This paper describes a randomised controlled trial conducted with 10 secondary schools in England to evaluate the impact and feasibility of Fresh Start as an intervention to help new entrants with low prior literacy. Fresh Start is a synthetic phonics programme for small groups of pupils, here implemented three times per week over 22 weeks. The…

In this article, the authors reexamine and duplicate research conducted more than 20 years ago to learn if the simple act of sharing literature with kindergarten children through a nurturing dialogic approach will support children's development of literacy skills, including a love of reading. Dialogic reading is based on: (1) child participation;…

This newsletter of best practices in implementing the High Schools That Work (HSTW), Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW) and Technology Centers That Work (TCTW) school improvement models is based on presentations at the 27th Annual HSTW Staff Development Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, in the summer of 2013. The newsletter is divided up into…

Describes the components of a competency-based elementary reading program, including the concept of instruction, the elements of a learning module, the components of modular development, the role of the classroom teacher, and the level of student performance. (JM)

The author favorably reviews the "SUCCESS in Beginning Reading and Writing Program" developed by Dr. Anne Adams of Duke University. The two-hour instructional program is divided into four modules: phonics/spelling; content reading; writing language experience stories; and recreational reading. Program costs and ease of use are noted.…

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot modular materials about the reading instructional process to be used in the inservice training of principals. The first step in designing modules for elementary principals involved identifying three major categories of skills Three modules were designed under the headings of the major categories…

The purposes of this study were: (1) to synthesize the input from available professional resources, to develop original instructional modules for use in inservice teacher education in three areas identified by the International Reading Association: interaction with parents and community, school and classroom organization for individualized…

This teaching module is designed to present guidelines for developing a child-centered reading program. Participants are shown how to utilize the information developed in previous modules in this sequence in order to structure a comprehensive, yet free and open, reading program. Emphasis is placed on the child as decision maker and the teacher as…

Two examples of CBT which demonstrate unique design characteristics without gimmicks are described. The first is an example from Northern States Power Company (NSP), an electric and gas utility. The second details implementation of a language arts unit by the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium in a public school seting. (JEG)

A program based on the personalized system of instruction (PSI) was written and used in a developmental reading-study skills course for college freshmen. The following principles characterize the PSI: emphasis on the use of written materials--textbook references, questions, and teacher-developed worksheets; the required passing of a mastery test…