Finds no relationship between young children's ability to attend to text and to nominate a greater number of purposes for learning to read. (FL)

Explores what children know about finding and using information books and observes what these children actually did when involved in information finding tasks. Finds that schools and teaching do have an effect in this area but that there was a gap between what children said about how they would use information books and what they actually did. (RS)

Observes primary children's information skills and identifies areas of difficulty. Discusses modifying and developing such skills through specific teaching methods. Focuses on the case of one student whose response to gathering information from difficult text was to copy the text word for word. (RS)

Explores the approach to reading which emphasizes reading within a total language context and concludes that teacher training should stress awareness of the child's general language situation and should discourage reliance on word-skill material. (JM)

Examines the following: the history and current status of the assessment of prereading skills or reading readiness in the United States, recent research findings with implications for readiness testing, future directions for prereading measures, and classroom implications of prereading assessment research. (GT)

Gathers information about children's reading habits against the background of the Standard Achievement Tests (SATs). Questions three children in each of four schools in England on their reading habits. Notes that few of the children associated reading with pleasure. Suggests that schools can never rival the potential of the home for encouraging…

Suggests that bilingual children, because of their sensitivity to contexts for using their two languages, are likely to have a heightened awareness of the possible range of contexts for literacy and the range of communicative functions which written messages may convey. Also argues for an apporach to early literacy that acknowledges the importance…

Compares the reading attitudes of students with reading difficulties to teachers' impressions of their students' reading attitudes. Finds that teachers underestimate their students' positive attitude toward reading activities and that structured observation by teachers may increase teachers' knowledge of students' attitudes. (RS)

Discusses the hazards that the English language contains for children learning to read, reports the Bullock Report's recommendation to judge I.T.A. on its merits, and describes research findings suggesting that the probability of reading failure is considerably greater when T.O. is used than when I.T.A. is used. (GT)

Describes a method of beginning reading instruction that makes use of stories (such as "Goldilocks and the Three Bears") already known by children, and cites research studies that provide support for such a method. (GT)

Studies the views of parents and teachers on how they might effectively support independent readers. Examines children's views on parental involvement. Finds that the survey heightened interest in reading and literature among children and their parents. (MG)

Surveys experiences of 101 primary school teachers of the newly introduced Literacy Hour--about the training and preparation they had received, the implementation of the Literacy Hour, its effectiveness and how children with special difficulties are differentially affected. Reports on other aspects of the Literacy Hour, such as ability…

Offers suggestions for organizing the primary classroom to provide ideal conditions for teaching reading. (DF)

Describes a project in which parents were asked to write comments about the picture books their children were reading at home. Contains samples of parent comments. (DF)

Examines the influence of a regular book borrowing service designed to enable and encourage parents to read to their children. Finds no statistically significant difference between control and experimental groups on a reading test, but finds an unexpectedly high level of parental interest. (RS)