Duke draws on research into how children learn to read to advise teachers on how to best prompt early readers who get stuck on a word. She notes the 5 key questions young readers face--What is that word? Did I read that word right? What does that word mean? What does the text mean? Why does that meaning matter--and the core mental processes and…

Recent research into reading has revealed much about how people learn to read, and Riley expresses optimism that educators might adopt much of this reading science into how they teach reading without triggering new "reading wars" between advocates of phonics and whole language. He summarizes indisputable facts recent scientific research…

The author argues that to truly help young students who struggle with reading and writing--including those with identified disabilities or conditions that effect building literacy--teachers should avoid the approach of focusing on a student's deficits and creating labels for him or her (dyslexic, English language learner, and so on). A rush to…

Considering the nature of the complex prose that K-12 students today must learn from, in light of the Common Core State Standards, students need to read informational texts on a meaningful level-and with enthusiasm. Teachers, Brozo says, need to achieve three goals: motivate students to read informational texts, expand students' background…

Critics of the public release of teacher evaluation scores sometimes liken these ratings to the scarlet letter worn by Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel. The comparison is apt. But public school teachers who are subjected to public shaming because of their students' test scores can rarely expect the opportunities for redemption…

Instructional reforms are essentially worthwhile as they help students improve their reading from 13th percentile to the 25th or 34th percentile. Only with an expansion of expert tutoring, the goal of all students reading on grade level can be achieved.