The purpose of this study was to determine current kindergarten teacher understandings of early phonics instruction and how teachers are meeting readers' early phonics needs during guided reading instruction. Using Vygotsky's (1979) social constructivist theory and Ehri's (1995) connectionist theory and by focusing on age-appropriate instruction,…

Scholars [e.g., Carlsson-Paige, N., McLaughlin, G., & Almon, J. (2015). Reading instruction in kindergarten: Little to gain and much to lose. Retrieved December 11, 2015, from https://www.sarahlawrence.edu/cdi/media/pdf/ReadinginKindergartenreport.pdf] warn that outcome-oriented, kindergarten, literacy standards may encourage an overreliance…

The purpose of the study was to examine the Kuwaiti first grade teachers' perceptions of developmentally appropriate practices in teaching reading and writing. To achieve the research purpose, a questionnaire was developed and administrated to 167 first grade teachers. Results revealed that first grade teachers hold moderate agreement towards…

Against the backdrop of growing international concern for a narrowing view of early literacy, this study was initiated to determine how teachers of four-year-olds view their task of fostering early literacy. This paper reports on the first steps to design and validate an instrument which captures teachers' perceptions of early literacy content…

In 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Kindergarten Readiness Act into law. The law changed the kindergarten entry cutoff so that children must turn five by September 1 to enter kindergarten. The law also established a new grade level--Transitional Kindergarten (TK)--which is the first year of a two-year kindergarten experience for…

Primary teachers completed the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile and Primary Teacher Questionnaire to determine their endorsement of developmentally appropriate practice. Results indicated a substantial congruence between the constructs underlying the notion of developmentally appropriate practice and those that are fundamental to a whole…

This paper describes how a vice principal at a rural Kentucky elementary school successfully implemented curriculum changes to meet the learning needs of young children. The change process also addressed the concerns of kindergarten teachers frustrated with the demands of teaching basal reader activities that eliminated explorative play and other…

Examined teachers' beliefs on what constitutes developmentally appropriate literacy instruction. Three teachers were interviewed, observed during planning and instruction time, and asked to reflect on their beliefs and practicing. Through practice, they came to believe that appropriate literacy instruction involves a variety of instructional…

An 8-week course on early childhood education focusing on preventing reading difficulties was conducted and evaluated in Haifa, Israel. The course objectives were to: (1) review child development in its relationship to reading; (2) examine reading theories and teaching methods; (3) analyze the effects of the child's environment on reading; (4)…