Research has indicated that a large percentage of primary-grade students who struggle in reading have not achieved full competency in the foundational reading competencies (word recognition and fluency). In this article, the author argues that more intensive instruction of the foundational competencies is needed and proposes a simple lesson…

Concludes that training in the use of dictionary pronunciations as a means of instructing retarded readers might be more effective if combined with oral reading practice. (RW)

Describes how the author worked with one struggling reader to help him learn to make balanced and consistent use of different cues for word identification (graphophonic cues, how words look, grammatical appropriateness of words, sentence meaning, or background knowledge). (SR)

Reports that teaching educable mentally handicapped children to compare unknown words to words they already have in their sight vocabularies seems to improve their reading abilities. (FL)

Argues that encouraging poor readers to correct their miscues helps them to improve their skills in reading for meaning. Proposes a four-step procedure to encourage corrections. (FL)

Reports on a study in which a seven-year-old girl was trained to focus on individual words in learning to read. (FL)

Compares the Edison Responsive Environment (ERE) type of programmed instruction and a non-automated, multimedia instructional system. (RW)

Discusses four critical areas of instruction (decoding skills, language development/competence, concept/context building, and critical thinking skills/strategies) which can help limited English proficient (LEP) students improve their reading competence. (MM)