Provides information concerning the value of letter names in the teaching of reading and spelling. Presents specific discussions about the importance of letter names to prereading phonics abilities, the phonemic values in letter names, and the use of letter names in word analysis, semantic word recognition, and semantic spelling. (MKM)

Twenty-four elementary school children ranging in age from 7 to 10 years identified tachistoscopically presented arrays varying in length and degree of orthographic constraint. (Author/MP)

To examine the association between reversal errors and neurological disorders, 409 first graders were asked to name the letters of the lowercase alphabet presented in fixed, nonalphabetical order. (Author)

Claims that writing systems that constitute a species of graphic systems, such as pictures and charts, are distinctive in that they bear a direct relation to speech. Argues that writing serves as a model for various properties of speech including sentences, words, and phonemes. Concludes that literacy contributes to conceptual structure of…

A study compared the use of mnemonic strategies in using pictures for enhancing acquisition of the form and sounding of Hebrew letters by students (ages 10-15) with mild mental retardation. Results indicate that the students who were taught the mnemonic strategies learned significantly more letters than controls. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This study showed that the Elementary Perceiver and Memorizer (EPAM) can explain letter recognition phenomena earlier simulated by the connectionist Interactive Activation Model of word perception. EAPM, a model of learning and recognition in the form of a computer program, has previously explained many aspects of learning and perception. (TJH)

Tests the statement in "Becoming a Nation of Readers" that kindergartners can name an average of 14 letters. Finds that a more realistic distribution is bi-modal in that most kindergartners know 8 or fewer letters, and only a few can name more than 20 letters. (RS)

Discusses a new approach to teaching letters of the alphabet, one which focuses on studying letters and sounds in authentic contexts. Emphasizes that children's interests, rather than a teacher's desire to pass through the letters of the alphabet in direct sequence, should direct curriculum. Alphabet learning can be integrated into other classroom…

Poor spellers in second grade (N=128) participated in sessions that included direct instruction in the alphabet principle, modeling of different approaches for developing connections between spoken and written words, and practice in composing. Results of this multilayered approach are discussed, including evidence that training in spelling…

Investigated visual word recognition of first- through fifth-graders. Found that the "viewing position effect" typically seen in skilled readers and visual field asymmetries in recognizing individual letters in words emerged early at the end of the first year of reading instruction. Noted that findings support the view that basic reading…

Continues a series of articles on art projects incorporating the use of alphabetical or numerical symbols. Describes a project in which third-grade students incorporated Native American art motifs and symbols into large-scale paintings of letters of the alphabet. Notes discoveries made by students in the course of their projects. (DSK)

This study examined the effect of incorporating a visuo-haptic and haptic (tactual-kinaesthetic) exploration of letters in a training designed to develop phonemic awareness, knowledge of letters and letter/sound correspondences, on 5-year-old children's understanding and use of the alphabetic principle. Three interventions, which differed in the…

This study examined the effects of observational learning on preschoolers' attention to print, use of a questioning technique, and knowledge of the alphabet. Participating were 13 boys and 13 girls from a day care center at a community college, with a mean age of 4.3 years. Children were randomly assigned to one of three training conditions, each…

Problems in the translation of Judeo-Spanish texts go beyond the problems normally associated with translation. Aside from near-native control of two languages, the translator must have knowledge of vocabulary that is not completely Spanish and an understanding of the unique orthographic history of the Judeo-Spanish dialect. There are Spanish…

Indicates that i.t.a. can be an effective tool in teaching bilingual Mexican-American children to read. (RB)