This working paper presents the background, justification, and development plan for a kindergarten program to identify and correct deficits in prereading skills. The program provides for individual differences in: (a) patterns of skill deficits, (b) rates of learning, and (c) degrees of assistance required. It is intended for optimal use in the…

Defining prereading skills, discussing their discovery, and determining their value in reading readiness are the primary concerns of this paper. Prereading skills are defined by logical analysis of the reading task and by instructional conventions. From an analysis of initial reading tasks, prerequisite skills are identified. Those skills which…

In the spring of 1971, an initial version of a program to teach selected prereading skills was tried out in three kindergartens. The three visual skills to be taught by the program were attending to letter order, letter orientation, and word detail. The sound skills to be taught were sound matching and sound blending. The program materials for…

Tests for prereading skills of Israeli kindergarten children were developed and tested on a wide range of socioeconomic levels. Based on studies in the United States and Israel, tests were developed for letter matching, rhyming, sound matching, and letter recognition. Results from 178 kindergarten children led to a division of the letter matching…

This instructional program, designed to diagnose and overcome deficiencies in prereading skills at the kindergarten and preschool levels, teaches five basic skills which directly relate to the reading process and to reading success: 1) attention to letter order; 2) attention to letter orientation; 3) attention to word detail; 4) sound matching;…