Cites articles and research suggesting that the ability to learn to read is inherent within any normal child and recommends that teachers use strategies and materials relevant to the child rather than a prestructured reading program. (MM)

Shows that the ability to impose a distinct and exact meaning on what is seen underlies the skills involved in reading; notes the importance of training in perception combined with a clear sense of the purpose of reading. (GT)

Cognitive abilities that predicted growth in response to a 12-week training program in phonological awareness were investigated in 100 kindergarten children. Findings suggested that growth in analytic awareness was predicted by invented spelling and general verbal ability, while growth in synthetic awareness was predicted by a combination of…

The patterns of second grade French immersion students' spontaneous reading in English during the first and second year of their immersion program are reported and compared with their French reading performance. (MSE)

Compared social-linguistic experiences of six early readers (ERs) and six prereading (PRs) matched-age peers in interactions with their middle-class parents. Found that ER parents created an even more enriched language environment for their children than PR parents. Differences on decontextualized language tasks favored ER families, and ERs gave…

Examined the practice of emergent reading, in which preschool children practice readinglike behaviors by retelling a story that has been read to them based on the pictures and text in a book. Found that eight preschoolers in a Head Start program could successfully "read" key points in an illustrated storybook. Contains suggestions to…

Investigated the literary experiences of preschoolers in Head Start and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms based on survey responses of 10 Head Start and 20 ECSE teachers. Found similarities between the two teacher groups regarding the relatively low priority placed on reading and writing goals and the ways children were involved…

DaisyQuest is a computer program that teaches and provides practice in synthetic and analytic phonological skills. Researchers found young children trained on DaisyQuest had significantly greater phonological awareness gains than children without training. Children trained on a more developed version significantly outperformed a matched group on…

A developmental model combining both skills and whole language instruction in four phases is offered for literacy development in children with mild handicaps. The four phases, common to literacy development in all children, move from pretend reading, writing, and spelling, to the transitional stage of fluency at approximately a third grade level.…

Reviews the benefits of early exposure to books for infants and toddlers. Benefits include language and vocabulary development and creation of an emotional connection to books and reading. Offers suggestions on reading to infants and toddlers, advice on selecting appropriate books, and tips for making simple homemade books. (TJQ)