This resource is for program providers, education leaders, policymakers, and funders who are making important decisions about whether and how to strengthen and expand summer learning programs as a way to accelerate student achievement. In addition to 13 case studies of diverse program models, the report includes a look at key research on what works in summer learning and an overview of supportive state policies.
This guide offers five specific recommendations to help educators identify struggling readers and implement evidence-based strategies to promote their reading achievement. Teachers and reading specialists can utilize these strategies to implement RtI and multi-tier intervention methods and frameworks at the classroom or school level. Recommendations cover how to screen students for reading problems, design a multi-tier intervention program, adjust instruction to help struggling readers, and monitor student progress.
Research shows that children who are chronically absent from school — missing 10 percent of the school year or more (about 18 days) for any reason — in kindergarten and first grade are far less likely to read well by the end of third grade. To make progress on attendance, the guide recommends that communities focus on helping parents strengthen these competencies: recognize and address health needs and environmental hazards in the home; monitor absences and seek support at the earliest signs of attendance issues; and establish an expectation and a plan for daily school attendance, even when families move.
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.
First Book in collaboration Dr. Susan Neuman, an early childhood literacy expert and researcher, surveyed more than 1,000 educators, most of whom work in Title I classrooms. Survey results were used in developing metrics to define literacy rich environment in order to answer the question: What does a literacy rich environment look like? The resulting tool, the Literacy Rich Classroom Library Checklist, is designed to guide the development and evaluation of classroom libraries, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
In this guide, each section targets one grade level in print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency. It also includes instructional examples aligned to the sub-skills and instruction for students who are either struggling and need extra support or intervention, or for students performing above grade-level expectations and require enrichment.
Researchers have found that children begin to learn reading and writing at home, long before they go to school. This booklet for parents summarizes the most important research findings, defines important terms, and lists reading skills that kids at different ages are developing.
This booklet offers advice for parents of children from grades K-3 on how to support reading development at home and how to recognize effective instruction in their children’s classrooms.
A collection of research-based screening tools for children under the age of five years old. Practitioners in early care and education, primary health care, and other systems can use this reference to learn cost, administration time, training required, and age range covered for each screening tool. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
This guide provides valuable information for school leaders as they develop a comprehensive assessment plan as a critical element for preventing reading difficulties. The general principles outlined in this document, such as the early identification of students who are struggling in learning to read, are all based on scientific findings, but the detailed recommendations for implementation come from practical experiences in helping many school leaders implement successful plans. The detailed recommendations for implementation come from practical experiences in helping many school leaders implement successful plans.
By taking the time to read with their children, fathers can play an important role in helping children learn to read. Dad’s Playbook tells the stories of 20 dads from different walks of life who are giving their kids the best shot at a bright future by helping them learn to read. This publication also teaches dads about the five skills children need to be readers by third grade and helps them incorporate reading into everyday activities.
This report published on the Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE) website provides an extensive review of the research on the outcomes of 27 early childhood programs. Six of the programs produced strong evidence of effectiveness in language, literacy, and/or phonological awareness. All of the effective programs had explicit academic content, a balance of teacher-led and child-initiated activity, and significant training and follow-up support.
The target audience for this guide is a broad spectrum of school practitioners such as administrators, curriculum specialists, coaches, staff development specialists and teachers who face the challenge of providing effective literacy instruction for English language learners in the elementary grades. The guide also aims to reach district-level administrators who develop practice and policy options for their schools.
Keeping periodic track of the progress English language learners are making in their second language acquisition skills is essential. This starter kit provides helpful forms for PK-12 educators who work with ELLs to find out if they’re on track learning the important academic English skills they need to be successful.
From the moment your child is born, there are simple things you can do to help him or her become a good reader. This guide helps parents build a child’s early reading skills at home, recognize signs of trouble, support the child as they enter school, understand options for extra support, and recognize when parents need to go outside the school for help.
This booklet outlines the reading and language skills that children develop at different ages and suggests activities to help develop these skills — activities that every family can try and that are fun for both caregivers and children.
This 10-chapter toolkit features recommendations on how to implement best practices with ELLs. It includes information on topics such as how to write curriculum, communicate with parents, and serve ELLs with disabilities, as well as updates on research. The toolkit is the companion document to a letter sent to states, which outlines legal obligations to English Learners under civil rights laws.
A major goal of education reform is to incorporate the findings from clear, consistent, and convincing scientific research into the day-to-day operations of schools to help create a culture of evidence-based practices to promote high-quality instruction and, as a result, improved student outcomes. From 20 meta-analyses or qualitative research syntheses, a list of 36 writing instruction and assessment practices organized into 10 different essential component categories emerged and are described in this guide.
This synthesis of research on K-3 reading interventions presents findings from 12 studies that focused on students with reading difficulties who received supplementary reading interventions for at least 100 sessions. The summaries of the studies are followed by suggested implications for practice.
Our colorful bilingual Family Guide includes tips for helping children get the most out of reading as well as pointers on working with schools and teachers, ideas for using the public library, and more. Available in Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.
This practice guide provides four recommendations for teaching foundational reading skills to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. Each recommendation includes implementation steps and solutions for common obstacles. The recommendation also summarize and rate supporting evidence. This guide is geared towards teachers, administrators, and other educators who want to improve their students’ foundational reading skills, and is a companion to the practice guide, Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade.
This 12-page booklet for parents and caregivers describes key skill areas children need to develop to become lifelong enthusiastic learners and what adults can do to support that development.
