The Pacific Communities with High-performance in Literacy Development (Pacific CHILD) Professional Development Model research project was initiated in response to an overwhelming need in PREL's Pacific service region for improvement of teachers' knowledge and instructional practices in early reading. This report examines the question of the…

Kentucky's goal of reaching academic "proficiency" by 2014 illuminated problematic findings in 2002 reading test scores: 44.30% of middle and 71.25% of high school students scored below "proficient." The research question was, "Do teaching practices in schools with high reading achievement scores differ from teaching…

This book presents Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI), a research-supported framework for integrating curriculum with instruction and fostering long-term engagement in reading. According to the book, CORI is a practical model that helps K-6 teachers plan integrated units of instruction based on their own interests and strengths as well as…

This book presents current, research-based best practices for supporting young children's development as readers and writers. From leading figures in early literacy, the book's essays demonstrate that scientifically grounded instruction need not be dull, drill-oriented, or "one-size-fits-all"--rather, it describes language-rich approaches to…

This book is intended to provide the content and structure for a group study of reading and instructional practices that advance reading achievement. The book includes concise summaries of research that reflect sound practices in reading instruction and the most current understanding of the process of reading. It pulls together much of what has…

This paper is a summary of the evaluation of the second complete year of the implementation of the Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), which is designed to achieve 100% literacy by targeting reading performance of beginning reading and first-grade students, to expand the reading power for second- through twelfth-grade students and to intervene for…

To spread the word that reading instruction must be based on research and to improve the preparation of teachers to teach reading, this edition of "Basic Education" emphasizes some of the most significant findings of recent reading research and suggests how these findings should translate into immediate action and policy. The first article, "A…

Most educators will agree that a kindergarten program must provide not only a print-rich environment, but also carefully organized learning experiences. This book maps out how to develop and maintain an exemplary literacy program in a kindergarten classroom. The first section of the book explores the necessary elements of an outstanding…

Since regular teachers miss on average 8 days of work each year due to illness, there is a need to have well trained substitute teachers for the public schools. The substitute teacher needs inservice education programs which prepare him/her to do a quality job of teaching students. The following are essential reading skills to develop within…

For one teacher switching from teaching first grade to teaching kindergarten, giving her students knowledge and power was her goal. Specifically, she wanted her students to benefit from the power and freedom that literacy holds. This paper relates how the teacher came to choose balanced literacy as a well rounded approach to teaching communication…

Noting that all children need to write often and without criticism, this book aims to be a comprehensive guide for teaching all children to write. It proposes that the art of reading is the art of writing, and that the more students read, the more easily they will be able to write. After a "prelude" by the author, the chapters are: (1) Children…

Researchers at Taiwan's Ming Chaun University and at the University of Northern Virginia investigated whether a strategies-based approach to teaching English reading to non-native speakers would improve reading comprehension. The study also examined whether incorporating culture into teaching would improve reading comprehension in Taiwan and…

This book focuses on middle school and high school literacy programs that effectively support student learning in an era of national and state standards and high-stakes testing. The book offers a programmatic vision, a set of principles, and real-life examples to guide educators who wish to inform their practice with research-based knowledge to…

This Winter 2006 issue of "Learners in Action" contains the following articles: (1) Premiers Honour Adult Learners; (2) Learning Difficulties?; (3) Awards; (4) Hats off to Jacques Demers!; (5) What Do You Think?; (6) Meet the Current Learners Advisory Network; and (7) "Learning Edge" is No Ordinary Magazine!.

This practical resource offers more than 40 strategies that teachers in all content areas can use to help students--including English learners and struggling readers--understand new words, phrases, and concepts. Far more than best means of teaching specific words, these strategies will tap students' curiosity, engage and empower them, develop…