This study investigated preschool teachers' beliefs and practices regarding the use of computer technology in teaching reading and writing in Jordan. The researcher developed a questionnaire consisting of two scales--Teachers' Beliefs Scale (TB Scale) and Teachers' Practices Scale (TP Scale)--to examine the role of computer technology in teaching…

This study examined the composition of vocabulary and preschoolers' vocabulary learning in an early literacy program. Fifty-six children with typical achievement, with special needs, and at risk for disabilities participated. Curriculum-based measures (CBM) were used to track children's receptive and expressive vocabulary growth over three…

Reading problems are among the most prevalent concerns in schools; poor readers in elementary school who do not receive special assistance are particularly at risk for dismal academic careers. In a large-scale project, children with serious reading problems received targeted intervention to address critical early literacy skills. The assistance…

Based on teacher questionnaires and close ethnographic observation of 40 first-grade students, this article explores the learning possibilities the arts present for teaching young children and fostering developmentally appropriate practice. Its aim is to reinforce the value of the arts already being used in early childhood classrooms and to…

This longitudinal study examined the effects of a comprehensive professional development program on literacy environments of preschool classroom/teacher units. The Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit (ELLCO) was used to assess effects of treatment. Forty (40) classroom/teacher units, representing 14 preschool centers,…

Since the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, teachers and parents have witnessed a series of heated debates on the most basic issues of literacy assessment-what to assess and how to assess it. In particular, the controversy rages over DIBELS and OSELA, two popular early literacy assessment instruments. The purpose of this article is to address the…

This study reports the results of a cross-sectional analysis of variables associated with parents' reading to young children among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Texas. The participants were 600 WIC mothers visiting WIC clinics in Texas. The data were collected by survey, and…

This issue highlights seven distinct studies. The first study examines the perceptions of early childhood educators and elementary educators concerning their beliefs about young children and how those beliefs translate to practice. The second explores joint book reading among parents and very young children. The third investigates the importance…

This paper presents results of Year 2 of an Early Reading First project in a low-income, primarily African American community. Goals of Early Reading First include preparing at-risk preschoolers for school success. This project provided professional development, classroom coaching, books, and materials in support of a literacy-focused preschool…

This issue features seven studies that address affective as well as academic educational outcomes. The first article incorporates teachers' perceptions of the role of technology in supporting English language learners' writing. The second article highlights results for two cohorts of young children served by an Early Reading First program at…

This issue highlights six distinct studies. The first study examines the inclusion of literacy props and teacher mediation on the literacy behaviors of young children. The second explores the relationship of amount of talk, diversity of talk, and complexity of talk on the language acquisition of young preschool children who are learning a second…

Emergent literacy research states that young children learn about reading and writing through experiences with oral and written language. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency with which individual preschool children voluntarily engaged in literacy behaviors during free choice in the classroom. The sample consisted of nine…

As political mandates in the United States continue to demand increasing levels of literacy by all young children, the importance of identifying factors that influence novice teachers' development over time become more critical. In this article, we explore Phase I of a longitudinal study, which describes the evolving literacy beliefs and practices…

Educators have continually sought to achieve a balance between a phonics-based, code-emphasis program and a more holistic, meaning-based approach to emergent literacy instruction. This article describes an integrated phonics and literature-based approach to developing children's emergent literacy skills. These skills included alphabet knowledge,…

This study compared literacy learning for kindergartners as 12 teachers read 10 popular alphabet books aloud, emphasizing meanings or phonemes, and used centers for independent practice with an alphabet book on audiotape or CD-ROM over a period of four weeks. Researchers taught half the teachers to read the books with an emphasis on phonemes…