The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 created the Early Reading First (ERF) program to enhance teacher practices, instructional content, and classroom environments in preschools and to help ensure that young children start school with the skills needed for academic success. This report to Congress describes the impacts of the Early Reading…

This issue of "Focus On" provides an overview of several key early literacy components: phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, concepts of print, oral language development, writing, family literacy, and reading aloud. Suggestions for assessing early literacy development are provided, and examples of implementation of effective early literacy…

Collaborative learning methods which emphasize peer interaction have been widely applied to increase the intensity and effectiveness of EFL reading programs. However, simply grouping students heterogeneously and assigning them group goals does not guarantee that effective collaborative learning will ensue. The present research includes two…

This booklet examines the learning process in reading, not with an eye to simple solutions, but with concern about problems and potential remedies. Within this framework, it discusses research on the brain and learning processes and suggests some ways to improve instruction for all children in grades K-8. After an introduction, sections of the…

This study was concerned with assessing both prereading and reading activities on the kindergarten level. A questionnaire survey was made of selected aspects of the content and conduct of the kindergarten prereading and reading programs in school districts throughout the state of California. The questionnaire used consisted of three parts: Part 1…

Studies of preschool reading are reviewed to determine environmental factors repeatedly associated with early reading. (DD)

Demonstrates that many three- and four-year olds' attempts to read familiar print are highly organized, and indicate attention to graphic detail in some contexts. Also concludes that letter name knowledge alone does not explain children's shift from using meaning-oriented strategies to using both meaning and print-oriented strategies. (JAD)

Six tests of abilities and attitudes related to early reading achievement were administered to first graders in a rural setting. Scores from the Metropolitan Achievement Test were used as criterion measure of the predictive powers of the tests. Test effectiveness and value are discussed. (Author/DF)

A comparison of oral and written language in six deaf infants from ages one and two for periods of four and five years indicated that written language acquisition is not dependent on oral language; that written language teaching can be initiated at about one year, and that written language is easy to learn. (Author/CL)

Two distinguishing characteristics of early readers are superior sound blending and visual memory skills. (RB)

This publication tells the stories of eight schools from around the nation that have used the Open Court Reading program, describing the history of the schools, the challenges they faced, and their attempts to meet those challenges. The schools are located in California, Florida, Texas, and New York. Each of the school stories includes a focus on…

Discusses how parents can be instrumental in developing prereading skills and fostering reading readiness in their children. (TO)

At four day-care centers in Washington, D.C., preschoolers use teaching machines to learn to read. (SP)

Discusses the results of recent research concerning the effects of bilingualism on the development of preschool children and explains how early bilingual education greatly enriches a child's personality cognitively, linguistically, affectively, socially, and morally. Claims it is possible and beneficial to offer young children the opportunity to…

Calls attention to the area of children's drama and cites several works of interest. (FL)