Literacy Research
Number of unique resources found: 32
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Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement
Description: This is the Web site of the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA). CIERA's mission is to improve the reading achievement of America's Youth by generating and disseminating theoretical, empirical and practical solutions to the learning and teaching of beginning reading.
International Reading Association
Description: The International Reading Association is a professional membership organization dedicated to promoting high levels of literacy for all by improving the quality of reading instruction, disseminating research and information about reading, and encouraging the lifetime reading habit.
– Evaluation –
Author: Matera, Carola
Description: The Volume 11, Number 1 issue of the NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Intervention Field contains an article exploring the effects of a literacy curriculum used by some Spanish-speaking English Learners in Head Start.
– General Information –
Does TV Make You Smarter?: Reading vs TV
Description: This website provides answers to the question "Does TV Make You Smarter?". It also looks at watching educational TV, reading comic books, attention span, prime time TV watching, etc. and how that impacts general knowledge. This site also includes links to articles and studies on the topic of TV viewing and children.
Double Jeopardy: How Third-Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Influence High School Graduation
Author: Hernandez, Donald (2 more by this author)
Description: This revised study finds that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave without a diploma than proficient readers. It is notable in breaking down for the first time the likelihood of graduation by different reading skill levels and poverty experiences. It also updates a 2011 research brief with new data on graduation rates for students living in concentrated poverty.
Author: Roberts, Joanne; Susan Zeisel
Description: This excerpt form "Ear Infections and Language Development" discusses how ear infections might affect hearing and language development. The excerpt also notes ways to encourage language learning and promote early learning literacy.
Description: This publication summarizes the Report of the National Early Literacy Panel and examines the implications of instructional practices used with children and addresses issues of instructional practices for young children so that parents and teachers can better support emerging literacy skills. The National Early Literacy Panel was supported by the National Institute for Literacy, the NICHD, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Office of Head Start to examine the implications of instructional practices used with children from birth through age 5 years.
Early Warning! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters
Author: Fiester, Leila
Description: The ability to read is central to a child’s success in school, life-long earning potential, and the ability to contribute to the nation’s economy and its security. The Foundation released its report to focus attention on the critical importance of achieving grade-level reading proficiency for all children by the end of third grade. The authors take the 2009 reading test results released in March from NAEP--considered to be the gold standard in K-12 standardized assessment--and break down the numbers to show how well different groups of disadvantaged students are doing.
Download the full report or executive summary, and visit the Data Center to create your own maps, graphs, and charts of data related to early reading indicators at the national and state level.
Author: Matera, Carola
Description: The Volume 11, Number 1 issue of the NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Intervention Field contains an article exploring the effects of a literacy curriculum used by some Spanish-speaking English Learners in Head Start.
Description: A Web site geared towards parents, educators, librarians, and advocates. contains information on literacy resources in languages other than English, screening too for literacy, videos on how to "raise a reader", and a toolkit on transitioning to kindergarten.
Improving Early Reading Skills for Children in Poverty
Author: Kainz, K; Vernon-Feagas, L
Description: This news brief discusses researchers from FPG Child Development Institute and the School of Education at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who found that classroom and school characteristics had a larger effect on student’s long-term reading abilities than the method of instruction or the child’s background.
Specifically, they found that children attending minority segregated schools, schools where the minority population exceeded 75 percent of the student enrollment, underperformed even after controlling for the quality of their literacy instruction, the reading abilities of the classroom peer group, and characteristics of the students and their families.
Kids Haven’t Changed; Kindergarten Has
Author: Pappano, Laura
Description: The Gesell Institute for Human Development undertook a study to determine how child development in 2010 relates to Gesell’s historic observations. The executive director of the Gesell Institute, says despite ramped-up expectations, including overtly academic work in kindergarten, study results reveal remarkable stability around ages at which most children reach cognitive milestones such as being able to count four pennies or draw a circle.
The Role of Children’s Interests in Early Literacy and Language Development
Author: Dunst, Carl (2 more by this author); Tara Jones; Molly Johnson; Melinda Raab; Deborah W. Hamby
Description: The Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) has published a meta-analysis examining the relationship between variations of young children’s personal and situational interests and their early literacy and language abilities.
The Vital Role of Early Childhood Teachers in Children’s Literacy and Language Development 
Author: Weigel, Dan (15 more by this author); Sally Martin
Description: This bulletin reports on the Foundations of Literacy Study conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno. The purpose was to identify the key aspects of the home and child care settings that most strongly foster young children’s literacy and language skills. The study is explained and the results provided.
– Professional Development –
Description: This analysis describes the possible link between hearing impairments and language development among children.
– Programming Resource –
Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners
Author: Espinosa, Linda (1 more by this author)
Description: This policy brief challenges six commonly held beliefs about the development of young children who are learning English as their second language and presents research evidence drawing from a variety of disciplines that can better shape education policies for all children.
Description: This analysis describes the possible link between hearing impairments and language development among children.
Author: Altamirano, Suzie; Patricia Madrigal; Danny Brassell; Joan Massa
Description: These journal articles find very encouraging results on the effectiveness of a preschool emergent literacy intervention in a "skid row" child-care facility in downtown Los Angeles. The study shows that both preschool teachers and parents established regular habits of shared book reading and numerous ways for children to write and display their work and children entered kindergarten on or above grade level in understanding concepts about print.
Description: This paper summarizes the details of a workshop which sought to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and university educators to consider the current state of knowledge about emergent and early literacy learning, with the overarching question: what additional knowledge is needed about early literacy learning? Six specific topic areas were addressed: (1) Meeting Context, Background, and New Frontiers; (2) Emergent Literacy and Prevention; (3) Emergent Literacy and Identification of Risk Factors; (4) Emergent Literacy and Intervention; (5) Summary and Conclusions; and (6) Research Agenda and Suggestions for Practice. Common themes addressed in the workshop were: converging findings and research gaps in emergent and early literacy; practical concerns that influence research design and implementation in investigations of emergent and early literacy; and implications for individuals working in different professional roles and disciplines. The workshop also considered the influence of parents and caregivers in enhancing literacy skills, and it sought to identify processes that could assist families in implementing literacy activities and identifying whether their children might be at risk in literacy development.
Implications of Brain Development Research for Even Start Family Literacy Programs
Author: Logue, Mary
Description: Even Start is a federally funded program addressing the literacy needs of children and parents by offering parenting education, early childhood education, parent and child together time, and adult education. Noting that recent research on brain development and learning prompts a reexamination of beliefs and practices related to child rearing, teaching, and learning, this article provides information on brain development research and explores the implications for Even Start programs.
Improving the Reading Comprehension of America
Description: This analysis describes what kind of teaching is needed for effective literacy comprehension among children.
Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks of Reading Instruction
Description: This report gives instructions and tips on how to teach children to read and learn with awareness for children kindergarten through grade 3.
The Crucial Role of Parents in Children's Literacy and Language Development
Author: Weigel, Dan (15 more by this author); Bennett, K. K.; Martin, Sally
Description: This bulletin reports on the Foundations of Literacy Study conducted by the University of Nevada. The study found that parents can play a crucial role in fostering young children's emerging literacy and language skills. The study is summarized and specific suggestions are made for things parents can do to support their children's language and literacy development.
What Works: An Introductory Teacher Guide for Early Language and Emergent Literacy Instruction
Author: Bell, Donna; Westberg, Laura
Description: Based on the work reported in c, this guide describes ways teachers can use the research effectively for early childhood instruction, assessment, choosing curriculum, and helping parents better support their young children’s language and literacy learning.
The Early Literacy Initiative is a project developed and implemented by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) with generous support from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation.
– Research –
A Synthesis of Research on Reading
Author: Grossen, Bonita
Description: The report summarizes the findings of the National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development (NICHD) reading research. NICHD conducted a long-term study in an effort to improve research done in the area of reading.
CELLnotes: Children’s active participation in reading and storytelling
Author: Trivette, Carol (1 more by this author); Carl J. Dunst
Description: Children’s active participation in reading and storytelling can enhance early literacy learning
This Cellnotes summarizes findings reported in Robyak, A., Masiello,
T., Trivette, C. M., Roper, N., & Dunst, C. J. ( 2007). Mapping
the contemporary landscape of early literacy learning, Cellreviews
1(1), 1-11.
The findings are condensed in this newsletter for early childhood professionals. It discusses what it means to practice children's active participation in reading and story telling, what research tells us, and how to act on the evidence.
CELLnotes: Early Literacy Learning
Author: Masiello, Tracy
Description: Early literacy learning can be promoted through experiences with print and language. The findings from research are condensed in this newsletter for early childhood professionals. It discusses early literacy and recent research.
This Cellnotes summarizes findings reported in Robyak, A., Masiello,T., Trivette, C. M., Roper, N., & Dunst, C. J. ( 2007). Mapping the contemporary landscape of early literacy learning, Cellreviews 1(1), 1-11.
Children's Reading and Mathematics Achievement in Kindergarten and First Grade
Author: Denton, Kristin; Jerry West
Description: "This report examines the relationship of children's early literacy skills and resources at the start of kindergarten to their reading and mathematics achievement at the end of kindergarten and first grade. It describes these relationships for children from different race/ethnic backgrounds and for boys and girls. It is the third in a series of reports from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99. "
Description: This analysis describes the possible link between hearing impairments and language development among children.
Author: Matera, Carola
Description: The Volume 11, Number 1 issue of the NHSA Dialog: A Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Intervention Field contains an article exploring the effects of a literacy curriculum used by some Spanish-speaking English Learners in Head Start.
Description: This paper summarizes the details of a workshop which sought to bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and university educators to consider the current state of knowledge about emergent and early literacy learning, with the overarching question: what additional knowledge is needed about early literacy learning? Six specific topic areas were addressed: (1) Meeting Context, Background, and New Frontiers; (2) Emergent Literacy and Prevention; (3) Emergent Literacy and Identification of Risk Factors; (4) Emergent Literacy and Intervention; (5) Summary and Conclusions; and (6) Research Agenda and Suggestions for Practice. Common themes addressed in the workshop were: converging findings and research gaps in emergent and early literacy; practical concerns that influence research design and implementation in investigations of emergent and early literacy; and implications for individuals working in different professional roles and disciplines. The workshop also considered the influence of parents and caregivers in enhancing literacy skills, and it sought to identify processes that could assist families in implementing literacy activities and identifying whether their children might be at risk in literacy development.
Author: Nordby, Ann (24 more by this author); Marcelo Suarez-Orozco
Description: This research spotlight focuses on why issues of immigration and education. "Immigration is the face of globalization", according to researcher and author Marcelo Suarez-Orozco, and significant percentages of immigrants to the US and most other first-world countries are failing to get an adequate education to enter the workforce. Many are instead being incarcerated. Why is education failing so many? That should be the question we are all asking, Suarez-Orozco says.
Intergenerational Transfer of Literacy
Author: Snow, Catherine (2 more by this author); Patton Tabors
Description: This paper explores family characteristics that are related to the inergenerational transmission of literacy. It includes a section on the implications of the research for family literacy programs.
Parent Involvement and Early Literacy
Author: Lin, Qiuyun
Description: The purpose of this study is to increase understanding of the relationship between different types of parent involvement and kindergarten children's early literacy. The two research questions considered were: What types of parenting practices are related to children's early literacy in reading, math, and general knowledge performance at the end of the kindergarten year? How does the relationship between parent involvement and early literacy vary for children from different racial/ethnic and income backgrounds?
Preliminary Rural Analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort
Description: This brief introduces the first results from a rural analysis of selected national data sets. Here we provide key findings concerning kindergarten readiness of rural children from an analysis of the Kindergarten Cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS).
Description: This website is provided by the International Reading Association and this section pertains to phonics instruction. Reading Online (ROL) is a peer-reviewed journal of the International Reading Association.
Phonics knowledge in the young child can be an excellent predictor of later reading success. There has been much discussion regarding the most effective way to teach phonics, but research has shown that whole-to-parts-to-whole strategies help students understand why the skills are being taught, how they make the task of reading easier and more enjoyable, and how reading can be a beneficial and enjoyable recreational activity.
Other research, websites, links, and resources are provided.
Starting Out Right: Pre-K and Kindergarten: Full Report
Author: Hull, Jim
Description: A study from the Center for Public Education looks at the effect of combinations of pre-k and kindergarten on third-grade reading skills. The study focused on two combinations -- no pre-k and full-day kindergarten vs. pre-k and half-day kindergarten -- and found that a combination of pre-k and half-day kindergarten was significantly better. Students attending pre-k and half-day kindergarten are more likely to have higher reading skills by the third grade than those attending full-day kindergarten alone. The impact of pre-k and half-day kindergarten was greatest for Hispanic children, black children, English Language Learners (ELL), and children from low-income families. The chances of Hispanic children and those below the poverty line reaching a higher reading level ranged anywhere from seven percent (for the basic third-grade reading level, "comprehension of words in context,") to over 20 percent (for the higher "extrapolation" level). The authors note that the findings do not take program quality into consideration, and that one could reasonably infer the impact of high-quality pre-k would be even greater. Findings also don't take into account how much time students spent in pre-k.