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The state of reading proficiency in the United States has been under attack for decades. Attempts to improve reading achievement through instructional practices have taken the profession through the "reading wars" to "balanced-reading" to "evidenced-based" methods. Unfortunately, the professional development of reading teachers persists in isolating reading instruction from the language processes and core knowledge that learning to read must build upon. The paper that follows is a call to action--a rationale for bringing together knowledge and skills across professional preparation areas--to achieve more effective reading instruction in the hope of closing the national achievement gap.

Characteristics of spelling development and spelling error patterns were examined in 100 schoolchildren (ages 7 to 15) previously identified as dyslexic with specific phonological weaknesses. Comparison of subgroups indicated that better spellers are also better readers and that measures of phonemic segmenting and manipulation make independent contributions to word reading skill. (Contains extensive references.) (DB)

This study evaluated Frith's 3-phase model of reading acquisition with 300 children in 2 cohorts who were followed from kindergarten through grade 3. Varying relationships were found among global language abilities, word recognition abilities, and reading comprehension depending on grade level. Implications for the study and treatment of developmental dyslexia are presented. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses the history of U.S. reading instruction; instructional approaches and learning processes; the whole language view of literacy acquisition; promoting literate behavior through reading to or writing with children, shared reading, and guiding children's reading/writing; and use of the whole language approach with learning-disabled students. (JDD)

This paper discusses five language roots of reading: phonology, syntax, semantics, short-term and long-term memory, and auditory segmenting. Teachers are urged to focus early school experiences toward development of these five skills to reduce the incidence of reading difficulties. Specific teaching suggestions are offered. (Author/DB)

Examines The GAR, which is intended as a group assessment of reading ability for elementary and secondary school students in the areas of reading level, comprehension, study skills, and reading interests. Concludes that the test has many shortcomings. (FL)

A review of the Decoding Skills Test, used to identify first- through fifth-graders with developmental dyslexia and to provide a profile of decoding skills for researchers of dyslexia, concludes that the test is useful for examining decoding competencies and evaluating the skill deficiencies of students known to have difficulty reading. (CB)

This article introduces two conference papers (EC 607 450 and 451) which discuss the link between basic research into brain structure and function and the applied issues of instructional intervention in dyslexia. The papers, based on longitudinal studies at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine (North Carolina), were presented at a Middle Tennessee State University conference. (JDD)

This article introduces four papers (and responses to them) originally given at an April 1990 conference on the identification and treatment of dyslexia. Noted is the lack of consensus on what dyslexia is, how the condition comes to be, and what the nature of educational intervention ought to be, though developmental views are seen to predominate. (DB)

As educators, we must do more than present information and test for its accumulation. We must prepare each mind to learn--to receive and organize information for later application. This requires both an awareness of the learner's capacities and specific action to build a "cognitive set" to receive new material. (Author/SJL)