Presents the results of a questionnaire sent to teachers using the initial teaching alphabet (i.t.a.), and their principals. Generally favorable effects were reported by both groups, with the great majority of teachers indicating they would choose to continue using i.t.a. (DLG)

This instructional program, designed to diagnose and overcome deficiencies in prereading skills at the kindergarten and preschool levels, teaches five basic skills which directly relate to the reading process and to reading success: 1) attention to letter order; 2) attention to letter orientation; 3) attention to word detail; 4) sound matching;…

This paper analyzes some of the conditions affecting the introduction of innovations in reading instruction in post-war Britain. The relationship between these innovations and research is explored. Section one presents background information and discusses possible causes for the influx of innovative techniques in reading instruction in the 1950s…

This CD-ROM is part of an interactive and dynamic multimedia package of information and games for learning K'iche' and Ixil. This CD-ROM includes six books in electronic format with interactive exercises that support improved bilingual and intercultural education and teacher training, specifically in the languages of K'iche' and Ixil. Books…

Provides fully developed library media activities designed for specific curriculum units. Curriculum areas represented include reading and language arts (proverbs and fables, letters of the alphabet, and biographies); science (the study of Gregor Mendel and genetics, oil resources); and social studies (global awareness). (LRW)

Second and fourth graders and college students categorized one- and two-syllable words. Categorization response times for second graders were related to the number of letters in one-syllable words. Second and fourth graders had longer categorization times than college students for four-letter, two-syllable words. (BC)

Background: We evaluate the effectiveness of three theoretically motivated programmes for the teaching of reading to four-year-old children. Method: Four hundred and ten children, of pre-kindergarten age, in 20 UK Reception-year classrooms were divided into four matched groups and randomly assigned to one of three experimental teaching conditions,…

This study compared the rates of different types of joint book reading behaviors of parents of preschool children with and without language impairments using two different text genres. Participants included 72 preschool children between the ages of 51 and 70 months. Fifty-five children were typically developing and 17 were diagnosed with language…

This collection of 18 stories of the Scottie Creek People of Alaska is presented in both Upper Tanana, an Athabaskan language, and English in line-by-line translation. The stories, which include personal narratives, cultural explanations, and traditional tales, were recorded in 1988-94. The tales are told by Mary Tyone, a traditional storyteller…

It is argued that a more comprehensive, systematic understanding of the nature of the alphabet, its three identities (letters/graphemes, letters/nomenemes, sounds/phonemes), and their specific functions in the teaching of various language skills and subskills should be an integral part of the language arts curriculum and instructional plan,…

The dilemma of cataloging works in writing systems other than the roman alphabet is explored. Some characteristics of these writing system are reviewed, and the implications of these characteristics for input, retrieval, sorting, and display needed for adequate online catalogs of such works are considered. Reasons why needs have not been met are…

This paper reviews recent research on English spelling and the alphabet, and examines the alphabet in terms of symbols, letter-names, and sounds. English is considerably less phonetic than most Western languages, with many symbols having more than one sound. This factor makes spelling difficult for learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) or…

The student manual of a Hausa language course is designed for the training of Peace Corps volunteers in Nigeria. It consists of 12 lessons emphasizing grammar and vocabulary development for interpersonal communication. Lesson topics include daily communication needs and market vocabulary and expressions. The lessons contain information and…

A guide to Pulaar is designed for language learning by Peace Corps volunteers. It contains a pronunciation guide to the Pulaar alphabet, 12 language lessons for interpersonal and intercultural communication, and glossaries. The glossaries are in Pulaar, English, and French; all text is in English. The lessons consist of cultural information, a…

Seven reading readiness skills essential for young children's language development are presented in this curriculum guide. Following an introductory overview of the curriculum and its philosophy (including the aims, rationale, and objectives), the seven reading readiness skills are described. These skills are (1) auditory discrimination of sounds…