This report describes a program for improving student independent reading skills through direct phonics instruction. Students were exhibiting inadequate reading skills, which interfered with academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of second and third grade students from a northwestern Illinois city of about twelve thousand.…

This action research outlines an early reading intervention project for improving students' reading skills and promoting the implementation of early reading intervention programs. The targeted population includes first and second grade students in one school located in the suburbs of a major city in Illinois. The problem of early reading…

Historically when children have experienced difficulty in learning to read they have been served by remedial reading programs, special education programs, or retention practices. There is considerable evidence that these programs have been ineffective in raising the achievement levels of those they serve. In addition, because these programs are…

This paper discusses monitoring the school literacy program. Teachers make many educational decisions about how reading and writing should be taught in the classroom. Some teachers makes these decisions intuitively, but a systematic process of monitoring is more effective. When teachers monitor the school's literacy program, they track the reading…

This research project seeks to implement journaling as a means of improving oral communication in the classroom. The student population will consist of an elementary reading class, a junior high art class, and a high school math class. The probable cause literature gathered revealed a lack oral communication occurs in the classroom during…

This lesson uses the picture book "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson and an interactive website to enhance third- through fifth-grade students' understanding of the Underground Railroad and slavery, development of reading comprehension skills, and application of mapping skills. During three 45-60 minute lessons,…

This spider unit focuses on students' development of cooperative learning and inquiry-based skills. Students read "The Very Busy Spider" by Eric Carle, and then work in cooperative groups using the Internet to research and synthesize important information about spiders. Technology is used for vocabulary instruction and to create a…

This guide explains the essential elements of high-quality reading programs and provides suggestions for raising reading achievement in the elementary and middle grades. It is designed to promote the development of the principal as an instructional leader and focuses on the principal's role in the implementation of an effective reading program.…

Oral communication and reading correlate well with each other. Objectives, established by the teacher, must be clearly stated and should be challenging, but achievable for students. They need to stress knowledge, skills, and attitudinal objectives with a balance among these three categories. Objectives to be stressed are that students need to:…

The authors describe their experience over the last 4 years at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, enhancing the vocational opportunities for at risk students through the use of Reading and Writing Technology, primarily, Microsofts word processor, Word and WordQ, a word prediction and text to speech software designed to assist learning…

This supplement is designed as a resource for helping students in grades four through eight read and respond to literature and other forms of print. It notes that fourth through eighth graders are expected to: read independently with fluency and for meaning using a variety of strategies; and read, analyze, and respond in written and oral language…

The Center for Literacy (part of the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory) established the Regional and National Network of Research and Professional Organizations, which examines current trends in literacy research on a national level. The first meeting of the Research Network was held in 2001, and featured a panel of expert researchers…

For student success in reading achievement, recognition needs must be met--each person desires to be recognized for things well done and for improvement over previous performances. This paper discusses how this can be done in the teaching of reading. The paper first enumerates and reports on selected past methods of reading instruction: initial…

This report describes a program for the development of language arts skills through the reading and writing connection. The targeted population is a split third and fourth grade class, a third grade class, and a high school cross-categorical special education class. The difficulties in the area of language arts development and student…

This study is a retrospective examination of elements that influenced one elementary school staff to initiate and implement a school-wide innovation in their reading program in 1990-91. This school served 315 preschool children through grade three in a small town set in the rural countryside. Case study methodology was used to discover how the…