Gary Manning

What models of recreational reading make a difference

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine what models of recreational reading improve students’ reading achievement and attitudes. Three different recreational reading models were studied to determine the effect of each model on students’ reading. Twenty‐four teachers and 415 students were involved in the study. Six teachers and their students were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: control, sustained silent reading, peer interaction, and teacher‐student conferences. Teachers in each of the experimental groups were trained in techniques for the model they would be using. The four groups formed by random assignment were considered as equivalent at the outset of the study in both reading achievement and attitudes. At the conclusion of the study, students involved in the peer‐interaction model and the individual teacher‐student conferences model obtained significantly higher scores (p<.01) on a measure of attitude toward reading than did students who were in the other two groups. Students...

Spelling in Kindergarten: A Constructivist Analysis Comparing Spanish-Speaking and English-Speaking Children

Abstract The purposes of this study were to find out (1) whether English-speaking American children construct the same developmental levels in spelling as the Spanish-speaking children studied by Ferreiro and Teberosky (1979/1982) and by Ferriero and Gomez Palacio (1982), and (2) whether English-speaking children, too, make their first letter-sound correspondences through syllables. One-hundred ninety-two kindergarten children were individually asked to write eight words such as “punishment,” “cement,” and “pop.” The developmental levels were found to be similar, but there were some differences between the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children, especially with respect to the first phoneme-grapheme correspondences they made.

Revisiting what children say their reading interests are

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the reading interests of fourth grade boys and girls. Comparisons were made between the reading interests of boys and girls and between minority and nonminority children. In addition the results of part of the present study were compared with the results of a similar study conducted over two decades ago. The present study revealed that there are sex differences in childrens reading preferences; however, at the same time the study showed that the reading interests of boys and girls do often overlap. Additionally, results of this study indicated that minority and nonminority children differed to some extent in their reading interests, but they had more similarities than differences. A comparison of the results of the present study with the results of the earlier study showed that the reading interests of males and females have changed very little over the intervening years.

Development of Kindergartners' Ideas about What Is Written in a Written Sentence.

Abstract In an eight-month longitudinal study, the strategies used by 12 nonreaders in kindergarten were examined as they tried to relate spoken words to segments of written sentences. In monthly interviews, the children were told that the interviewer was going to write “Daddy kicks the ball,” for example. After writing the sentence, the interviewer asked questions about each spoken word—whether or not it was written, and if it was, where it was written. The proportion of functor words (auxiliaries, articles, and prepositions) to content words (nouns, verbs, and adjectives) was varied in the sentences used. The study shows that children may first succeed in establishing correspondences between the temporal order of spoken words and the spatial order of written words when a sentence contains only one functor word. The study also shows the complex interaction of various strategies leading to conflicts, partial solutions, and final coordination.

Reading aloud to young children: Perspectives of parents

Abstract This study investigated the perspectives of parents who read aloud to their young children. The parents were identified through the public libraries in a large city; they were asked to complete questionnaires and to participate in phone interviews. Analyses of data collected from the questionnaires and interviews provide insights about why parents read aloud to young children. An important conclusion is that outside information can increase parents’ awareness of the importance of reading aloud to their young children and can motivate them to do so. Therefore, increasing attention must be given to making parents aware of this important activity.

Preschoolers' Conjectures about Segments of a Written Sentence.

Abstract This study, inspired by Ferreiros (1978; Ferreiro & Teberosky, 1979/1982) research, examined English-speaking childrens notions about segments of written sentences. In individual interviews, 38 three-, four-, and five-year-olds watched a sentence being written and listened to it being read. After writing the sentence, the interviewer asked questions about each word—whether or not it was written and, if it was, where it was written. Four distinct levels were found by analyzing the childrens responses. At level 1 the child thinks that only nouns are written. At level 2 the child thinks that every spoken word is written, but does not make correspondences between spoken words and written segments. The child at level 3 makes correspondences between spoken words and written segments by focusing on the order in which the words are spoken. At the fourth level the child does everything the level 3 child does but, in addition, uses some knowledge of letter-sound correspondences to identify written segments.

What is the role of the principal in an excellent reading program? Principals give their views

Abstract The purpose of this study was to gather data about principals’ role perceptions related to the reading program. A questionnaire was used to gather information from 204 elementary school principals of schools having excellent reading programs. These principals were from eighteen different states and from schools serving both low and middle‐income students. These principals who have excellent reading programs believe that they should: (1) help teachers plan meaningful inservice activities in reading; (2) participate with their teachers in reading inservice activities; (3) give support to teachers in the reading program; (4) be knowledgeable of what should be happening in an excellent reading program; and (5) establish close communication with the home.