A developmental learning strategy for early reading in a laboratory nursery school

A three-year investigation on early reading, using a developmental learning model for cognitively structuring and sequencing learning processes, was designed to test the efficacy of the model in a practical nursery school setting with a diversity of teaching styles. Using primers, guides, and materials developed by the investigator, over 80% (107) of 132 three-to five-year-old children learned to read with moderate to high fluency and interest. Pretest letter recognition skill, CA, and especially MA (but neither IQ nor sex of child) predicted success in learning. Certain analytic-integrative cognitive operations, which were built into the method, and a minimal general level (MA) of cognitive and language development appear essential to learning to read.

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Résumé Le but d'une enquête sur la question d'apprendre à lire tôt était de mettre au point un modèle de la structure et de la série d'apprentissage développemental (developmental learning) dans un contexte d'une école maternelle avec une variété de styles d'instruction. A l'aide de livres élémentaires, de guides, et de matériaux développés par l'investigateur, plus de 80 pour cent (107) de 132 enfants âgés de trois à cinq ans ont appris à lire avec facilité et avec intérêt d'assez bien à bien. L'habileté à reconnaître des lettres aux prétests, l'âge chronologique (CA), et l'âge mental (MA) (mais ni l'IQ ni le sexe de l'enfant) ont prédit le succès à apprendre. Certaines des opérations de la méthode et un niveau général de base (MA) du développement cognitif et de la langue semblent nécessaire pour apprendre à lire.

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The author wishes to express his appreciation to the many people who helped make this project possible—administrators, teachers, testers, parents, and above all the children. I would like to mention, especially, Roald Campbell, Dean of the Graduate School of Education, University of Chicago, for his administrative and financial support; Frank Lloyd, Director of the University Laboratory School; the teachers, Ann Benedict, Carol Brindley (also for test illustrations), Kay Franklin, Yvonne Lawson, Gloria Needleman, Marianna Terry, Arlene Labow, Joan Schreiner, and Masha Semkoff; to researchers, Eleanor Haspel, Julia Holt, James McGinnis, Ann Rotstein, and particularly Muriel Lo for the analysis of data; to Jane Hill (for editorial assistance); to Joyce Flow for her excellent typing; and my three daughters, Josephine, Monique, and Velia for illustrating the primers as only children can.