In this technical report we document the development and piloting of the Learning Receptiveness Assessment (LRA) Greenhouse for Prekindergarten. This technological tool was designed to prevent reading disabilities by supporting effective "assessment-guided instructional decision-making" by Preschool teachers. The LRA Greenhouse comprises…

The collision of the childhood obesity epidemic with pressure to achieve high academic standards is of serious concern in the United States. Growing numbers of low-income, minority children face double jeopardy as alarming obesity rates further widen existing achievement gaps. Health and education disparities persist when children enter…

In response to the first of the National Education Goals (1991), which reads, "all children in America will start school ready to learn," this paper addresses four interpretations of the term "readiness" and the methods that have been devised to assess children's learning at the outset of formal schooling. The idealist or nativist view claims that…

A cognitive theory of readiness is offered as a possible explanation of the learning problems of learning or reading disabled secondary students. A discussion of the implications of the theory for secondary content area reading is included along with a model for implementation of the readiness components. For related information see EC 132…

Reading readiness should be an integral part of the learning process. Social studies must extend throughout the K-12 curriculum and should not be deferred or trivialized until students learn to read. Lists the efforts of the National Council for the Social Studies to strengthen the elementary social studies curriculum. (CS)

Children's communicative competence is essential and predictive of their success in school. However, in England in recent years we have faced particular challenges inculcating this understanding into primary and early years teachers' practice. Furthermore, some studies have raised concerns about children's communicative competence on school entry.…

The purpose of this study was to determine which of nine Piagetian tasks could function as a measure of a child's cognitive developmental readiness for reading and mathematics. Second, an attempt was made to identify patterns of acquisition of the component skills associated with seriation, classification, and conservation. (Author/BW)

Reports the results of a study of five-year-olds, which indicate that social relationships are a facilitator of cognitive learning of reading readiness concepts and imaginativeness. Girls in the experimental treatments significantly outperformed the boys. (JD)

A screening survey of 272 first grade pupils, for the purpose of detection and remediation of special learning problems was conducted. Purposes were to: (1) screen out pupils with potential learning and school adjustment problems, (2) prevent the amplification of these problems and (3) suggest, to teachers, proper techniques and methods of…

The question of whether children should be taught to read before first grade has long been discussed, but never settled. As the educational level of the people and the demands of industry increase, the rate of functional illiteracy also rises, provoking criticism of school programs and creating a need to find new ways of dealing with the problems.…

Children discover many things about themselves, about the world around them, and about words and language, before they go to school. This booklet was prepared to guide parents in helping their children make such discoveries in preparation for the demands of learning in school. Activities are suggested for developing children's self-confidence,…