This publication tells the stories of eight schools from around the nation that have used the Open Court Reading program, describing the history of the schools, the challenges they faced, and their attempts to meet those challenges. The schools are located in California, Florida, Texas, and New York. Each of the school stories includes a focus on…

Supported by the Corporation for National Service, AmeriCorps' members serve with local and national organizations to meet community needs while earning education awards to help finance college or training. This report is the final product of the "AmeriCorps Tutoring Outcomes Study" of the AmeriCorps State/National Literacy Programs. The…

This research addressed vocabulary knowledge, which refers to the understanding of words, the overall ideas and concepts being communicated, and the ability to use those words in the appropriate context. The targeted population consisted of students in kindergarten, first grade, and fourth grade. An analysis of School Improvement Plans revealed a…

This pamphlet describes the Texas Reading Initiative, a comprehensive plan aimed at improving reading instruction in Texas and begun after a challenge was issued by Governor George W. Bush that each and every child must learn to read. It lists the 8 key elements that were established to guide the initiative (including increasing awareness of…

This handbook gives teachers, reading specialists, administrators, or students concise, up-to-date information on the most popular assessment and evaluation tools in literacy. This second edition retains many of the tools reviewed in the first edition and adds 12 new tools. The first section reviews 24 tools that are teacher-made. The second…

The purpose of this study was to determine if parental involvement had effects on student reading achievement. The parents of students in kindergarten through grade two were given a questionnaire to complete. The teachers in these grades were given a data form and a short questionnaire to complete on parental involvement and the levels of reading…

This paper asks whether the current form of assessment is appropriate in measuring the growth of American students in the subject of reading. First, the paper examines the argument for standardized testing of skills as an appropriate form of assessment. It then points out that the people in support of this form of testing argue that these tests…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the Phono-Graphix[TM] method, a reading program based on sounds, could help improve the spelling achievement of two kindergarten students. The students, identified as good readers/poor spellers, participated in eight 40-minute sessions. Their spelling skills were assessed before and after the…

The United States ranked ninth among 35 nations in an international study among students in reading, as reported by the Progress in International Reading Literacy. Standards keep going up for students in reading achievement. Literature books for children must be rewritten in keeping up with the times in a demanding school and societal environment.…

This study addresses English learner students' (ELs') reading achievement in San Diego public schools in the years after the passage of the "English only" initiative (Proposition 227). To comply with Proposition 227's requirements, all of California's public school districts administered a newly adopted English-language norm referenced…

A study examined the contribution of morphological knowledge to the reading and spelling achievement of fourth grade children. Results in the study were expected to indicate that morphology contributes to reading and spelling achievement beyond phonological and orthographic awareness. Participants were 58 native English-speaking fourth graders…

This book addresses the task of matching books to students' reading levels, or book leveling. It assists teachers in making informed choices about appropriate leveling systems, recommends which books can be used in instruction, and suggests how book text level and student reading abilities may correspond. The book will help classroom teachers and…

This document presents a sample test form for high school reading and comprehension proficiency. The first section of the exam consists of 27 questions taken from 7 selections, which included 4 literature and poetry selections and the following nonfiction titles: Procedures for Answering a Call, Just the Facts, Garlic, and Pot Roast with…

This report discusses a program to increase student self-esteem in order to improve student reading achievement. The targeted population consisted of students in grades first, second, and third. The study took place in the northwestern suburbs of a large metropolitan area in Illinois. The problems of low self-esteem and low reading achievement…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences of third grade students' reading achievement who have experienced the Reading Renaissance approach to reading instruction (a comprehensive program that balances a reading curriculum with an intensive regimen of reading practice, proven motivational techniques, and state-of-the-art…