What do students need to achieve in reading? Students need to master phonics elements as needed. Ten cautions in teaching phonics are outlined, which also offer a framework for reading across the curriculum. Reflective thinking in reading is important, and students should be taught to ponder and probe ideas gleaned during and after reading…

This study investigated children's profiles on four constructs fundamental to areas of children's early literacy acquisition: auditory processing, crystallized ability, processing speed, and short-term memory. These areas were measured using six tests: Memory for Sentences, Visual Matching, Incomplete Words, Sound Blending, Oral Vocabulary, and…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a student's level of interest in a nonfiction topic affects his or her comprehension of that topic. An additional objective was to find out if the student's ability level had an impact on this interest-comprehension relationship. Three first graders (one low, one average, and one high ability)…

Based directly on the findings from the National Research Council's report "Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children," this guide offers a "checklist" that will help teachers and principals recognize at a glance the key characteristics of quality reading programs identified in the research. The guide does not describe any single way to…

Based directly on the reports of the National Reading Panel ("Teaching Children To Read") and the National Research Council ("Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children"), this guide is designed to be an accessible and practical document that delivers research findings about effective reading instruction that may serve as guidelines for…

The reading performance standard descriptors in this document support the sections of the English/Language Arts Content Standards adopted by the Alaska State Board of Education. It begins with listing competencies associated with being a competent and thoughtful reader; thinking logically and reflectively; and understanding and respecting the…

Boise State University, Idaho, now has a better idea how well entering freshmen perform in reading, writing, and mathematics because of an Academic Profile instrument administered to freshmen at Boise State and other institutions. In general, Boise State students performed somewhat below other freshmen. The testing was initiated in response to the…

This bulletin outlines the reading and mathematics improvement goals for the Washington public schools. In 1998, the Washington legislature required that school districts establish 3-year reading improvement performance goals for elementary schools to be achieved at the end of the 2000-01 school year. Additional improvement goals were adopted by…

Pacific Resources for Education and Learning has embarked on a journey to build literacy-focused high-performing learning communities--defining high-performing learning communities as organizations that have: shared vision; challenging curriculum aligned to instruction and assessment measures; a culture of continuous learning and improvement;…

This paper is a study of the Success for All (SFA) reading program in a New York City elementary school. In particular, the study investigates if SFA has been implemented as advocated by its developers. The study investigates whether SFA's designers achieved their goals, provides a critical analysis of the program, and conducts a survey of…

A study was conducted in response to a request from the Illinois State Board of Education to examine closely which reading programs work best for Illinois students and schools. In some Illinois schools, students exhibit consistently high levels of reading achievement--the teaching, learning, and other practices of these schools may point the way…

Noting that language arts and reading across the curriculum are in vogue, this paper asserts that reading is an important and distinct part of the language arts and overall school curriculum. It discusses actions and methods involved in the teaching of reading itself, including: (1) oral reading to and by students; (2) availability of a variety of…

To determine quality sequence in pupil progress, evaluation approaches need to be used which guide the teacher to assist learners to attain optimally. Teachers must use a variety of procedures to appraise student achievement in reading, because no one approach is adequate. Appraisal approaches might include: (1) observation and subsequent…

This study assessed the effects of participating in Florida's Prekindergarten Early Intervention Program (PKEI) on fourth grade mathematics and reading standardized norm-referenced test scores and the incidence of retention. PKEI serves mostly 4-year-old children from families whose income falls below the federal poverty level. Study subjects were…

This report contains 11 recommendations and a call to action designed to ensure that every child in Idaho is able to read at the appropriate level by the end of third grade. It was requested by the 1997 Idaho Legislature, which acknowledged that reading is fundamental to a student's ability to achieve his or her full potential. The research…