Curriculum and Instruction

A Critical Analysis of Eight Informal Reading Inventories

By: International Reading Association (2008)

There are a number of current informal reading inventories. Each has its strengths and limitations and unique characteristics, which should be considered in order to best fit a teacher's needs.

Using Peer Tutoring to Facilitate Access

By: The Access Center (2008)

Peer tutoring links high achieving students with lower achieving students or those with comparable achievement for structured learning. It's an effective educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners, including students with disabilities, because it promotes academic gains as well as social enhancement. This brief discusses three research-supported peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age Tutoring; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS); and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT).

Finding the Right Book Level: PALS Equivalencies

By: Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) at the University of Virginia (2008)

Different book leveling systems each have unique ways of describing the age- and grade-level appropriateness of books. This chart provides equivalency information across six leveling systems: Basal level/PALS, Guided Reading, DRA, Rigby PM, Reading Recovery, and Lexile.

Effective Reading Instruction

By: National Institute for Literacy Publication (2007)

Instructional Coaching

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2007)

Many school districts have adopted instructional coaching as a model for teachers’ professional development. This brief offers guidance on how school leaders can tailor the most promising coaching strategies to the needs of their schools.

The Content's Best Modality Is Key

By: Daniel T. Willingham (2006)

The idea that people may differ in their ability to learn new material depending on its modality — that is, whether the child hears it, sees it, or touches it — has been tested for over 100 years. And the idea that these differences might prove useful in the classroom has been around for at least 40 years.

Do Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Learners Need Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic Instruction?

By: Daniel T. Willingham (2006)

How does the mind work — and especially how does it learn? Teachers' instructional decisions are based on a mix of theories learned in teacher education, trial and error, craft knowledge, and gut instinct. Such gut knowledge often serves us well, but is there anything sturdier to rely on?

Teach to the Test? Just Say No

By: Craig D. Jerald (2006)

It is possible for educators to make better choices about how and when to teach to the test than the alarmist newspaper articles and editorials would seem to suggest. This article from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement aims to help readers think beyond simple compliance with federal law or basic implementation of programs.

Knowledge in the Classroom

By: Daniel T. Willingham (2006)

Learning happens when we connect new information to what we already know. When children have limited knowledge about the world, they have a smaller capacity to learn more about it. Here are four ways teachers can build content knowledge that will expand the opportunity for students to forge new connections — and make them better independent readers and learners.

Response-to-Instruction and Universal Design for Learning: How Might They Intersect in the General Education Classroom?

By: Nicole Strangeman, Chuck Hitchcock, Tracey Hall, and Grace Meo, et al. (2006)

Helping struggling readers in the general classroom is a challenge, but The Access Center offers a solution. By using Response-to-Instruction’s tiered approach and Universal Design’s equal access philosophy, you can bridge the gap so that you are truly leaving no child behind.

RTI and Reading: Response to Intervention in a Nutshell

By: G. Emerson Dickman (2006)

RTI is not a particular method or instructional approach, rather it is a process that aims to shift educational resources toward the delivery and evaluation of instruction that works best for students. This article provides a quick overview of RTI as it relates to reading.

Principal as Instructional Leader: Designing a Coaching Program That Fits

By: Lucy Steiner and Julie Kowal (2005)

Research shows that effective school leaders focus on improving classroom instruction, not just managerial tasks. A natural way for school leaders to take on the role of instructional leader is to serve as a "chief" coach for teachers by designing and supporting strong classroom level instructional coaching. Here's how to selecting a coaching approach that meets the particular needs of a school and how to implement and sustain the effort.

An Example of the 90 Minute Reading Block

By: Just Read, Florida! (2005)

Research shows that students need at least 90 minutes of uninterrupted reading instruction per day in order for sufficient student reading development, and that this instruction must be dense: systematically delivering explicit teacher directions; scaffolded over time; and differentiated across the classroom. Here is a chart from Just Read, Florida! that provides an example of how to set up a good 90-minute reading block.

Improving Mathematics Problem Solving Skills for English language learners with Learning Disabilities

By: Diane Torres-Velasquez and Diane Rodriguez (2005)

Ten Myths About Learning to Read

By: Sebastian Wren (2004)

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.

Classrooms Should Be a Place for Reading

By: Partnership for Reading (2004)

While most parents take a dedicated interest in their children's schooling, particularly the first few grades, many may not be aware of what is considered proper curriculum – and whether their children's schools are teaching at an appropriate level.

Some Principles from the Reading Research

By: Partnership for Reading (2004)

These findings of the National Reading Panel offer a wealth of detailed information on strategies that have proven to work in reading instruction.

What Principals Can Do to Help Students Become Good Readers

By: Partnership for Reading (2004)

School administrators have a critical leadership role to play in helping students become good readers. This article suggests seven key action steps on how principals and other administrators can create a school framework for success.

The National Reading Panel

By: National Center for Education Statistics (2003)

In 1997, Congress asked the "Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to convene a national panel to assess the status of research-based knowledge, including the effectiveness of various approaches to teaching children to read."

What Is Scientifically-Based Research on Progress Monitoring?

By: Lynn S. Fuchs and Douglas Fuchs (2003)

Progress monitoring is an assessment technique that tells teachers how and when to adjust curriculum so that students meet benchmark goals by the end of the year. This research shows that progress monitoring is an effective way to set and meet academic goals.