A Survey of Reading Readiness Practice

Practices in reading readiness programs vary considerably (Spache & Spache, 1973). In some programs the emphasis is upon language development; in other programs the emphasis is upon perceptual1 and/or perceptual-motor training. In fact, in some programs (e.g., Kephart, 1960; Frostig, 1961), little or no attention is given to language development, and even in programs that have a language-development component, some emphasis on perceptual and/or perceptual-motor training is common

A Survey of the Use of Reading Readiness Tests

Reading readiness tests generally are intended to serve two purposes: (1) prediction of readiness for reading instruction and, to a degree, (2) diagnosis of deficiencies of specific skills that are prerequisites for reading. How successful are these tests in serving their purposes

False Prerequisites in Learning to Read

Reading management systems, designed to facilitate planning and monitoring of individualized instruction, are based on the concept of prerequisite skills. For this investigation specific skills from the word-attack component of the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development have been selected in order to investigate whether these skills are indeed prerequisite skills for competence in reading. If these skills are prerequisite skills, one should not find competent readers who lack them. (It is important to caution, however, that even if competent readers have certain skills, these skills are not necessarily prerequisite to reading competence. It is possible that competent readers acquired these skills after or as a concomitant to learning to read.