Letter learning is nuanced, complex, and essential to the development of an effective literacy processing system. Forming and naming letters, rapidly differentiating between visually similar letters, and recognizing their sound correspondences are foundational to becoming a reader and writer. Indeed, control over letters affects monitoring,…

One challenge for many international teaching assistants (ITAs) is improving their spoken English fluency after arrival in the U.S.A. It may be argued that poor fluency, with its hallmarks of slow speech rate, false starts, and particularly pauses that violate phrasal boundaries, account for the failure of many ITAs to be certified by their…

Reviews the present status of the initial teaching alphabet, compares British and American research studies, notes strengths and weaknesses and suggests further areas of research. Includes a pro-reaction and a con-reaction paper. Bibliography. (WB)

Analyzes the Bullock commission's view on the methodology of beginning reading instruction with special reference to i.t.a. (RB)

Describes the process of designing the i.t.a. for Century Schoolbook, Baskerville, Melior, Helvetica, and Optima typefaces with illustrations of the new alphabets. (MB)

Linguistics as it relates to teaching children is discussed under the headings (1) Linguistics and Language and (2) Reading and Linguistics. In the first part, many interesting facts about our language are pointed out, along with the manner and usefulness of presenting them to children. While linguists may seem to be communicating mainly among…

Compares the effects of ITA and TO instruction; based on Auguste's master's thesis, Queens College, New York, n. d. (RD)

An assessment is made of the initial teaching alphabet method of teaching reading 10 years after its introduction. (DB)

Intended to help children learn phonics and to learn how to use phonics, this handbook is modeled on the 15th century hornbook. The handbook is divided into three parts: (1) "What Went Wrong?"; (2) "HOW to Teach Someone to Read by Beginning with Basic Phonics"; and (3) "Special Problems." Nineteen references and a…

The varied results of three beginning reading research studies are presented. Methods of teaching beginning reading, including i/t/a, whole word approach, and code emphasis, are briefly discussed. A research project that supports evidence against claims of a "single solution" to beginning reading is discussed, and a list of practical suggestions…

The Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) was designed by Sir James Pitman as a reading teaching medium from which immediate and efficient transition may be made to the alphabet of regular English. Questions and answers covered in this booklet provide information concerning its history, effectiveness, methods of use, teaching areas, and relationship…

The primary purpose of this paper on reading instruction is to inform teachers and parents of the superiority of phonics or code-based approaches over the whole-word method (still the dominant method in the United States). The first section deals with the nature of reading skills, the second section covers the history and present status of the…

The review surveys published and unpublished reports of the use of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i.t.a.) with several types of sensory handicaps. (Author/SBH)