Research shows that 3- and 4-year-olds who attend a high-quality preschool are more successful in kindergarten and beyond. But research also shows that most preschool programs are not high-quality. This policy brief looks at what “high-quality” means, and how early childhood education can be improved.
When engaging in writing, young children are observing the way writing is used in our everyday lives. Here are some simple things families can do to support young children’s writing.
Special literacy events and celebrations can be a great way to get kids excited about books and reading. But for kids who struggle with reading, these kinds of events can challenge their self-confidence. Here are 15 strategies to help you plan a successful, joyful reading event for all kinds of readers and learners.
Giving kids a summer full of reading and learning. School may be out, but learning is still in. In Adventures in Summer Learning, you’ll meet parents, teachers, and researchers in Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Boston who are discovering the best ways to keep kids engaged with learning during the long summer break — and avoid the “summer slump.”
Created with the help of practitioners who have worked successfully with families to improve attendance, this toolkit is filled with ideas, activities and materials that you can use to spark conversations with parents about how good attendance can help them fulfill their dreams and aspirations for their children’s futures.
How can volunteers help build children’s literacy in their communities? Rotary International and IRA developed these questionnaires and teachers’ wish list to help you determine the right literacy project for your community.
When parents play a part in their child’s academic career, students have better school attendance, make greater achievement gains, and have fewer behavior problems. Featuring Karen L. Mapp, Susan Hall, and Tom Bowman.
Early education expert Rebecca Palacios and offers information on the following components of a pre-K ELL program: language instruction, curriculum, professional development, and family outreach.
When reading is an enjoyable part of everyday life, children will develop positive attitudes about reading. These tips for parents demonstrate how to make reading a part of life for preschool and school-aged children.
Using Concept-Oriented Reading Instruction (CORI) or practices to encourage engagement, educators can advance the breadth and depth of students’ reading by explicitly and systematically nourishing students’ motivations as readers.
Many teachers will be using supplemental phonics and word-recognition materials to enhance reading instruction for their students. In this article, the authors provide guidelines for determining the accessibility of these phonics and word recognition programs.
Learn about evidence-based practices that encourage first graders’ engagement with texts. The authors review reading as a transactional process, revisit the benefits of reading aloud to students, discuss three literacy strategies implemented in one first-grade classroom, and share examples of student work.
With televisions, computers, video games, and cell phones, modern culture makes it difficult to escape time in front of a screen, especially for our newest generation of kids. Deb Linebarger, Lisa Guernsey, and Marnie Lewis discuss what the growing exposure to media means for children’s literacy development.
Get the basics on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD), including signs, treatment, accommodations in school, and tips for parents and teachers.
Students with autism spectrum disorder have a number of unique challenges in the classroom. Learn how to set up work systems that can help your students become more independent by strengthening organization skills, reducing distractibility, understanding sequence of events, and more.
Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that asks groups of students to become “experts” on different aspects of a topic and then share what they learn with their classmates.
Summer is a welcome break from the pace of the school year. But it’s important to keep the learning going! Here are some ideas about how to make summer a great time for reading, writing, exploring, thinking, creating, and learning with your kids.
An organized classroom with defined areas and spaces can help students with autism in anticipating what is expected and to predict what will be happening during the instructional day. Get tips on how to create defined learning spaces and reduce distractions in your classroom.
Multilingual families can be powerful partners on behalf of their children. Yet what these partnerships look like will be unique to each school setting and community — and may require some “thinking outside of the box.” This section includes some key tips and recommended resources from our sister site, Colorín Colorado.
