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If there’s one book series my second grader is crazy about, it’s Dog Man. You might know a kid or two who shares this obsession. The books are graphic novels in which bathroom humor, slime fights, and a time-traveling hot dog stand feature prominently. How do I feel about my son’s literature choices? Initially, I’ll admit, I struggled. Read more

In 1997, Congress asked the National Reading Panel to do the following four things:
1) Review all the research available (more than 100,000 reading studies) on how children learn to read.
2) Determine the most effective evidence-based methods for teaching children to read.
3) Describe which methods of reading instruction are ready for use in the classroom and recommend ways of getting this information into schools.
4) Suggest a plan for additional research in reading development and instruction (adapted from nichd.nih.gov). Read more

Signs for Sounds is a phonics-based spelling program that aligns with the Science of Reading. This program teaches phonics elements and builds mastery in encoding and decoding words with these elements. It also builds mastery in encoding and decoding high-frequency words that do not follow regular phonics patterns. Read more

Since 1967, International Children's Book Day has been celebrated on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday on April 2. Here are some ways to celebrate. Read more

Every year since 1987, March has been designated by presidential proclamation as Women’s History Month. This annual celebration of women’s contributions to American history began as Women’s History Week in 1978, and today countries like Canada and Australia also honor women and... Read more

Have you ever heard comments like this? They’ve been popping up lately in online discussion forums, and surprisingly, they’re not sparking much debate. Is reading fluency just a natural byproduct of decoding development? If only it were that simple! Fluency is one of the five... Read more

February is Black History Month, a celebration of the achievements of Black Americans. It began as Negro History Week in 1926, when Carter G. Woodson, a Black historian, was instrumental in founding an organization that promoted the achievements of Black Americans. A week of celebrations, performances, and lectures grew into a monthlong opportunity to honor famous Black Americans and their contributions to American society.   Read more

Many elementary classrooms incorporate fluency work into their ELA block—and those that don’t probably should. With few exceptions, all students learning to read will benefit from fluency instruction, and fluency directly correlates with comprehension. The research on this is clear. When it comes to older students who are reading below grade level or struggling with comprehension, educators have less guidance. Is it still valuable to work on fluency with these students, when their peers have moved on? Read more

When it comes to teaching children to read, the importance of a quality phonics program cannot be overstated. With so many options available, it can be challenging to determine which program will best suit the needs of your students. Read more

Millions of K-12 students across the United States are English Learners (ELs). The majority of these students identify Spanish as their home language. Year after year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Average Scores for Reading and Mathematics are significantly lower for students who are identified as ELs, in comparison to their peers who are not. It makes sense that limited English proficiency would have an impact on academic achievement where the language of instruction is English. So, what can we do to best support EL students? Read more