Brief discussion of readiness experiences including listening, asking questions, viewing interesting things, and writing about class experiences. (BRT)

A teacher describes the results of allowing children in her pre-reading kindergarten class to invent the spellings they needed to communicate through writing. The strategies children employed were found to reflect their developing language abilities. (ED)

Expresses a joint statement of concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. Guidelines and recommendations are the result of a collaboration among six national organizations. (KS)

The model delineates a structure for summarizing the dimensions of a developmentally oriented prereading program. The structure provides a guide for planning the curriculum so that parents and teachers can arrange experiences that will help children develop higher levels of representation and more complex language structures, and extend their…

Describes children's process of constructing their own knowledge by going through one level after another of being "wrong" and relates this process to reading. Describes six strategies children invent and discusses implications for teaching. (AS)

Highlighted by Katy's early reading and writing experiences, guidelines to help young children become effective readers and writers are offered to parents and teachers. (BB)

Describes the formation of story awareness in young children, suggesting methods for assessment and activities to facilitate its development. (KS)

Article reviews research focusing exclusively on the reading knowledge of preschool children who have not begun schooling and have not received formal reading instruction. The categories are (1) studies that document what preschool children learn about reading (informally at home or in preschool), and (2) studies that tell us how children learn…

Discusses a reading project, Beginning With Books, designed to promote literacy among low-income preschool children and provide them with books. Describes the project's development and the procedure for operating the Gift Book Program. Lists 51 books suitable for a toddler book collection. (RJC)

This joint statement expresses concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. The statement was prepared by seven organizations concerned with preschool education and/or reading instruction. (BD)

Develops a rationale for using action books with preschool children of three-six years. Offers guidelines for selection of books, and gives an annotated book list of humorous action books that teachers and parents can use with young children. (BB)

Describes a project designed to bring books and services to children unlikely to go to public libraries. A library system of seven child care centers was involved. Included are nine sample activity kit cards, a list of 41 readings for child caregivers, and 26 folktales for children four-five. (RJC)

Presents a statement to the Montgomery County (Maryland) Council concerning the issue of all-day "whole" kindergarten--combining education and child care--for five-year-old children. (BB)