Writing to Read (WTR) is a computer-based instructional system designed to develop writing and reading skills. In the fall of 1985, the WTR program was implemented for the first time in some kindergarten and first-grade classes in Fort Worth Independent School District, (Texas) elementary schools. Research was conducted to evaluate: (1) the…

Intended for reading teachers and teacher educators, this book provides an analysis of 12 fallacious beliefs thought to be responsible for the perpetuation of ineffective and inappropriate approaches to reading instruction. The introduction looks at the dangers of the myths that underlie reading instruction, discusses how the myths arise out of an…

Preceded by preteleconference activities, this teleconference examines the definitions, history, assumptions, and consequences of tracking as well as barriers to change, restructuring responses to literacy and learning difficulties, effective alternatives to tracking, and specific grouping strategies. The following documents are included: "Keeping…

A project was conducted in Texas using an intergenerational approach to literacy instruction. Parents received individualized literacy instruction using the Language Experience Approach, as well as instruction designed to help them encourage literacy skill development in their children. Children and parents also worked together on literacy…

This guide was developed to help Private Industry Council members and Job Training Partnership Act Service Delivery Area directors, planners, and program managers to develop new services by providing an introduction to the elements of effective basic skills programs. The guide is organized in three major parts. Part 1 reviews the research on the…

The Houston Regional High-Technology Delivery System Model for Adult Literacy meets the need for a technology-based system to deliver instruction in basic literacy skills. The system provides multilevel instruction in reading, writing, and computation skills to out-of-school youth and under-educated adults. A variety of technologies are used to…

Stressing the importance of understanding child development, this paper first describes the writing of several children in a kindergarten class who represent various levels of emerging literacy. Based on the descriptions of classroom activities, the paper argues that with a developmental perspective the teacher can build instruction on what the…

Intended for use as an inservice tool for elementary school teachers and as an independent study tool, this guide provides a framework for designing language experiences in the classroom. Following an introduction, the first section of the guide deals with language as communication, as thought, and as a series of interrelated skills. Three…

Appropriate for teachers of any grade who want to teach their students how to read and learn from text, this book explains how to develop and use strategies that will enable all students to read and learn in the content areas without stigmatizing them. The book is divided into four parts. The first part explains the changing role of the school and…

Direct interviews with 17 teachers and observation in 31 rural and urban Venezuelan classrooms (pre-school through grade 6 in nine schools) across 3 states revealed serious reading difficulties among Venezuelan students. Small rooms and multi-grade class situations were common and school supplies and equipment were scarce. Even more scarce were…

Based on the thesis that reading is not a passive process by which readers soak up words and information from the page, but an active process by which they predict, sample, and confirm or correct their hypotheses about the written text, this book is an introduction to the theories of the psycholinguistic nature of the reading process and reading…

This brochure is designed to acquaint persons involved in elementary and secondary instruction in New York State with State syllabi and the State testing program. The New York State testing program was mandated to measure student achievement and program effectiveness in the areas of mathematics, English language arts (reading and writing),…

Designed for teachers to use with intermediate and junior high level students, the activities in this booklet focus on the newspaper as a teaching tool in three broad areas: (1) Language Arts; (2) Reading and Language; and (3) Reading, Language, and Math. The language arts section contains 14 activities identifying parts of speech, practicing…

Jonathan Turner Junior High School, in Jacksonville, Illinois, identified 121 7th- and 8th-grade students as being below grade level in one or more subject areas. A special program for slow learners was designed, which called for classes of no more than 20 students. The program was successfully initiated without special funding or added personnel.…

This guide presents research-based teaching strategies to assist teachers in implementing the Essential Learning Skills--symbol systems, literal meaning of information, implied meaning of information, evaluation of content and use of communication skills, expression of ideas, reasoning and study skills--in all curriculum areas. The first of three…