It is upon a positive literature-based foundation that educators must build excellent curriculum and teaching strategies. It is the job of educators to be trained to integrate the concepts of whole language and direct phonetic instruction so children have the advantage of both schools of thought, to be aware of how children learn most efficiently,…

This final report details the results of a federally funded project designed to investigate reading comprehension in students with learning disabilities and their ability to identify themes. The first part of the report discusses reading instruction and students with learning disabilities, and provides an overview of the research. The second…

The argument between advocates of the whole language approach and the phonics approach threatens to become so polarized and politicized that agreeing on a middle ground seems at times impossible, and the voices of reason and experience are drowned out. The debate erupted anew in California after alarming news stories about reading scores ranked…

There is continuous debate about which word recognition techniques should be taught, especially to early primary grade pupils. All learning activities provided in reading instruction should: (1) be meaningful; (2) have perceived purpose; (3) be interesting; (4) stress understandings, skills, and affective goals; (5) provide for individual…

Designed for parents and teachers of students with dyslexia, this book uses accessible terms, charts, graphics, and lesson plans to provide step-by-step instructions for teaching reading. Part 1 of the book discusses different types of learning disabilities, followed by case studies that illustrate how children overcame each particular disability.…

Used to guide instructional design and professional development, this booklet highlights current thinking and practice in those areas of California's English-Language Arts Framework that need additional clarification or may have been implemented unevenly. Issues addressed in the booklet are: (1) the place of skills instruction, especially phonics,…

This practicum was designed to increase the accuracy of reading decoding skills exhibited by five elementary and intermediate level hearing-impaired students in a mainstream setting. Subjects were fitted with appropriate amplification to optimize their residual hearing but were performing below their grade-level placement in the areas of word…

Suggesting that beginning reading should be a combination of phonics instruction along with the "whole word" approach, this book presents 56 brief and concentrated units of study that demonstrate that both systems can work together to improve the process of learning to read. In all units in the book, learners have the opportunity to read complete…

Numerous reviews of the experimental research conclude that phonics is indispensable in word recognition instruction. However, there have been numerous objections to phonics teaching over the years. Some of the intolerance of phonics teaching reflects a lack of knowledge about the subject. Critics suggest that phonics hinders children's learning…

A study examined the relationship between reading instruction and the development of decoding and spelling skills and the writing fluency of children with varying levels of phonemic awareness. First grade children from two classrooms in a rural Florida school district who began school high and low in phonemic awareness received either whole…

A study was conducted to explore how children learn to read in kindergarten. The study employed a heuristic model that included entering ability, home background, instructional processes, home support for literacy development, and measures of student ability at the end of kindergarten. Children were tested, whole-day classroom observations were…

A study examined the ability of third, fourth, and sixth grade students to use spellings to arrive at the pronunciations of unknown words. A test of 29 pseudo words was developed. Pseudo words were chosen because they eliminate familiarity with a word in its spoken form and contextual cues as sources of help in decoding. At the start of the test,…

To whet the curiosity and interest of teachers who may be frustrated with the reading vocabulary achievement of pupils, an informal study compared Piaget's cognitive development theory, recent brain research, and the reading process, and examined how the theory and research apply to reading instruction. The Gestalt Process Approach to teaching…

The debate between the whole language approach and the word-centered skills approach to beginning reading instruction is likely to continue into the next decade, so it seems crucial that educators at all levels understand thoroughly the views held by the participants. Advocates of the whole language approach believe effective readers see meaning…

A study investigated what is done with reading in kindergarten, specifically: (1) what is done and for what amount of time to prepare kindergartners for reading and to teach them to read; (2) what accounts for what is or is not done; and (3) how differences in children's abilities affect what is or is not done. Forty-two kindergarten classes from…