The biggest concern with whole language instruction lies in ignoring some of the obvious problems in implementation or denying that there could be any problems at all. Problems mentioned by Maryland reading supervisors involve: teacher competence; phonics/spelling/skills instruction; responses of whole language advocates when asked what direction…

Intended for teachers, this book demonstrates the importance of teaching with real books. The first three chapters outline the components of a literature program, the settings in which it operates, and the human communities that shape it. Chapter 4 discusses literary elements: character, time, mood, layers of story meaning, place, point of view,…

The goals of this practicum were to help teachers of at-risk kindergarten children become more knowledgeable of developmentally appropriate practices for 5-year-olds, and to research, define, and translate appropriate literacy development theory into practical application strategies for teachers. A needs assessment survey was developed and…

This annual report summarizes recent activities provided in Ohio through Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Information presented includes statistics for fiscal 1988, including the 1987-88 school year and the following summer, participation trends, instructional impact, expenditure and staffing patterns, parent…

The District of Columbia's Student Progress Plan (SPP) was designed as the delivery system for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), and regulates student promotions based on skill attainment and mastery of the instructional objectives. An evaluation of SPP was conducted in the second semester of school year 1985-86, and its findings are…

Noting that many preservice teachers enter required courses believing that the course is something to endure or overcome for certification, a study examined whether a reading methods course would convince students to view teaching the reading process as a vital and necessary function of content area teachers. Six classes of students (three…

A review of the literature on the use of the computer in teaching reading included studies that centered on basic reading skills and studies that, for the most part, supported the use of computer assisted instruction (CAI) to assist in developing these skills. The research indicated that CAI in reading is effective for a wide variety of reading…

A two-tiered scaffolding model can be used to explain the complex and critical relationships between the teaching and learning of teachers and the students they teach. The first tier of scaffolding is a teacher, or someone else who qualifies as a more capable other, providing support for a student. The second tier depicts the support necessary to…

A study was conducted to explore how children learn to read in kindergarten. The study employed a heuristic model that included entering ability, home background, instructional processes, home support for literacy development, and measures of student ability at the end of kindergarten. Children were tested, whole-day classroom observations were…

More is known about the effective teaching of reading than is reflected in classroom practice. The critical link in the chain from research findings to classroom practices is staff development. A staff development model was designed, based upon the notions that change is a gradual and difficult process for teachers; that teachers vary widely in…

A study was conducted concerning the reduced and limited curricula which tests may represent. Observations were made at 18 different elementary and middle school classrooms in four school districts in central Pennsylvania during the language arts instructional period. All of the teachers were involved in promoting a holistic approach to literacy.…

The 1988-89 Chapter I Remedial Reading and Mathematics Program was implemented by the Division of Special Education's District 75 of the New York City Board of Education. It provided remedial instructional services to 842 students in reading and 114 students in mathematics. The program also trained teachers to address students' academic and…

The practice of grouping children of similar ability for reading instruction is as much a part of the classroom as the chalkboard, yet for decades research into classroom practice has raised serious questions about ability grouping. A research project using the meta-analysis approach to analyze more than 50 research studies concluded that ability…

A research project was conducted in 1982 by Sacramento City College's Assessment Center to evaluate the effectiveness of selected English courses found in three levels of English: English 55 and 56 (the lowest level); English 57 (level two), and English 1A (level three). The study focused on students who had reading and English scores required for…

Thirty classroom teachers, 19 reading teachers, 33 students, and 13 supervisors were interviewed in a study to gather information concerning the degree of congruence that exists in the instruction provided during core curriculum reading instruction and compensatory reading instruction. The interviews consisted of open-ended questions that…