This guide was designed by teachers for teachers, & summarizes what researchers have discovered about how to successfully teach children to read. It describes the findings of the 2000 National Reading Panel Report & provides analysis & discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, & text comprehension. Each section defines the skill, reviews the evidence from research, suggests implications for classroom instruction, describes proven strategies for teaching reading skills, & addresses frequently raised questions. Illustrations.

Proven ideas from research for parents.

A devastatingly large number of people in America cannot read as well as they need for success in life. With literacy problems plaguing as many as four in ten children in America, this book discusses how best to help children succeed in reading. This book identifies the most important questions and explores the authoritative answers on the topic of how children can grow into readers, including: What are the key elements all children need in order to become good readers? What can parents and caregivers provide all children so that they are prepared for reading instruction by the time that they get to school? What concepts about language and literacy should be included in beginning reading instruction? How can we prevent reading difficulties starting with infants and into the early grades? What to ask school boards, principals, elected officials, and other policy makers who make decisions regarding early reading instruction. You'll find out how to help youngsters build word recognition, avoid comprehension problems, and moreâ€"with checklists of specific accomplishments to be expected at different ages: for very young children, for kindergarten students, and for first, second, and third grade students. Included are 55 activities to do with children to help them become successful readers, a list of recommended children's books, and a guide to CD-ROMs and websites. Great strides have been made recently toward identifying the best ways to teach children to read. Starting Out Right provides a wealth of knowledge based on a summary of extensive research. It is a "must read" for specialists in primary education as well as parents, pediatricians, child care providers, tutors, literacy advocates, policy makers, and teachers.

Sixty-five percent of U.S. fourth graders are not proficient readers because their teachers have not been taught how to teach reading using evidence-based methods. Up to 20% of children have dyslexia. Few receive the individualized teaching they need from their schools. To help parents and teachers who want to teach their children using an evidence-based, effective method, Pamela Brookes, the mother of a child with dyslexia, discusses their daily routine as she teaches her daughter to read using the decodable DOG ON A LOG Books series. As the author of DOG ON A LOG Books, Pamela also shares how to choose where in the series to start. She shares how she teaches each of the phonics rules used in the book series along with the reasons for teaching the syllable types and handwriting. Although this booklet is meant to guide parents and teachers using DOG ON A LOG Books, the information can be adapted and applied to any systematic series of decodable books. How to Use Decodable Books to Teach Reading is edited by Dr. Nancy Mather, a professor in learning disabilities, reading, and writing to make sure it follows the scientific research on teaching reading. This edition includes information on Steps 1 to 10 of the DOG ON A LOG phonics rules. Additional steps will be added as the future decodable chapter books are created. All DOG ON A LOG Books follow a structured literacy/Orton-Gillingham based phonics sequence. You can download printable gameboards, flashcards, and other literacy materials at www.dogonalogbooks.com.