Filled with classroom-tested, practical guidance, this book addresses common questions faced in every school by those seeking to improve reading. It offers a clear, evidence-informed approach that maximises the chances of all children becoming capable, confident readers. (1) Explore how to lay the foundations for reading development; (2) Learn…

The question of how children learn to read and how they can best be taught, has gained a significant amount of interest over the years. Cognitive research confirms there is a science-based approach to reading instruction. It provides answers to the decades-old question about how children learn to read and what is the best approach to teach them.…

The curriculum implementation literature has recently focused more on identifying and measuring the key components of the innovative curriculum needed to achieve desired outcomes. However, most of this work centers on curriculum implementation external to the field of teacher education. In this article, we report on our identification of the…

The Question-Answer-Relationship (QAR) strategy has been suggested to improve EFL students' reading comprehension. Nonetheless, disappointing outcomes when using the QAR instruction were noted. The current study seeks to: (1) add the Review (R) component to the instruction; and (2) assess the effectiveness of the developed…

The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental study was to test the theory of using high frequency word list (HFWL)-based instruction when teaching beginning reading instruction. This study compared the reading fluency changes of eight classes across three different grades containing 115 students over 5 months as measured by the…

In urban middle schools, educators find it challenging to meet the literacy needs of the many struggling readers in their classrooms, including language-minority (LM) learners and students from low-income backgrounds. One strategy for improving these students' reading comprehension is to teach essential academic vocabulary in a meaningful,…

The purpose of this literature review is to identify the most effective instructional principles for English language learners (ELLs) as documented by prominent researchers in the field and existing research reviews. This report is intended as a high-level synthesis of existing reviews of the literature rather than a comprehensive search and…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Georgia's Choice reading curriculum on third grade science scores on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test from 2002 to 2008. In assessing the effectiveness of the Georgia's Choice curriculum model this causal comparative study examined the 105 elementary schools that…

As part of a larger project to rethink the federal role in elementary and secondary education, the Center on Education Policy prepared this compendium, which summarizes the findings of major studies of the implementation and effects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) conducted by various organizations and agencies. The brief summaries are…

Details the results of allowing student choice in reading and writing. Contends that introducing choice late in a student's schooling complicates that student's ability to reap the full benefits of autonomy. Concludes that choice as a key component of teaching reading and writing is problematic in a traditional setting filled with prescriptive…

Noting that the role of phonics in learning to read is hotly debated, this book speaks to educators who seek to establish sound instructional practice that values phonics as an important tool for understanding and using written language within a balanced, comprehensive program for reading and writing. It explains what phonics is and the…

Historically when children have experienced difficulty in learning to read they have been served by remedial reading programs, special education programs, or retention practices. There is considerable evidence that these programs have been ineffective in raising the achievement levels of those they serve. In addition, because these programs are…

One of many reasons that keep Orem, Utah's residents firmly planted right where they are may have something to do with the superior schools--and teachers--in the Alpine School District. This article describes one such teacher, Toni Zundel Boyer. Boyer, a third grade teacher and literacy coach, developed her own reading and writing materials that…

A study analyzed teacher and student perceptions of a literature-based reading/writing curriculum for at-risk high school students. Eighteen students, (3 girls, 15 boys) ranging in age from 15 to 18 years, began English 9, a redesigned one-semester literature-based make-up course for students who failed ninth-grade English. Prior to the study, the…

A compendium of reading instructional practices from approximately 1950 through 1970, this compilation of essays supplies a theoretical background of the reading discipline for elementary and secondary school reading instructors. The five articles deal with different aspects of the reading curriculum. "The Basics in the Reading Curriculum"…