The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between English phonics (nonsense word fluency) and reading performance for 134 English language learners. First-grade nonsense word fluency scores had significant moderate to large correlations to three third-grade outcome measures: curriculum-based measurement in reading (0.65), Maze…

A multiple-baseline across participants was used to analyze the effects of adding multisensory elements to an explicit, systematic phonics program on the reading achievement of six students identified as treatment resisters. Participants were given 10 minutes of daily instruction in the supplemental program in addition to instruction in the…

The purpose of this evaluation of Scholastic's "System 44" conducted by RMC Research was to expand the existing research on students with learning disabilities by conducting a randomized study of struggling readers with approximately half of the sample comprised of students with learning disabilities. Specifically, this evaluation…

This article examines data from nine statewide administrations of the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (ICLA) over three-years. The ICLA measures pre-service teachers' knowledge of research-based content and pedagogy related to reading instruction and assessment. The purpose of this article was first to examine pre-service candidates'…

As a result of the Reading First Program of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the view of reading has narrowed. Individual state's Reading First professional development programs, and hence reading teachers across the United States, have spent the six years since the funding of the program in 2002 focusing beginning and developmental reading on…

This article describes the study that the authors conducted with Constance Kamii concerning how phonemic awareness (PA) is assessed. The study concerns the validity of the Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) portion, one subtest of the DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) tests that purports to determine a student's ability…

The current study investigated the effectiveness of an integrated word identification and communication intervention for children with complex communication needs. Using a nonconcurrent, multiple baseline design, the study involved three participants who completed 75 lessons across 4 to 6 weeks of instruction. All three participants improved their…

TEACHERS AND READING SPECIALISTS ALMOST UNIVERSALLY ACCEPT PHONICS CONTENT IN READING PROGRAMS. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PHONICS WHICH INVOLVE QUESTIONS SUCH AS HOW PHONICS SHOULD BE PRESENTED, WHAT CONTENT SHOULD BE INCLUDED, AND WHEN IT SHOULD BE EMPHASIZED. THIS STUDY RAISES SOME BASIC ISSUES AND PROVIDES GUIDELINES FOR ACTION.…

The purpose of this article is to review studies conducted in the last 12 years that consisted of examining the use of phonetic analysis strategies and/or phonics instruction with students with mental retardation. We conducted computer databased searches and a manual search of 15 journals published from 1990 to 2002. Only 7 studies emerged that…

This article discusses whole language and phonics approaches to teaching L1 reading. It argues to bring these two perspectives together under an integrated approach to better teach second language reading. The article offers an integrated lesson plan with adaptable activities and techniques that show how to apply the integrated approach.

The setting of this study took place in an inner city. The purpose was to determine the effectiveness of a neurologically integrated approach in teaching 43 at-risk pre-first graders their letter sounds and formations during 45-50 hours of summer school. There were four sequential phases to teaching this alphabetic approach: imagery, auditory,…

This study investigated the role of the amount, content, and implementation of reading instruction provided by 17 kindergarten teachers in eight "Reading First" elementary schools as it related to students' progress (n = 286 students) on early reading assessments of phonological awareness and letter naming-decoding fluency. Children's…

This article examines the ways in which the poetry strand of literacy instruction can help teachers infuse geography into the elementary classroom. Teachers can use poems to target important aspects of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension. When the poems contain substantive geography…

This study examined 120 Victorian preservice and inservice teachers' ability to implement evidence-based, early literacy instruction by examining whether teachers possessed positive perceptions of explicit instruction in sound-letter relationships, and a proficient knowledge of language structure. Teachers' confidence in teaching students of known…

In this interview, Dave Krupke, retired speech-language pathologist in the Davenport, Iowa public schools, describes "See The Sound/Visual Phonics," whose shortened name is "Visual Phonics," and its use with struggling readers and students with communication disabilities. What distinguishes See The Sound/Visual Phonics from…