Describes how Reading Recovery addresses one part of Michigan's plan--the five essential components of reading--and helps more than 700 Michigan schools address the state's literacy initiatives. Discusses the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness; phonics; vocabulary development; fluency; and comprehension. (SG)

This executive summary describes results of the "Reading First Impact Study: Interim Report." The report presents preliminary findings from the Reading First Impact Study, a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child…

Reading was, is, and always must come first in the early school years. Without a firm basis in reading, children are going to have a tough time in school and, later, in the world beyond the elementary school doors. Children need math and all the other wonderful things they are exposed to in school, but without some degree of success in reading,…

In this practitioners' guide, a recognized reading expert explains how educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the "scientifically-based" banner. Although the term "whole language" is not commonly used today, programs based on its premises remain popular. These…

This report provides an informal discussion of observations conducted in twenty-three classrooms in six schools. Observations focused on instruction in reading comprehension in grades three through six. The report also comments on comprehension instruction, on the teaching of word meanings, phonics instruction, and on the presence of extra…

Summarizes ERIC materials dealing with the role of phonics, spelling rules, and word lists in the spelling program. (FL)

This report presents preliminary findings from the Reading First Impact Study, a congressionally mandated evaluation of the federal government initiative to help all children read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) established Reading First and mandated its evaluation. This document is…

Analysis of the Rinsland vocabulary list indicated that while the list was dated, it was more than adequate for purposes of classroom instruction. (RB)

This pamphlet suggests methods of teaching beginning reading using word cards, stories written by a parent, and phonics games. Activities using word cards include writing the name of a person or object on the card and helping the child associate that card directly with the person or object. Stories written by parents usually feature the children…

Research studies concerned with the development, utility, and evaluation of various types of word lists are reported in this bibliography. Included are such topics as vocabulary loads in various reading materials, phonic generalizations applied to word lists, and basic speaking, writing, or reading vocabularies of various groups. In Part I, 51…

Discusses materials that help primary-grade students develop a richer supply of words: books, audiotapes, and magnetic poetry kits for teachers and/or for students. (SR)

This study examined the effects of Making and Writing Words (MWW), a variation of the Making Words word study activity by Cunningham and Cunningham (1992), on second-grade students word learning. MWW was implemented daily with a group of second-grade students' over a five-month period. Results indicated that students who received the MWW treatment…

This book remains a comprehensive, myth-debunking examination of how L1 features (orthographic system, phonology, morphology) can influence English L2 reading at the "bottom" of the reading process. It provides a thorough but very accessible linguistic/psycholinguistic examination of the lowest levels of the reading process. It is both theoretical…

To determine the usefulness of two commonly taught phonics rules concerning the pronounciation of two-syllable words, a study analyzed more than 138,000 words in the "New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of the English Language." The rules state that (1) a vowel is short when the only vowel in a syllable is not the last letter in…

Research has shown that students can be taught to comprehend the material better while they are reading. Successful instruction of this type has usually focused on the teaching of comprehension strategies--that is, intentional actions students can use during reading to guide their thinking. Such strategies improve both understanding and memory.…