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)

Presented is a list of multisensory activities for teaching the alphabet in three letter increments over a 1 week period to children with educational, instructional and moderate intellectual handicaps. (CL)

Spelling research indicates that an effective language arts program should incorporate direct teaching of spelling words with teaching the words in a meaningful context. (JH)

The evolution of writing systems of the Aramaic languages is discussed, stressing the importance of looking beyond simple character forms as they occur in space and time to the interaction of scripts with languages, and the interactions of writing systems with minds and civilizations. First, the invention of the alphabet is discussed from a…

Intended for preschool children, this workbook provides practice in the readiness skills for handwriting. The workbook's activities, presented in sequence of difficulty, promote the following skills: developing language; seeing similarities; seeing differences; filling in missing parts; writing basic strokes; drawing objects; establishing…

Intended for children in first grade, this workbook provides practice in writing correctly all 26 manuscript letters, both upper and lower-case, and numerals from 0 to 9. The alphabet used in the workbook is the Zaner-Bloser style of handwriting, the most widely used system in the schools of the United States. The strokes used to make each letter…

Intended for children in second grade, this workbook provides practice in writing correctly all 26 manuscript letters, both upper and lower-case, and numerals from 0 to 30. The alphabet used in the workbook is the Zaner-Bloser style of handwriting, the most widely used system in the schools of the United States. The strokes used to make each…