Finds that the program was somewhat more effective than the traditional (basal) curriculum for teaching word attack and letter-word identification, especially for students in low socioeconomic schools in a metropolitan school district, but that the program was not more effective than the conventional curriculum for more complex language skills…

To examine the validity of distinguishing children with reading disabilities according to discrepancy and low-achievement definitions, 4 assessments of expected achievement and 2 of actual achievement were obtained for 199 elementary school students. Results do not support the validity of the discrepancy versus the low-achievement definition.…

Finds four major unresolved issues, according to state legislators: (1) assessment of students' reading progress; (2) whole language versus basal approaches; (3) use of tradebooks in place of basals; and (4) whether at-risk readers should spend increased time reading or practicing isolated reading skills. Suggests that legislators lack sufficient…

Uses the example of a 12-year-old nonreader to review fundamental principles essential to teaching seriously disabled preadolescent nonreaders. Argues that teachers must begin with an acute awareness of how students feel; accurately access strengths and weaknesses; find starting points that will guarantee initial success; be clear about time…

Examines Black-White and Hispanic-White achievement gap trends over 30 years, identifying key factors contributing to bifurcated patterns in achievement gaps. While conventional measures of socioeconomic status, family conditions, youth culture, student behavior, and schooling might account for some of the trends for a limited time period or a…

Examines factors influencing the reading engagement of 24 struggling, resistant readers in grade 3 through 5 who were tutored by university graduate and undergraduate students. Notes that all students made great strides in reading achievement and in voluntary reading motivation. Finds the most salient factor in increasing reading motivation was…

Reports on results of a longitudinal study of relative reading achievement of 87 boys and 100 girls from 1st through 6th grades. There was a systematic relationship between gender and reading categorization in Grades 1-3, but not Grades 4-6. Implications include a case for early reading intervention and for reconsideration of the view that…

Discusses guidelines for the use of the Montessori prepared environment in addressing special needs students, focusing on writing and reading difficulties. Examines the value of Montessori's motor and sensory education as a bridge for both typically and atypically developing children. (JPB)

Explores literacy development over a three-year period of a child in a whole language, multiage classroom who also receives special education services. Contrasts the classroom teacher's holistic-constructivist views with the special education teacher's mechanistic, reductionist views; discusses implications of each; and calls for new, positive…

Investigates the effects of readers theater participation on the oral reading ability and motivation of second-grade Title I reading students. Finds readers theater activities may offer otherwise struggling readers an opportunity to read aloud with enhanced skill that may transfer to reading achievement levels on other material. (NH)

Four experiments tested the self-teaching hypothesis of word learning. Findings indicated that: (1) minimizing phonological processing significantly attenuated orthographic learning; (2) reduced orthographic learning was not attributable to alternative factors; and (3) contribution of pure visual exposure to orthographic learning is marginal. It…

Discusses effect of competition from charter schools and voucher programs on students who remain in public schools; focuses on Milwaukee (effect of vouchers), Arizona (charter schools) and Michigan (charter schools). By comparing test results between schools affected by competition and those not affected, argues competition improves public…

Third and fifth grade teachers rated the mathematical skill level, classroom behavior, and effort of their students, most of whom had completed mathematics and reading achievement tests. Results indicated that mathematics and reading achievement test scores, together with student effort, were significant predictors of teacher rating of mathematics…

In this study we used spring-to-fall reading achievement data to measure summer gains and losses for a sample of over 300 early elementary school students from high-poverty schools. We combined evidence from a randomized experiment of an academically intensive community-based summer school program with parent telephone survey data regarding the…

The authors of this article report on a preliminary study of 18, 4- and 5-year-old children, followed by a longitudinal study of 44 children, who were tested in the first, second, and third grades. The children's ability to detect the ambiguity of lexically ambiguous sentences (e. g., "The children saw the bat lying by the fence") and…