Problems which will fact reading teachers in the future are discussed, and innovative possibilities are described. The following conclusions are reached. Varying environments create greater differences in children than existed previously, making individualized instruction necessary. Technological progress has opened new fields to education which…

A disproportionate emphasis on mechanics impairs students' reading by detracting from the focus they should have on making sense of the world. (DD)

By observing children who learn to read by themselves, teachers may learn some important aspects of beginning reading. (JM)

Takes issue with articles appearing in "Reading Teacher" entitled "Portrait of My Son as an Early Reader." Argues that parents who teach their children to read at an early age may neglect or overlook other essentials of their physical, emotional, and social growth. (FL)

Early reading looked at from the perspectives of people with whom a school administrator works: parents, staff, researchers. Cites studies which document importance of parents as teachers. Believes staff should recognize importance of involving parents in early childhood education programs.

Reading patterns and what influences them are discussed. Influences considered are: individual makeup; environment; contact, or lack of it, with books; and emphasis, or lack of it, on writing skills. (SM)

Discusses research and instances of children learning to read and or write in the home without formal instruction, tracing the development of such natural literacy. Argues that literacy is primarily a social process, involving both teaching and learning. (HTH)

Answers to two parents and a gifted fourth grader are given by two educators on questions of peer acceptance, a three-year-old who is reading, and communication skills. (CL)

Outlines two theoretical positions regarding the developmental origins of the phoneme as a unit for lexical representation and processing--the accessibility and emergent positions. Employs a Lexical Restructuring Model, which focuses on the role of vocabulary growth. Notes that this restructuring is viewed as an important precursor to the explicit…

Considers the need for family literacy programs and library involvement in such programs. National organizations and local library programs devoted to family literacy are described, and the California State Library's Families for Literacy Program, which provides funding for local library family literacy programs, is discussed. (MES)

Discusses research on early reading as it relates to the phonics versus "look and say" controversy. Considers the courses of action available to parents and teachers which take the findings into account. (RJC)

Asserts that the concept of developmental appropriateness is often a trap for poor children who lack opportunities to explore written language and literary understandings. Argues that the individual and variable development of children is an opportunity for teachers to personalize instruction. (PRA)

This article reports some of the findings of a study involving 11 New Zealand 4-year-old precocious readers (Margrain, 2005). The children, aged between 4:01 and 4:10, had reading ages three to nine years above their chronological age. Assessment of precocious reading abilities is discussed, including how assessment findings are influenced by the…

This study examines how rapid automatized naming (RAN) components-articulation time and pause time-develop from kindergarten to the end of first grade and how RAN components are related to different reading measures and to RAN total time. Sixty-two children were administered RAN tasks in kindergarten and at the beginning and end of Grade 1.…

With the results of a forthcoming federal study of educational software still under wraps, questions are arising about how it has been conducted--particularly the government's decision not to disclose individual performance results for the 15 computerized curriculum packages being studied. The companies involved will receive results for their own…