Focuses on the teaching behavior of a small sample of rural self-described whole-language kindergarten teachers to determine consistency level between their perceptions of whole-language teaching and whether whole-language concepts were applied to their classroom instruction. Indicates many teachers were unable or unwilling to incorporate many of…

A longitudinal study evaluated the Cambridge Lesley literacy Project as implemented in the Longfellow School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Five years of data on the progress of all children from kindergarten through third grade in both the Spanish bilingual program and the standard program were gathered during twice-weekly visits to the…

A study examined practitioners' perceptions about the transition from a scope and sequence of skills approach to reading instruction and assessment to a whole literacy curriculum and portfolio assessment. Subjects, four consultants and eight teachers at one of the seven public elementary schools served by the Kamehameha Early Education Program…

Project FIEL, Family Initiative for English Literacy, was designed to provide participatory literacy and biliteracy development opportunities for (Hispanic-American) families in El Paso. This article discusses program goals; theoretical perspectives; project design rationale; population characteristics; curriculum development, implementation, and…

This booklet presents a qualitative evaluation of the Simi Star Project, which sought to demonstrate the use of a Writing to Read adaptation that supports a literature-based, whole language, writing process environment within kindergarten and first-grade classrooms. After a description of the questions that the evaluation asked, the booklet…

In the research paper considered, Stahl and Miller compare the effectiveness of whole language/language experience programs versus basal reader approaches. The article is criticized for its lack of longitudinal data, alternative interpretations, and information concerning the broad goals of whole language approaches. (TJH)

The effectiveness of whole language/language experience programs versus basal reader approaches is considered. The politicization of whole language teaching and the use of the nonbasal approaches in kindergarten versus first grade are the focal themes. (TJH)

This study compared two beginning reading programs, Integrated Reading-Writing (IR-W) and DISTAR in comparable urban schools with students "at risk" for literacy problems. Although the two programs resulted in comparable gains in word recognition and overall reading achievement by the end of first grade, children in IR-W tended to…

In the research paper considered, Stahl and Miller compare the effectiveness of whole language/language experience programs versus basal reader approaches. The article is criticized for misrepresenting concepts related to emergent literacy and inadequately defining whole language, the lack of equivalence between the two nonbasal approaches, and…

This report examines outcomes of the Primary Language Record (PLR), a program for systematically observing students in various aspects of their literacy development. The PLR uses classroom events and samples of student work to record students' progress and interests, recommend strategies for addressing needs and building on talents, and discuss…

Describes the implementation and evaluation of an early intervention program, Reading Recovery, designed to help young, at-risk children become writers. Research evaluation results in New Zealand and in the United States and a case study of a five-year-old child are presented. (BB)

The 1993-94 school year was the first year of the Accelerating Literacy Program (ALP) of the Austin (Texas) Independent School District. The ALP used a grant from the Texas Education Agency to train elementary educators in the methods of a short-term reading intervention program based on the Reading Recovery/Whole Language theory. A group of 367…

The second year of the International Academy for Bilingual Education and Bicultural Studies program in New York City is described. The program provided instructional and support services to 40 Chinese- and English-speaking students in one pre-kindergarten and one kindergarten class at P.S. 1 in community school district 2. Half of the students…

This report presents an evaluation of the International Academy for Bilingual Education and Bicultural Studies, an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its third year of operation in 1992-93. The program provided instructional and support services to 74 Chinese- and English-speaking students in 1 pre-kindergarten, 1…

A family literacy demonstration project was conducted to offer family literacy classes in three public schools in Philadelphia. Instruction was offered for 2.5 hours per day 4 days per week for parents of kindergartners and first graders from January to June and for parents and children together in July. The project was designed to help adults…