Moms, dads, or grandparents can play simple word games with kids to increase their ability to recognize and use letters and sounds. Try these games the next time you’re on the go.
Early identification is crucial when it comes to helping children who are having trouble learning to read. This seminal article by Joseph Torgesen explains the assessment process and reviews the more commonly used assessment tools.
Discover some simple hands-on activities and games that can be done at home or in the backyard to help your child develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect — and strengthen reading comprehension and scientific inquiry skills.
What are the factors that can improve school districts? This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement reviewed more than 80 research articles that investigated the attributes of schools and districts that have improved over time and found 13 themes or characteristics common to them.
This is a checklist to help educators carry out the five recommendations made in the What Works Clearninghouse report “Assisting Students Struggling with Reading: Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tier Intervention in the Primary Grades.”
Millions of children spend a part of the day in child care while their parents work. These settings – in centers and in homes – are places where children can learn and grow.
Being ready for kindergarten means having well-developed preschool skills, and being academically, socially, and physically ready for the transition. Here are some signs that your child is ready for kindergarten.
Individual children may come to school with conditions that make them more likely to experience trouble learning to read. Find out more about these conditions, such as cognitive, hearing, or language problems.
Find out what you as a parent can be doing to help your young learner navigate the digital world — you may need to reconsider how you connect with your child during technology use.
In a world where children are “growing up digital,” it’s important to help them learn healthy concepts of digital use and citizenship. Parents play an important role in teaching these skills. Here are a few tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents manage the digital landscape they’re exploring with their children.
In these video interviews, children’s authors and illustrators who have learning and attention issues share their personal stories. You’ll also hear from many popular children’s authors who talk about books that can be engaging for kids who struggle with reading. Get tips on where to find great children’s books, including graphic novels, book series, audio books, and more.
In teaching second language learners how to speak and read English, it is important not to neglect their writing development. Here are some strategies for teaching ESL children to become writers.
Books can be the perfect gifts for grandchildren of any age. But, with such a variety to choose from, selecting the right book can be a challenge. This article provides some hints to make the process a little easier.
Reading in the “comfort zone” means that students read well enough to understand the text. Here’s a simple technique that students can use to determine if a book is right for them.
Choosing a child’s book is a match-making process because not all children will love the same books. These guidelines for choosing books for children of different ages will help you find books that are right for your child.
The first five years of a child’s life are a time of tremendous physical, emotional, social, and cognitive growth. The experiences a child has during this time can make an impact on their readiness to learn. Here the Education Department offers some tips to guide parents in choosing childcare.
Choosing a preschool for your child can be a tough decision, especially for a preschooler with special learning or behavior needs. Get some ideas on finding the right setting for your preschooler.
Parents have a growing array of options in choosing a school. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; the rapid growth of the charter school movement; the increasing number of states enacting voucher, scholarship, and tax credit programs; the expansion of privately funded scholarship programs for low-income children; and the growing acceptance of homeschooling have all increased the choices available to families. This article describes the different types of schools that may be available in your community.
Teaching vocabulary is complex. What words are important for a child to know and in what context? In this excerpt from Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, the authors consider what principles might be used for selecting which words to explicitly teach.
When spelling is taught in ways that emphasize the patterns of the English language, it can be a beneficial use of class time. Get tips on how to choose word lists that help students learn these patterns and their exceptions.
How your classroom is arranged can have a big effect on your ability to effectively manage your class. This article discusses some ideas you should keep in mind as you set up your classroom.
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.
What are some ways that we can gauge vocabulary development in the content areas? In this article, the authors explain how the intricacies of word knowledge make assessment difficult, particularly with content area vocabulary. They suggest ways to improve assessments that more precisely track students’ vocabulary growth across the curriculum, including English language learners.
