A Consumer's Guide to Evaluating a Core Reading Program Grades K-3: A Critical Elements Analysis - This guide is designed to help states, districts and schools evaluate kindergarten through grade 3 reading programs for their alignment with research and with students' learning needs. The guide aligns with the findings of the 2000 National Reading Panel and includes the five critical components of reading – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension. This site includes additional resources such as a planning and evaluation tool for effective schoolwide reading programs K-grade 3 and video clips of effective reading instruction and assessment. (Deborah C. Simmons, Edward J. Kame’enui, College of Education, University of Oregon, 2006)...

How Young Children Learn to Read in High/Scope Programs - This set of position papers explains how young children learn to read and write in High/Scope’s infant-toddler, preschool and early elementary programs. The debate centers around the most effective way to establish a foundation for literacy at an early age. Papers for each developmental level describe how children acquire closely related and complementary literacy skills, and list the strategies High/Scope-trained teachers and caregivers use, in partnership with parents, to support reading and writing development in their programs and at home. The papers also cite scientific research proving that the High/Scope approach works and answer questions frequently asked by educators, families and policymakers. (High/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 2001)...