt was made to construct a multi-factor model predicting the development of reading literacy in the upper grades of primary school in the Netherlands for subgroups of 729 first language (L1) learners and 93 second language (L2) learners. Following a longitudinal design, it was explored to what extent the variation in reading…

Three assessment strategies to help elementary teachers gather information about their students' reading (and thus direct their teaching) include keeping running records of students' oral reading, requesting retellings of stories to determine students' comprehension, and talking seriously about reading with students to determine their overall…

Research indicates that parental involvement in activities that support academic areas is directly correlated with reading achievement and development. This study stresses the importance of reading aloud to your child, the connections between reading aloud at home and at school, the value of implementing hands-on literacy based activities that…

This report describes a program for improving student independent reading skills through direct phonics instruction. Students were exhibiting inadequate reading skills, which interfered with academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of second and third grade students from a northwestern Illinois city of about twelve thousand.…

This report describes a program for improving reading skills. The targeted population consisted of first and second grade students from urban and rural communities in Northern Illinois. The problem of underachievement in reading was documented by reading inventories, writing samples, and writing prompts. Analysis of probable cause data revealed…

Research indicates that engagement with text is critical to becoming a good reader and can be fostered in primary grades by using informal assessments of individual student's reading ability to guide instruction. Describes running record, miscue analysis, and cloze-procedure assessment tools and the assessment task of oral retelling. Sidebars list…

A study examined a program for implementing a reader's workshop to improve low reading skills. Subjects were first-, second-, and third-grade students in a suburb of a large midwestern city. The problem of low reading skills was observed and documented in grade 1 through a sight word assessment and a 3-part writing assessment which included a…

This report describes a program for increasing intrinsic reading motivation. The targeted population consisted of lower primary students in a growing middle class community, located in northern Illinois. The problems of aliterate students were documented through teacher observations and student surveys. Analysis of probable cause data revealed…

Describes a pilot program at the Highland Primary School Library (Illinois) to maintain or increase reading motivation and skills for kindergarten through third grade students over the 1999 summer vacation. Discusses grant funds; pretest posttest procedures; parental involvement; technology use; and students without access to the public library.…

A study examined a program for increasing reading ability to reduce the academic failure of identified at-risk students. Subjects were 14 second-grade and 18 sixth-grade students in a middle class suburb, southwest of a large metropolitan area. Evidence for the existence of this problem was gathered from teacher observations, assessments,…