ReadingPlus, i-Ready, Epic!, Accelerated Reader --digital reading platforms for education (DRPEs) are pervasive in today's literacy classrooms across grade levels and contexts. It is, therefore, crucial that both English language arts (ELA) educators and teacher educators, alike, understand the potential lasting effects DRPEs can have on young…

For many teachers of middle school and high school, the greatest challenge they face in trying to help struggling readers improve their skills can be students' self-perception. When young people do not see themselves as members of the "literacy club," it is not just a simple matter of persuading them that becoming a fluent reader is…

Evaluates the characteristics common to most reading programs and offers suggestions for keeping a program a learning rather than a testing situation. (HTH)

Guided reading is a major component of a comprehensive or balanced reading program. Most teachers understand the value of guided reading in the classroom but have difficulty managing effective implementation. They often ask, "What will the other students be doing when I am working with a guided reading group, and how do I manage all the children…

The article describes the Direct Instruction Skills Plan, a comprehensive plan for direct and text-related reading skill instruction which places skill instruction prior to text reading. Steps include anticipatory set, objective and input, modeling, purpose setting and guided application, independent practice, checking for understanding, real-life…

Poses six unanswered questions in need of research that concern school reading programs. Questions address (1) advisability of a uniform sequential reading series, (2) relative effectiveness of materials, (3) generalists vs. specialists, (4) usefulness of workbooks, (5) permanent assignment of class reading texts, and (6) parental involvement. (TE)

Discusses the steps teachers can use to create an inclusive reading program for students. Specific exercises teachers can use include undertaking an informal assessment of the students, developing reading groups, creating multisensory activities, creating isolated comprehension skills, and forming lesson outlines. Examining the component parts is…

This issue of "Reading in Virginia" features a bicentennial article on three early pioneers in the diagnosis of specific reading problems: Adolf Kussmaul, Rudolf Berlin, and Samuel Orton. Additional material includes sketches of the two recipients of the Virginia State Reading Association (VSRA) Distinguished Teacher Awards (Kim Rusinow…

Describes the developmental college reading lab at the University of Georgia that is holistic and content-based, emphasizing individualized. direct instruction by qualified staff. (HOD)