DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO METHODS OF FIRST-GRADE BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION WERE INVESTIGATED. APPROXIMATELY 920 FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN WERE DIVIDED INTO 2 GROUPS WHICH RECEIVED 1 OF THE 2 METHODS. TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS OF CERTAIN VARIABLES ON READING ACHIEVEMENT, THE CHILDREN WERE MATCHED IN PAIRS. THE RESULTS WERE GATHERED FROM ONE GROUP…

A previous study by Gibson et al. (1972) that investigated the effect of orthographic structure on letter search was replicated and extended in order to identify factors that might explain the apparent discrepancy between their results and those of comparable studies. Experiment one tested whether the discrepancy might be explained by difference…

This guide provides information on the Lao language and alphabet for teachers of English to ethnic Lao refugees. Twenty-seven English pronunciation lessons dealing with the particular problems of Lao speakers learning English are included. Lao words are written in a phonetic Roman alphabet. An annotated bibliography of resources is appended. (JB)

TWO FIRST GRADE CLASSES, ONE USING THE INITIAL TEACHING ALPHABET (ITA) AND ONE USING TRADITIONAL ORTHOGRAPHY (TO), WERE RANDOMLY SELECTED FROM A SCHOOL IN EACH OF 4 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE TOTAL SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 100 CHILDREN IN ITA CLASSES AND 100 CHILDREN IN TO CLASSES. THE CLASSES WERE GROUPED HETEROGENEOUSLY. THE PINTNER- CUNNINGHAM PRIMARY…

The conclusions and recommendations drawn from a 7-year study of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (i/t/a) made by the Reading Research Unit of London University are reported. The British research showed conclusively that traditional orthography (TO) is a major handicap for teachers and students of reading. Students taught with i/t/a made…

This textbook on the Nembe language of Nigeria is written for students whose mother tongue is not Nember and for beginners in elementary school. In the introduction, notes on the new Nembe orthography are given, including vowels, nasalized vowels, consonants, tones, and word division. Notes on the grammar are next, with discussion of pronouns,…

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide the American educator or sponsor with a set of reading passages in Khmer (the language spoken in Cambodia), so that he will have some means of determining whether or not his Cambodian students can read Khmer. Three short passages have been selected, each given in the Khmer alphabet and in its romanized…

This paper presents the results of investigations into mature readers' focal point when viewing letters, words, and phrases. The focal points are accurately determined by using the after image created from a spot of light. The after image is then superimposed on the reading material. The results show that the focal point does not fall haphazardly…

The role of visual imagery in the learning of letter-sound combinations was investigated using such mediating images as two scoops of ice cream for the letter "m." In a preliminary study, high-, medium-, and low-strength mediating images were determined for each letter-sound combination. The 216 kindergarten subjects in the main study were…

Data from four of the Cooperative First Grade Studies (1964-1965) were reanalyzed for four first grade projects, (Fry, Hayes, Mazurkiewicz, and Tanyzer). These projects were selected because they compared the Initial Teaching Alphabet approach with traditional orthography-basal reader approaches. The focal point of this reanalysis was to study the…

Collection and evaluation, using both measurement and judgment techniques, of the available evidence relating to the use of i/t/a as a means of beginning reading with children between the ages of 5 and 7 were presented. The specific terms of reference were threefold: (1) to evaluate published research material on i/t/a from both Great Britain and…

This study contrasted the psycholinguistic abilities of good and poor readers from disadvantaged backgrounds after completion of the first grade, using the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities. It was predicted that disadvantaged children classified as poor readers would be significantly inferior to those identified as good readers on…

The Cooperative Reading Project's purpose was to examine the relative effectiveness of three approaches to the teaching of beginning reading and the effectiveness of oral stimulation. This monograph reports the results of the last year of the project. The experimental reading treatments were: (1) the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA), (2) the Words…

Twelve recent developments concerning i.t.a. were discussed. They include the following: the recent publication of reports about i.t.a.; the debate in the House of Commons on the Schools Council Report and the distribution of copies of the Hansard reprint of the debate; sizable new financial aid; new members joining the i.t.a. Foundation; recent…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal effects of i/t/a and T.O. instruction on students' reading, spelling, and language abilities at the end of third grade. It was primarily concerned with determining whether the effects of early reading instruction, which were not statistically evident at the end of second grade, became…