The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a project in which two college instructors established a model open classroom in an elementary school during one school year. Primary-grade children participated in a wide variety of activities in the classroom and were taught by means of a language experience approach in which they talked…

This study examined the effects of two programs which differed in the methods they employed to develop reading readiness. The two methods represented were a language experience approach and a phonics approach. The subjects were children from kindergarten classes in two elementary schools in Flint, Michigan. All subjects were randomly assigned…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a compensatory reading program based on the language experience approach could raise the reading level of underachieving disadvantaged students in the community junior colleges to a level commensurate with their ability and high enough for subsequent success in college level academic courses.…

The practicum described in this study sought to motivate pupils to want to learn to read and to improve their reading skills. Three hundred eighty-two pupils from second through ninth grade who were identified as having reading deficiences were admitted on a referral basis. A standardized test was used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses in…

The perceptions of volunteers and children regarding critical incidents identified in a program of volunteers working with children in reading were investigated. The critical incident technique, developed by John C. Flanagan, was used to collect the data. Sixty volunteers and 60 children identified 234 critical incidents, 141 positive and 93…

Second-grade pupils using the Ginn "Reading 360" or the McGraw-Hill "Programmed Reading" were compared in their reading and retelling of the story "King Alfred and the Cakes." Analysis, using the Reading Miscue Inventory, of the performance of 20 selected pupils indicated that those taught with "Programmed…

The purpose of this study was to determine and to interpret the effect of two differing approaches to reading instruction on the self-social concepts of first grade children. The concepts analyzed were self-esteem; social interest; individuation; complexity; realism; identifications with mother, father, teacher, and friend; and preferences for…

This study compares a traditional method of social studies teaching to a literature based approach. The study sought to compare student attitude, achievement, and retention of the material presented. The study involved 37 fifth-graders, one class using a literature based approach and the other traditional textbook teaching. Content objectives for…

This investigation attempted to determine the feasibility of using selected wordless picture books and non-narrated films to facilitate reading achievement. The participating students transcribed oral language and written language about various aspects of the wordless picture books, and non-narrated films were used as the bases for reading…

This study investigated the efficacy of the language experience approach (LEA) with native Indian remedial reading students at the junior high level in British Columbia. Gains of vocabulary and comprehension achievement, of attitude toward reading, and of writing achievement were compared between the language experience approach and typical…

The effects of a language-based reading approach on the reading strategies of first grade children were examined in a study involving a total of 40 children. Half of the students were placed in an experimental group that was exposed to the language-based reading approach, and half were placed in a control group that was taught to read by a…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether lower-class students would exhibit greater retention of reading vocabulary with a language experience approach to reading than with a basal text approach. Sixty low socioeconomic level students from the seven first grades of one elementary school in a small South Carolina town were randomly…

A study examined the effects of prior knowledge on the reading comprehension of disadvantaged first-grade students from an inner-city school in northern Utah. A thematic approach using trade books, field experiences, Language Experience Activities, and student journals was used to increase background knowledge of the at-risk first graders who were…