Improving reading instruction is one of the hottest topics in K-12 education today. It is also one of the most complex, encompassing pedagogy, policy, and politics -- all rooted in a long history of arguments about the best way to teach kids to read. This analysis is a primer on the "Science of Reading" and efforts to implement it across…

Finds overwhelmingly positive attitudes in two public school faculties toward the change of their curriculum to include the whole language philosophy--students were motivated, teachers were renewed with a positive attitude, and students exhibited an air of confidence and security concerning their performance. (SR)

Concerns are being raised in both professional literature as well as in the popular press regarding certain aspects of the literature-based movement. A longitudinal study investigated a group of first-grade teachers who have been attempting (with varying degrees of success) to introduce literature-based teaching strategies into their classrooms.…

Providing a context for discussion rather than an insider's point of view, this report discusses the current state of reading research. The report reviews differing visions of educational reform of reading instruction espoused by supporters of phonics and by supporters of the whole language approach. The report then proposes four criteria for use…

Addresses the concerns of first-grade teachers about the implementation of a holistic literature-based reading series. Notes that the teachers in the "conversation group" had not been direct participants in the adoption decision. Suggests that the conversation group enabled the teachers to assimilate change through the sharing of the…