This report presents results of a comprehensive review of the research on the improvement of reading comprehension for students with disabilities and is organized into two major sections, the first on learning disabilities and the second on low incidence disabilities. Section 1 is organized into seven chapters which cover: (1) an explanation of…

This paper reviews current developments in the field of emergent literacy (the study of reading and writing behaviors that develop into conventional literacy). The review includes studies that look at preschoolers' emerging literacy in homes, day-care environments, and kindergartens and that focus on children's development of literacy knowledge…

Reading skills in a Midwestern suburban school are poorly developed. Evidence of the problem includes test scores, students' inability to read directions in text as reported by the teachers of the school, and oral reading performances by the students. This action research study describes methods for increasing active strategic reading as an…

This book, one of four in the Teaching Reading Collection, presents the "best of the best" classroom-tested ideas, approaches, and practical applications for helping students learn about words. The articles have been drawn from the journal "The Reading Teacher" from 1993-1999. The ideas and strategies are intended to provide possible building…

The Texas Reading Initiative began in 1996 in response to Governor George W. Bush's challenge to all Texans to focus on the most basic of educational goals--teaching all children to read. This booklet describes important aspects of effective reading instruction, as well as elements of classroom and campus support for effective instruction. The…

As part of a series of booklets designed to support parents and carers of young children in the home, this issue focuses on how to teach children to read books as well as to help children from birth become familiar with language and texts in many different forms. Following an introductory section emphasizing the early years as the foundation for…

This report summarizes research supports addressing three areas as targets for educational improvement in Alabama: beginning reading, expansion of reading power, and intensive intervention for those who are reading below grade level. The paper also describes Alabama's statewide initiative to implement best practices in these areas and summarizes…

As many schools are adapting to an ever-increasing broad range of learners, it becomes more important than ever to develop instruction to respond to these academically diverse students. Without differentiated reading instruction, some children will fall further behind, while others will be left unchallenged. This book presents the Small-Group…

Providing students with the opportunity to study different cultures increases their global understanding and helps foster tolerance of cultural differences. In this lesson, grade 3-5 students read folk tales from Japan, Wales, and Africa and depict the stories visually for purposes of retelling. Students also research the countries and share a…

The articles in this Proceedings of the 2000 College Reading Association Conference focus on teachers/mentors. Following the Presidential Address, "Literacy 2001: What Is and What Should Be" (J. Cassidy) and the Early Leader, "College Reading Then and Now: How Much of a Difference Has 50 Years Made" (M. Maxwell), articles in…

This study reports positive impacts of a modified version of the teacher work sample on performance of struggling K-12 readers and on the dispositions of interns who worked with them. The participants included 55 university students in a year-long, senior-level internship and 55 elementary students identified as struggling readers. The…

Four goals of reading instruction are problem solving, securing ideas, achieving state mandated standards, and making decisions. These broad goals provide general direction for teachers in teaching reading. In order to apply reading to problem solving, a teacher may propose a life-like and important problem to students. The pupils then select…

This report describes a program for increasing students' language arts skills by incorporating modeling and grade appropriate comprehension activities. The targeted population consisted of Kindergarten, 4th, and 6th grade students in a rural middle class community located in central Illinois. The problems with language arts skills were documented…

Much is being emphasized in staff development in the area of reading instruction. It is important for each teacher to study and think reflectively about what can be done to improve the reading curriculum. One procedure that can be used is to hold a quality workshop based on the needs of teachers in reading instruction. The theme should be decided…

Created with the input of hundreds of early literacy teachers, this book compiles 7,500 caption books, natural language texts, series books, and children's literature for kindergarten through grade 3. The books are organized by both title and level of difficulty. Word counts are provided for most books to assist teachers as they take running…