Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral-National Key Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, June 2009)

In this classic edition of their ground-breaking work, Usha Goswami and Peter Bryant revisit their influential theory about how phonological skills support the development of literacy. The book describes three causal factors which can account for children’s reading and spelling development: pre-school phonological knowledge of rhyme and alliteration the impact of alphabetic instruction on knowledge about phonemes links between early spelling and later reading. This classic edition includes a new introduction from the authors which evaluates research from the past 25 years. Examining new evidence from auditory neuroscience, statistical modelling and orthographic database analyses, as well as new data from cognitive developmental psychology and educational studies, the authors consider how well their original ideas have stood up to the test of time. Phonological Skills and Learning to Read will continue to be essential reading for students and researchers in language and literacy development, and those involved in teaching children to read.

This study evaluated three phonological processing abilities - phonological awareness, phonological coding in working memory, and phonological coding in lexical access - to predict future reading skills, using meta-analysis. Two research questions were addressed: (1) Which of the three phonological processing abilities contributes more to the prediction of risk for reading failure? (2) Are the different phonological processing abilities related independently to reading? A total of 33 longitudinal correlational studies (23 published studies and 10 unpublished studies) were included in the meta-analysis. Results confirmed the strong relation between phonological processing abilities and reading skills and showed that of the three phonological processing abilities, phonological awareness was the better predictor of word decoding and phonological coding in lexical access was the better predictor of reading comprehension. Results of a path analysis indicated that the three phonological processing abilities were independently related to two kinds of reading skill (i.e., word decoding and reading comprehension) with nonzero path coefficients. These results suggest that each phonological processing ability can contribute to the prediction of future reading skills, and each may provide a possible intervention strategy for young children with reading disabilities.

This impressive volume contains the edited proceedings of a symposium held in honor of Isabelle Y. Liberman, whose teaching and writings laid the foundation for contemporary views of reading disability. Her work has influenced ways of thinking about the nature of the problem and ways of working with children and adults who experience unusual difficulty in learning to read. The symposium covered four themes that were central to Dr. Liberman's research on reading acquisition and disability: the development of phonological awareness, the relationship between phonological awareness and success in learning to read and write, the investigation of other phonological processes associated with reading and writing performance, and the implications of current research on these matters for reading instruction. The text includes a paper on each topic, followed by commentaries which introduce additional research findings and theoretical considerations -- all by leading researchers in the field.

Literacy research has continued to develop at a rapid pace in these last five years of the millennium. New ideas about how children learn to read have led to a better understanding of the causes of progress and failure in the mastery of literacy, with repercussions for children's assessment and teacher education. These new discoveries also allow teachers to transcend the old debates in reading instruction (phonics versus whole language) and offer the path to a synthesis. At the same time, research with teachers about their own implementation of methods and the development of their own knowledge about the teaching of literacy has produced a fresh analysis of the practice of literacy teaching. Inspired by these developments, teachers, teacher educators and researchers worked together to produce this volume, which promotes the integration of literacy research and practice.

Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track.