Walking with Rosie: A Cautionary Tale of Early Reading Instruction

Author: Juel, C., Biancarosa, G., Coker, D., Deffes, R.
Publisher: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Publication Date: 2003, April
Journal: Educational Leadership
Journal Volume: 60 (7)
Pages: 12-18
Full text available online at: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/apr03/vol60/num07/Walking_with_Rosie%40_A_Cautionary_Tale_of_Early_Reading_Instruction.aspx

Abstract (written by WestEd)

The authors observed literacy lessons for nearly 200 preschool through first grade students from mostly low income families. Most of the time, teachers focused on phonological awareness and decoding skills, while ignoring word meanings and context. Vocabulary knowledge, both oral and "book language" (words infrequently used in oral conversations), is critical for reading comprehension. Juel et al. cite research and their own study showing that students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are overrepresented in groups of students with weak vocabulary knowledge. In other words, reading achievement gaps reflect language knowledge more than socioeconomic status. Research suggests that teaching vocabulary skillfully can increase students' reading comprehension.

Several research studies referred to by the authors indicate that incidental instruction on vocabulary (e.g., oral discussions during read-alouds) did not positively affect vocabulary development of kindergarten and first grade students. Explicit instruction on word meaning and contextual links was associated with higher oral vocabulary scores. Instruction in both decoding and vocabulary, to identify words and know their meaning, appears to be effective in developing young students' oral language.