Just Teaching Students to Read Is Not Enough
Whether ending the school year or starting a new one, an important question should come to mind: is the goal to teach students to read, or is it to teach…
What Literacy Teachers Really Need (It Isn’t More Trends)
As a teenager many moons ago, one of the questions I remember my parents asking me the most was if so-and-so were to jump off of a cliff would you…
We Blame Teachers for Low Reading Scores. Should We?
I watched the recent Congressional hearing, in which Dr. Holly Lane, director of the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) spoke about the science of reading and what she views…
When Your Curriculum Lesson Plans are Too Much
It’s very common to hear the term “curriculum bloat,” otherwise known as “basal bloat.” Curriculum companies want to sell their product to as many districts in as many states as…
Is Popcorn Reading Good for Fluency Practice?
When it comes to instructional practices in literacy, there are many things that are tried and true, which we can count on to be effective. Systematic phonics instruction, teaching vocabulary…