About Reading
Children learn to speak and walk by instinct. But did you know reading is different? Reading needs to be taught. Kids in the United States, though, aren't learning this fundamental skill. An astonishing 40 percent of American fourth graders can't read at the "basic" level. The following articles provide an introduction to what's involved in teaching kids to read and where we are in succeeding or failing at doing so.
This section contains 27 articles.
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Speaking Is Natural; Reading and Writing Are Not
Human brains are naturally wired to speak; they are not naturally wired to read and write. With teaching, children typically learn to read at about age 5 or 6 and need several years to master the skill.
Learning to Read and Write: What Research Reveals
Children take their first critical steps toward learning to read and write very early in life. Long before they can exhibit reading and writing production skills, they begin to acquire some basic understandings of the concepts about literacy and its functions.
What Is Scientifically Based Research? A Guide For Teachers
Teachers can strengthen instruction and protect their students' valuable time in school by scientifically evaluating claims about teaching methods and recognizing quality research when they see it. This article provides a brief introduction to understanding and using scientifically based research.
Ten Myths About Learning to Read
There are many beliefs and a great deal of dogma associated with reading acquisition, and people are often reluctant to let go of their beliefs despite contradictory research evidence. Here are 10 of the most popular and most potentially pernicious myths that influence reading education.
Some Principles from the Reading Research
These findings of the National Reading Panel offer a wealth of detailed information on strategies that have proven to work in reading instruction.
The statistics are consistent: Young male readers lag behind their female counterparts in literacy skills. This article looks at the social, psychological, and developmental reasons why, and suggests solutions — including the need for more men to become role models for reading.
Children's knowledge of letter names and shapes is a strong predictor of their success in learning to read. Knowing letter names is strongly related to children's ability to remember the forms of written words and their ability to treat words as sequences of letters.
Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. Learn how readers integrate these facets to make meaning from print.
Top 10 Things You Should Know About Reading
Get information about learning to read and facts about reading difficulties in this overview of ten basic points about reading.
About Reading: An Introduction
It's not an easy thing, learning to read. This article provides a brief overview of what is involved and what parents, teachers, and everyone else who touches the life of a child can do to help those who struggle.
Why Some Children Have Difficulties Learning to Read
Children may struggle with reading for a variety of reasons. This article provides an overview of these reasons, including limited experience with books, speech and hearing problems, and low phonemic awareness.
Findings of the National Reading Panel
According to research, some instructional methods for teaching reading are more effective than others. Find out what the National Reading Panel's review of the research revealed about best practices in reading instruction.
The Need to Read Has Never Been Greater
As difficult as life has been for illiterate Americans in the past, the economy of the near future will offer even fewer jobs for workers with poor reading skills. The Information Age and the advance of technology into daily life make the job prospects for poor readers bleaker than ever.
How to Help Every Child Become a Reader
When communities work together, they can improve the reading achievement of their children. Learn what efforts need to be made with preschool and school-aged children in order to improve reading achievement in America.
Children with Reading Disability
NICHD research on children with learning disabilities has shown that deficiencies in processing letter-sounds are at the heart of most reading problems. This article illustrates how letter-sound processing works, and describes strategies for teaching children this skill.
Developmentally appropriate research-based literacy instruction in the primary grades includes attention to a variety of areas. Learn what reading instruction looks like in such areas as word identification, writing, and spelling in this overview.
Identifying Risk Factors to Prevent Difficulties
There are certain characteristics of groups and individual children that increase their likelihood of struggling with reading. Find out how to use knowledge of these risk factors to help prevent reading problems for these children.
Research-Based Principles for Improving the Reading Achievement of America's Children
Learn ten lessons from research about the home and school experiences necessary for reading success in this concise overview.
Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children: Executive Summary
Reading is essential to success in our society. The ability to read is highly valued and important for social and economic advancement. Of course, most children learn to read fairly well. In this report, we are most concerned with the large numbers of children in America whose educational careers are imperiled because they do not read well enough to ensure understanding and to meet the demands of an increasingly competitive economy.