There is now compelling evidence that children's early vocabulary development is essential to their long-term reading comprehension. Findings from experimental studies have indicated that vocabulary knowledge influences the development of conceptual knowledge and comprehension, suggesting a causal relationship among these fundamental language…

Many students who experience reading failure are inappropriately placed in special education. A promising response to reducing reading failure and the overidentification of students for special education is Response to Intervention (RTI), a comprehensive early detection and prevention system that allows teachers to identify and support struggling…

Presents results of a survey to determine the characteristics, organizational patterns, instructional methods, and current trends in university reading clinics in the United States. (FL)

Argues that kindergarten reading programs should do the following: (1) be structured but not formal; (2) be developmentally appropriate; (3) focus upon broadening each child's experiential base; (4) foster each child's desire to become literate; and (5) provide an environment rich in printed materials and opportunities to use them. (FL)

Reports extensive observations of a whole language program in two first grade classrooms that support whole language instruction. Outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the approach for both students and teachers. (FL)

Concludes that remediation often consists of students completing skill lessons in workbooks with the teacher serving as manager, that most remedial activities are not congruent with classroom tasks, and that remedial students generally receive no additional instructional time to acquire reading behaviors. (FL)

Describes a program, "Newspapers in the Classroom," that uses daily newspapers to teach important skills. (JL)

The basic thesis of this book is that reading is not a passive process by which people soak up words and information from pages, but an active process by which they predict, sample, and confirm or correct hypotheses about written text. Part One of the book examines the reading process and reading instruction, and it contains chapters that deal…

Studies the middle level reading programs in the midwestern states to determine which areas received the most emphasis within five separate categories: instruction, approach, comprehension, materials, and activities. Finds that typical midwestern reading programs focus primarily on developmental instruction, emphasize a traditional skills approach…

An instructional system designed to implement the objectives of the Southwest Regional Laboratory (SWRL) Reading Program is currently under development. This document defines the program objectives, content, content sequence, and pedagogical strategies for each outcome area. A description of the program's instructional activities, their sequence,…

Describes an Environmental Reading Program, in which students come to realize that they are readers of their surroundings. Shows how the program can stimulate thought processes and promote comprehension. (FL)

Research suggests that some of the problems faced by reluctant readers may stem from an emphasis on evaluation that precedes real instruction. At a southeastern university, the reading education program attempts to adhere to a particular sequence of methodology for working with children to prevent reading anxiety: teaching, application, practice,…

The Ryedale Adult Literacy Paired Reading Project pairs tutors and adults with reading difficulties. In the Ryedale program, tutees choose reading material that is within the tutor's readability level. The tutor and tutee read aloud together at the tutee's pace until the tutee has made enough progress to read aloud alone. When tutees feel ready,…

Designed for use by California educators responsible for reading instruction, this booklet (1) provides the basis for development of criteria for materials selection, (2) serves as a resource for inservice training, (3) furnishes guidance for developing reading curricula, and (4) establishes guidelines for aiding program and personnel evaluation.…

Focusing on what is being done to help adult nonreaders or poor readers, this publication offers suggestions for ways educators might keep informed about literacy efforts and teaching techniques. It contains reports on current efforts by governmental and private agencies to eliminate adult illiteracy, successful features of various literacy…