Experiential learning opportunities support readers in developing the background knowledge that is essential for comprehension. When authentic experiences are not feasible, virtual reality experiences serve as a vicarious approach to help readers have opportunities that promote comprehension. Rooted in experiential learning theory, virtual reality…

The teacher's dilemma presents various strategies for teaching content area reading. Teachers the content subject area should be willing to accept the fact that their role as teachers is vital to the success of his students. Students cannot be expected to read the textbook as they would the local newspaper or a novel. Students need to be taught…

Constructivism is somewhat opposite of a mandated curriculum. It does not emphasize testing to ascertain pupil achievement. Nor is it a teacher determined reading curriculum. A formal reading curriculum with measurably stated objectives would not harmonize with constructivist thinking. Flexibility is a key concept in describing, in part, its basic…

Veteran teacher Rachel Harbison used vivid stories to involve kindergartners in sociodramatic play to motivate reading acquisition. Children learned through staged events that a mischievous Word Queen had planted "tricks" in the alphabet (i.e., the irregularities in English spelling) to prevent children from learning to read. The…

An increasing number of students are enrolling in colleges underprepared for the demands of college-level coursework. There is a need for innovative approaches for developmental reading instruction to improve long-term academic and career success. The purpose of this study was to investigate adult developmental reading students' attitudes…

Teachers have used the method of repeated readings to build oral reading fluency in students with and without special needs. A new fluency building intervention called interval sprinting uses shorter timing intervals (i.e., sprints) across a passage. This study used an alternating treatment design to compare repeated readings and interval…

Three novel experiments investigated the effectiveness of color-coded word-families flashcards for facilitating kindergarteners' word recognition skills. Flashcards were constructed with the rime of the word family (vowel and remaining consonant sounds) printed in black ink, indicating that words with this spelling pattern sound the same, and the…

This conceptual article explores early adolescent students' responses to an experimental Gothic reading unit (including popular culture and traditional texts). The Gothic genre was selected due to both its prevalence in youth culture and lack of representation in reading classrooms. This hybrid curriculum increased academic reading engagement in…

Vocabulary development is a crucial aspect of literacy. It is our duty as teachers to enrich the language of our students to better prepare them for a successful lifetime of communication. This paper offers several methods to enhance levels of speech in the classroom. Some of the techniques included are the use of repetitive reading, reading…

Fluent oral reading is essential for success in elementary school. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of enhanced reading fluency instruction for struggling readers. In a response-to-intervention context, the effort represented a primary intervention available to all students but provided only to those judged likely to need…

Student motivation is a critical element of engagement, learning, and achievement. With this in mind, teachers are particularly interested in motivating their students to read. However, getting students to do so can be a difficult task, especially if they lack confidence in choosing personally interesting books. We advocate for carefully nurturing…

There is some evidence that reading and spelling are complementary processes. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which contextualized spelling (i.e., spelling activities within the context of reading instruction) is used to support reading in first-grade core reading programs. Analysis of 75 lessons across five programs…

Reading is a vital skill for functioning in society. People need to read road signs, prescription labels, restaurant menus, and job applications just to make it through everyday life. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of the population (Washburn, & Joshi, & Binks-Cantrell, 2011) are said to be dyslexic which means they will struggle…

Have you ever felt like there are days where you are not sure if anything you taught went into any of your student's heads? With the amount of research that is being done across the world on reading, it is time to analyze what strategies would benefit my students the most and help them grow as readers. Reading is a key foundational skill not only…

From 2005-2009, the state determined that the Williams School had made no progress in raising its poor performance on the state English language arts test. In the fall of 2009, the state awarded literacy partnership grants to provide professional development to low-performing schools, and the Williams School partnered with our institution of…