Describes an innovative middle school program (called Family Reading) where a family-like atmosphere of attentiveness and helpfulness characterizes student interactions as they develop and practice strategies for reading aloud with younger children. Discusses children's literature and strategy learning and the family component of the project. (SR)

This study compared traditional instruction (basal approach) with an interactive instructional conversation (IC) approach for enhancing the language and concept development of five Hispanic students (ages 7-9) with learning disabilities. Proximal measures indicated higher levels of discourse and greater participation with IC, whereas distal…

The article describes what electronic books are, notes how easy they are to use, and explains why teachers might consider using electronic books to motivate their students in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. (SM)

Reports on a development in interactive Japanese at a new facility where lexicographical information can be viewed with full contextual information. This information is available for any word in the 65 texts incorporated in the course. This method of showing all the collocations of a word was implemented to help users monitor progress. (24…

Investigates the effectiveness of instruction in story mapping as a means to promote first-grade students' comprehension of central story elements in children's literature. Concludes that instruction in story mapping is an effective instructional strategy for promoting first-grade students' ability to identify central narrative elements in…

Investigates the effect of phonemic awareness training on the phonemic awareness and reading ability of low- and middle-achieving first graders. Finds that training which provided subjects with a conceptual connection between phonemic skills and reading was generally ineffective for low readers. Suggests that phonemic awareness training for low-…

This study tested whether the application and transfer of segmentation and letter knowledge to reading could be encouraged by teaching spelling alongside code-based reading instruction, with five matched pairs of kindergarten children with developmental delays. Spelling and word reading performance significantly improved for the experimental…

Reports a study that examined the use of phonics instruction in fundamentalist Christian schools. Interviews with Christian educators and professionals at conferences indicated that support for phonics (because it is felt to be more traditional and to work) and distrust of the whole language approach is common among Christian educators. (SM)

Fourteen holistic, meaning-based reading and writing activities appropriate for students with learning disabilities are described, along with the theoretical background of the paradigm. As children experiment, approximate, and discover language naturally and socially, their immersion in authentic spoken and written language facilitates learning to…

Investigated the literary experiences of preschoolers in Head Start and early childhood special education (ECSE) classrooms based on survey responses of 10 Head Start and 20 ECSE teachers. Found similarities between the two teacher groups regarding the relatively low priority placed on reading and writing goals and the ways children were involved…

Three elementary students with behavior and learning problems and pre-first grade reading skills listened to an audiotape of unknown words while reading them aloud. Both slow-taped and fast-taped words resulted in greater accuracy in reading than occurred in the assessment-only control conditions. (SW)

Presents seven curriculum guides for art, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Includes library media skills objectives, curriculum (subject area) objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional role, activities and procedures for completion, evaluations, and follow-ups. (AEF)

Describes transactional strategies instruction, an approach to teaching reading comprehension in elementary classes that focuses on student and teacher transactions with text. Contends that the approach differs from traditional strategy instruction. Provides examples of transactional strategies instruction, including dialogs between teachers and…

Comparison of "Distar Reading Mastery" and Addison Wesley's "Superkids" beginning reading programs with 81 children in transitional kindergarten special education classes found no significant differences at the end of the treatment year or at one-year follow-up. However, among children making the most gains, the Distar group…

Maintains that continued over reliance on traditional skills-based assessment of reading abilities provides the whole-language teacher with little, if any, useful information for instructional planning. Suggests informal assessment procedures that focus on the language learner and provide a rich information source on which to base instructional…