The paper's primary purpose is to outline an experimental logic that (1) considers causally prior skills such as nonverbal IQ, vocabulary, and decoding, and (2) emphasizes the relative importance of component reading skills rather than simple differences between groups of good and poor readers. (Author/DB)

Offers strategies for preparing children for literacy in the early Montessori classroom through emphasis on phonemic awareness. Specifically addresses activities to develop phonological and phonemic awareness including song, the alphabet, rhyming activities, "I spy" games, word games, and word segmentation. Presents a case study in…

This longitudinal study followed reading progress in 208 children with language impairments (either specific or nonspecific) compared to normal and low IQ controls from kindergarten through fourth grade. Children with language impairment in kindergarten, especially nonspecific language impairment, were at high risk of reading disabilities in…

This article proposes that meaning and form (the sound-letter correspondences) are both important in beginning reading, but that initially they should be taught separately. Support for this position is provided, and a two-stage model of preliteracy development is offered, with the first stage emphasizing meaning and the second stage emphasizing…

Describes a literacy program for three- and four-year-old children established in a university setting to provide teacher education students an opportunity to read with the children while emphasizing concepts about print. Finds a slight increase in the children's concepts about print and in their familiarity with books. (SR)

A book-centered, whole-language approach to literacy education is proposed for young children with hearing impairments. Through the context and vocabulary of a selected book, children work on gross and fine motor skills, language, speech, audition, writing, cognitive skills, and social skills. Two sample lesson plans are described. (JDD)

Finds that, at the end of the first year of a six-year longitudinal study, the literacy development of 26 children prenatally exposed to crack or cocaine appeared to be within the parameters of normal literacy development. (SR)

A survey of 168 preschool children's parents found that less than half of the children with single or multiple disabilities were read to daily or engaged in writing or drawing activities weekly. Relative priorities given to learning to read and write and expectations for reading and writing abilities were lower for children with multiple…

This study, involving a total of 36 preschool children, found that children recalled more sight words on object labels after introduction to the labels and daily repetition, compared to 2 other techniques. Children attending five days per week recalled more words than three-day and two-day students. (Author/JDD)

Argues that parents, especially mothers, are the best teachers for preschoolers, but suggests that the establishment opposes the teaching of preschoolers. The need for progression in language learning beginning at home in the preschool years and continuing and building in the elementary grades, in high school, and in college is stressed. (GLR)

This study investigated the effects of an intensive prereading intervention on the beginning reading skills and social behavior of kindergarten children at risk for behavioral disorders and reading difficulties. Children identified through a systematic screening process were assigned randomly to experimental or nonspecific treatment conditions.…

The authors investigated the influence of language proficiency on the cross-language transfer (CLT) of phonemic awareness in Spanish-speaking kindergarten students and assessed Spanish and English receptive vocabulary and phonemic awareness abilities. Correlation results indicated positive correlations between phonemic awareness across languages;…

Research and theory on second language reading has reached heightened dimensions in recent years. It is through reading that learners access much information concerning the target language and culture, and consequently reading is an important part of almost all language programs across stages of acquisition. The purpose of this article is to offer…

This paper addresses the value and components of developing prereading skills to improve students' reading comprehension. Prereading activities are seen to prepare the student to both read and comprehend the story and involve cognitive engagement with ideas crucial to comprehension of the reading material. Teachers are urged to develop the…