This report describes a program for improving inconsistent reading comprehension. The targeted population consisted of first, third, and fifth grade classrooms in a diverse middle class community located in Illinois. The problems of low academic achievement were documented through teacher observation, reading comprehension test scores, and low…

This handbook is a tool that reporters can use to uncover the hidden dimensions of race in public education and ask the right questions about the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Section 1, "Race Revealed", includes "Special Education" (Daniel J. Losen); "Dropout and Graduation Rates" (Daniel J. Losen);…

Migrant children lag behind other students in learning to read and in reading achievement, outcomes that negatively affect other areas of academic achievement. This chapter examines the academic, social, and emotional needs of migrant students in elementary classrooms and describes strategies to facilitate language and literacy development for…

This paper provides information about the beginnings of literacy in young children and the skills they need for reading readiness. The paper also describes what is meant by a "quality early literacy instruction" and reading skill development in early childhood settings. It outlines early reading behaviors, including phonemic awareness,…

This book contains a collection of formal and informal reading assessments for use with students in Grades K-8. These assessments assist the teacher in targeting areas of strength and weakness, in monitoring student reading development, and in planning appropriate instruction. The book's assessments (some in both English and Spanish) range from…

Suggesting that informational kinds of reading and writing are crucial in every lesson, this book looks at how teachers can encourage children from the very beginning to think of themselves as young researchers using skills and strategies for clear purposes. It argues that the creative practitioner nurtures children's sense of wonder and curiosity…

Reflecting a constructivist approach to teaching and learning, this book presents the content of the language arts curriculum and the most effective strategies for teaching this content. The processes of reading and writing provide the foundation for the three instructional approaches presented in the book: literature focus units, reading and…

In 1997, the Detroit Public Schools Board of Education established an agreement with Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. to enable Sylvan to provide supplementary reading instruction to selected students in 10 elementary, middle, and high schools. An evaluation was conducted to determine the extent to which Sylvan met its goals. Data indicate that…

This study examined the role of teacher capacity building in the Dallas Reading Plan, a 5-year, systemic reform initiative committed to enhancing students' reading achievement, emphasizing the redesigned Reading Academy, a trainer of trainers delivery system that supported educators' knowledge acquisition. Implementation and outcome data were…

This Congressional hearing included presentations from several Title I educators and administrators who provided information on what Title I really looks like at the local level and what special challenges they face. Statements were made by a Florida elementary school principal, a Pennsylvania school superintendent, the Coordinator for Title I…

This book contains 101 practical, easy-to-implement, and classroom-tested strategies for different students in grades K-8. It provides specific ideas and materials for supporting the major strategies for differentiated instruction (curriculum compacting, tiered activities, learning centers, flexible grouping, and mentoring). Strategies are…

This paper discusses how most students are not yet competent critical readers of academic or electronic texts. This is especially true of English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) university students. After describing the extent of the lack of critical reading skills, an extensive literature review on the subject…

Extensive research over the past 30 years has established the classroom and home experiences that support independent reading by the end of third grade. This set of eight six-page pamphlets draws on this research in providing teachers with practical suggestions on improving children's reading achievement. It includes practices easily incorporated…

This book focuses on teaching reading in a multilingual setting. The book introduces core principles of effective reading practice, beginning with a definitive checklist grounded in a theory of reading. As the chapters progress, each item on the checklist is explained and illustrated in detail with examples of eight exemplary teachers who work…

Arguing that picture books have much to offer students in the upper grades (including middle school and even high school students), this book discusses using picture books to stimulate students' thinking in a variety of topic areas. Chapter 1, Using Picture Books in the Middle School To Stimulate Thinking, introduces the topic of using picture…