Today’s Literacy Headlines

After missing four days of classes last fall at Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Jay’Sean Hull was called into the cafeteria with 100 other students with similar attendance records. Jay’Sean’s mentor: Harris herself. Over the next few weeks, she would greet the sixth-grader at a side entrance designated for middle schoolers, visit him in his classrooms on days that he arrived late, and regularly check in with his family. 

Effective apologies require empathy, perspective-taking, honesty and courage – all qualities that schools and parents try to cultivate in children.  Explicit lessons on giving good apologies are rare for kids, and they live in  a world full of adults who aren’t great at the task, either.

The surge in book challenges nationwide is having a chilling effect on school librarians, who are more likely to avoid buying books or to remove titles from collections because of their content than they were last year, according to SLJ’s 2023 Controversial Books Survey.

Seventy miles inland from the Bering Sea, on roadless lands beside the Kuskokwim River, three Yup’ik villages are perfect examples of the educational challenges faced in Alaska. This year, the district was allowed to operate on an academic calendar that’s aligned with seasonal subsistence harvests. School leaders spent much of 2022 working to get it approved by the state.

Record-high chronic absentee rates in California show little sign of returning to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon, and data shows that’s especially true for kindergarten students.

How many people are pursuing careers as teachers? A new analysis looks at nearly 15 years of teacher-preparation program enrollment data to find out. The data reveals a significant national decline in enrollment that now seems to be leveling out. Still, the number of education students in the United States declined by about a quarter of a million between 2008 and 2020.

For book lovers, the library is the best place in town. For young children who have never entered that space, the shelves seem endless, the stacks are tall, and they have no idea where to begin. These eight books comprise a love letter to libraries to help newcomers get their bearings. They’re only a start.

Students, educators and families are preparing for a historic year in Oregon schools. The state has invested an unprecedented $10.2 billion in K-12 funding and started a new early literacy initiative backed by parent groups and Gov. Tina Kotek. And thanks to a bill passed by state lawmakers this spring, Oregon school districts can no longer limit educational time for students with disabilities without their parent or guardian’s consent.

Just before 7 a.m. Monday, the first day of school in Denver Public Schools, 7-year-old Sara sat on her family’s couch, velcroing brand-new sneakers so glittery that when she ran her hand over the outside, sparkles clung to her fingertips. Sara was excited despite a big change. Her old school, Fairview Elementary, was one of three schools closed by DPS this past spring because of low enrollment (opens in a new window) — a persistent problem caused by lower birth rates and high housing prices that have pushed families out of the city.

Reading about animals who have the same fears and other feelings about going back to school can help young readers face their own.

Future Forward began in Milwaukee in 2005 as SPARK—a small-scale, local effort to combine family engagement with intensive tutoring to help low-income elementary-age students improve their literacy skills. It has since expanded significantly, rebranded, and moved under the aegis of national nonprofit Education Analytics, Inc. The SPARK pilot has been studied extensively, and a new report, from researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, gives us the most comprehensive analysis yet.

The city of Indianapolis will launch a literacy tutoring program at nine schools and a Boys & Girls Club location for this school year, after a pilot program with a small group of students showed some promise. The program, launched in partnership with the RISE Indy education advocacy nonprofit, will offer tutoring during the day at school sites from paid parents and community members who have completed RISE Indy’s Freedom Readers tutor training program. 

Ohio recently passed a historic state budget that includes, among other components, ambitious literacy reforms that require schools to follow the science of reading—an instructional approach that emphasizes phonics for building foundational literacy skills and knowledge-rich curricula to support vocabulary and comprehension. If state leaders aren’t attentive and hard-nosed about implementation, Ohio’s promising literacy efforts could turn into mush. How can they ensure rigorous implementation? Let’s take a look at seven ways.

Hear how family partnership can foster engagement and oral language production among multilingual students. Sahira Larios, a public school kindergarten teacher in a bilingual Spanish-English classroom in Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California, shares her story. Several years ago, she participated in an intensive two-year professional development program focused on how to teach multilingual learners.

States across the country are passing laws designed to change the way students are taught to read in a way that is more aligned with the science of reading. But there has been much less attention paid to another critical component of reading: background knowledge. A significant body of research suggests students are better able to comprehend what they read when they start with some understanding of the topic they’re reading about. Yet new state reading laws have almost entirely omitted attention to this issue, according to a recent review.

These text features are not often included in nonfiction writing instruction, but they’re important elements of expository writing. Here are some ideas to share with students in order to help them expand their text feature repertoire as readers and writers.

What counts as a counting book? Is there a range of characteristics or features of counting books? And finally, how might we more deeply explore and discuss concepts of number and quantity with children? Thumbing through stacks of counting books, we discovered that this popular genre has a huge variety of features. Some march in sequence from 1–10, while others skip-count by odd or even numbers or jump by tens into the hundreds. Some represent numbers in multiple ways, while others scarcely mention numbers that are nearly hidden in story events.

A group of 14 researchers from Harvard University, the American Institutes for Research and the assessment company NWEA found miniscule gains in math and no improvement in reading at all after scrutinizing how much 2022 summer school helped children in eight large school districts around the nation. A separate study in Tennessee, also looking back at the summer of 2022, found the same tiny learning gains in math but none in reading. There are two big reasons for the disheartening results: the summer school programs were very short and there was too little participation.

A festival that showcases science, technology, engineering, arts, and math can open up new worlds for elementary students. As the science coordinator at my school, I considered many ways to bring students, families, and community members together for hands-on learning from STEAM experts. One of my most successful projects is our school’s annual STEAM Fest event. My ultimate goal was for students and families to think critically and creatively to develop solutions for inquiry-based activities while having fun and exploring new subjects.

A decade ago, Mexican illustrator David Álvarez took a trip and got the idea for his children’s book, Ancient Night. Spain — the cities, the culture — reminded him a lot of home. The similarities made him want to research the history of Mexico and Central America before the Spanish conquest. So Álvarez started reading. He came across many myths, including one that stuck with him: the story of the rabbit and the moon.

Just a hundred yards off the shores of Helsinki, beyond its embassies and marina, its cafes and upscale homes, lies Harakka Island. There is no bridge to Harakka; it must be reached by boat — or by trudging over an ice sheet, when the temperatures plummet in the winter. There are no cars, no bikes and no electric scooters on the island. Even dogs aren’t allowed. But it’s a haven for a thriving community of artists. The acclaimed children’s book illustrator and author Marika Maijala is one such artist. And it turns out the island is still a place of transformation and discovery. Her studio on Harakka, part of the island’s Artists’ House, is where she wrote and illustrated “Rosie Runs,” which will be published in the U.S. by Elsewhere Editions.

How can teachers, to borrow an expression from polling expert Nate Silver, distinguish the “signal from the noise” in the so-called “reading wars”? These highlights from past Classroom Q&A posts may help educators do just that. Plus, look for another series on this topic later in the fall as more classroom educators weigh in by talking about their direct experiences.

The science of reading is often misunderstood, experts say, to mean just the teaching of phonics, how to sound out words. Amid the battle over phonics, experts warn that too little attention has been paid to other key reading skills, such as background knowledge and vocabulary, that also drive comprehension. There is also an emerging concern that some kids may not learn to read as well if they are constantly toggling back and forth from page to screen. Even if the debate over whether phonics is necessary is finally winding down, there are many other battles to be waged on the science of reading front. On the heels of a longstanding national debate known as “the reading wars,” misconceptions about the science of reading may have dire consequences. 

Since 2019, 45 states and Washington, DC, have passed at least one bill related to reforming reading instruction. The new rules apply to areas like school curriculum, professional development for teachers, screenings for dyslexic students, and requirements for testing. New York City — the largest public school system in the nation — has also ordered change for its 700 elementary schools. Momentum for these reading laws traces its roots to four main factors.

Mounting evidence suggests that leveled reading groups don’t improve struggling students’ reading skills. Studies have shown that the tools powering popular leveling systems don’t always accurately capture students’ abilities—and that dividing up high- and low-performing students can actually widen achievement gaps. These findings leave teachers and school leaders with a few big questions: Should they get rid of grouping altogether? If not, how do they group students if not by level? And how should they go about restructuring literacy blocks that have been designed around leveled group time for so long?

Can acts of kindness make a difference in the lives of others? As an instructional technology coach, I have worked with fourth-grade teachers for the past seven years to transform abstract themes of empathy and compassion into concrete learning experiences. Using resources from the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation and the ISTE Standards for Students, we collaboratively plan social and emotional learning (SEL) experiences in the classroom.

There has been much research over the past decade building on research-practice partnerships. Teachers and researchers should work collaboratively to improve student learning. Here’s how teachers can find helpful ideas in research articles and take a strategic approach to get the most out of what they’re reading.

Literacy coach Mika Frame has a memorable mantra for accomplishing big goals. “My current principal always tells me, ‘Eat an elephant one bite at a time,’” she said. A K-2 literacy coach at Rose Hamilton Elementary School in Centerville, Frame is part of the first cohort of educators that trained in reading science practices as part of the Indiana Literacy Cadre. Now she co-teaches, analyzes student data to see who needs more help, and leads her colleagues through the state’s new requirements. Frame told Chalkbeat about her work as Indiana looks to bring more literacy coaches like her to its schools.

The scene on the lawn looks like any other summer camp around the country. But while fun and games are an important part of the experience, the 20 or so kids at “Camp LIT,” a program of the Mississippi University for Women, are here in late June for a more important reason: to become better readers.

The updated meta-analysis was published in July 2023 in the peer-reviewed journal Child Development. It was conducted by 14 researchers, the majority from Yale University, and it also found good results for SEL interventions in schools while simultaneously broadening the category of “social and emotional learning” to encompass even more non-academic skills. However, this latest research synthesis doesn’t really settle the debate over whether the evidence for SEL is strong or guide schools to which SEL interventions are most effective.  

You can never start too early. That’s the message from an unusually intensive and longlasting education study that is following low-income children from birth into elementary school. It found that students who consistently participated in a high-quality, early-childhood program from infancy until they started elementary school performed on par with children their age nationally in early literacy and math by the end of 3rd grade. The children in the study also significantly outperformed children who had experienced more informal preschool or no early education.

Three notable middle grade mysteries (two published earlier this year and one forthcoming in the fall) feature young sleuths who question the world around them and are undaunted when the answers they receive aren’t the ones they hoped for. These mysteries run the gamut, from quirky Gothic to small-town cozy to chilly Nordic noir.

Last school year, nearly a quarter of the state’s third graders did not pass an important reading test on their first try. What will get more children over the bar? To prepare students for that last chance to take the test, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, in partnership with Jackson Public Schools, held a Read to Succeed summer reading camp this June — the eighth time it has held the now-annual event.

As educators prepare for a new school year, state teachers of the year share the important lessons they’ve learned on classroom management, as well as establishing rules and expectations with students.

Joan Sedita, founder of literacy professional development service Keys to Literacy, suggests there may be literacy benefits in adopting and including handwriting in curricula. When young students are learning how to read and spell words, she said, the physical act of handwriting that information may help them better embed these skills. “In the earliest grades, learning writing letters reinforces and improves the learning of phonics concepts, and having students write letters while learning letter-sound correspondences supports both the decoding and spelling of words,” Sedita said.

Adults and kids love Bluey. This Australian animated show – hugely popular in the U.S. as well – focuses on a family of blue heeler dogs living in Brisbane. As developmental scientists who study children and how they interact with the world, we sort of adore Bluey too. The show exemplifies what years of child psychology research have made clear: that children learn through play. Bluey illustrates a variety of age-appropriate caregiving practices that parents and caregivers can use in the everyday life of a child.

We took a peek inside school libraries across America to see how librarians are reframing the space to support students’ social, emotional, and creative growth—while still prioritizing excellent reads.

Jason Reynolds, award winner, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature emeritus, was recently on The View. He talks about how he became a reader, his mother’s influence, letting kids read freely, and passing along a love of reading. The bestselling author also discusses his latest book, “Miles Morales Suspended,” and the moment he had “a place in this big pantheon of literature.”

In the first full year following pandemic-related school closures, public schools in the United States lost about 1.2 million students. The largest losses were in kindergarten and early elementary grades, according to analyses of enrollment changes. Where those students went has largely been a question mark, though some experts speculated much of the attrition was likely students switching to homeschooling and, to a lesser degree, private schooling.

Frustrated that many educators, administrators, and other stakeholders seem to ignore—or are unaware of—the data, champions of the science of reading are leading the charge for reading instruction reform that is currently sweeping the nation, and they are making some hard-won strides. The issue has taken on new urgency as the education system struggles with addressing pandemic learning loss and the racial and socioeconomic disparities that were seen even more clearly during the Covid lockdowns. Here we take a look at this movement’s rise and where it’s headed.

On a warm August evening, Brenda sits with her computer and a handful of envelopes. She eagerly opens the first envelope and begins to read. “Thank you for asking about our daughter Claire…” the letter begins. Each year Brenda sends a small survey along with her welcome-back-to-school letter to the parents, caregivers, or guardians of her incoming students. She asks them to introduce their precious children to her by describing them and answering some simple questions. What are your child’s interests? Likes and dislikes?

In this explainer, Education Week breaks down what standards are, how they have come to occupy such a central place in the U.S. education system, and how they have—and have not—changed instructional practice and student outcomes. Academic standards—sometimes called content standards—describe what students should know and be able to do in the core academic subjects at each grade level. They can cover skills, such as adding and subtracting within 100, or content, like understanding the roles of the three branches of government. Standards are not a curriculum, though. They don’t outline the day-to-day lessons and activities teachers use; rather, they provide an end goal for instruction.

Eight years ago, Chicago Public Schools launched a program that gave certain principals more control, such as more flexibility over budgets and being freed of extra oversight from district leaders. It was an effort to reward effective veteran school leaders with “more leadership and professional development opportunities.” Now, a new study by a Northwestern University professor shows that the initiative — known as the Independent School Principals program, or ISP — resulted in better test scores and school climates and could be a cost-effective way to improve schools.

At this school, nurturing a love of reading begins with book shopping, a practice where students choose books from their classroom libraries to bring home — every week.

Rajani LaRocca says Summer Is for Cousins was inspired by vacations with her own 10 cousins in India. “All of my favorite summer memories involved my cousins,” she says. “Cousins are kind of like superstar relatives. Because they’re kids, but they’re not your siblings.”LaRocca filled the book with universal details. There’s lots of sitting around doing nothing much in particular and there’s lots and lots of food.

This is the final post in a series offering advice to private foundations about their education-related funding priorities. If you have the rare chance at a big attention-grabbing idea that makes a big difference for students, seize it. And run far away from ideas that are not only mundane but, even worse, don’t help students. Are we brave enough to politely decline big splashy initiatives that do little for students? And are we humble enough to make the small changes that matter to students in the long run, but will largely go unnoticed by the general public?

Across the nation, state leaders are taking steps to improve reading instruction for struggling students. But in New York, concern has grown: Is too little being done?

It will take a collective understanding that every child needs high-quality, rigorous science education from an early age, and that schools need to devote more time and attention to this critical subject. Bringing simple experiments into the classroom setting and designing training modules for age-specific groups can increase learning and comprehension of science even when teachers lack a strong background in the subject. Science should be integrated into all class subjects, including general reading and writing. 

From Jackie Ormes to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, these nine picture books bring young readers into the lives of creatives who were born in the U.S. or spent years making art here. Share these titles to commemorate them and all artists.

It’s possible to love teaching, as I do, and, at the same time, not look forward to summer vacation ending, as I am not. Whatever the case is, it’s probably time to begin thinking about the new school year, and this series is geared toward helping us all do just that.

When it comes to disability representation in children’s literature, historically, books have been authored by non-disabled people and for non-disabled people, according to award-winning author Corinne Duyvis. To counter this imbalance, Duyvis recommended that educators, librarians and parents seek out books by disabled people. Duyvis and two librarians talked with MindShift about what else educators and caregivers should look for when selecting children’s literature that represents disability and what conversations with kids about these books and about disabilities can look like. They also offered recommendations of inclusive, affirming books for kids from preschool to high school. 

The novel spans prehistoric times to the present. It also packs in a lot of scientific information. For example, readers learn that plants really do communicate with one another through their roots. Most of these types of scientific facts are revealed in the book’s afterword. The book also ends on an optimistic note about the future of the planet. Although Big Tree is a middle grade novel, its story feels universal. Younger children will enjoy the adventure behind it, while the themes about the importance of family and working together will resonate with older children and adults.

NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe talks with children’s book author Matt de la Peña about summer reading recommendations for kids of all ages when they complain, “I’m bored!”

The research is clear: Explicit, systematic instruction in phonics is essential to building children’s foundational reading skills. But such instruction is missing in Reading Recovery, and the latest research reveals its long-term consequences. It’s long past time for Ohio—and every other state in the Union—to abandon Reading Recovery and work to implement interventions that follow the science of reading.

Texas and Ohio are training teachers in the science of reading and how to use multi-tiered supports to better identify students at risk for dyslexia. Both states are using OSEP-funded model demonstration project grants to help teachers with early and accurate identification of children with or at risk of dyslexia. Through training and resource-building for teachers, schools and district personnel, they can improve reading outcomes and begin to close achievement gaps between poor and proficient readers.

Nonfiction books can be a gateway to literacy as well as a portal to knowledge. They have the power to fuel a child’s natural curiosity and ignite a lifelong passion for reading and learning. The good news is that “the quality of nonfiction that’s coming out now is just over the top,” says Meg Medina, the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Medina’s platform is ¡Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books, and she’s deeply committed to making nonfiction part of the conversation.

With the start of the school year looming, some parents will choose to delay the start of their child’s educational experience, keeping them in day care or out of school entirely for another year. Education Week spoke to experts to weigh the reasons why parents might, or might not, decide to hold their children back a year.

One obvious way to start building a lifetime reading habit is ensuring children have plenty of books at home. But the presence of books probably isn’t enough to make a reader. Parents also need to read to their children consistently, reinforcing that books are a source of fun and family closeness. And once children are reading independently, caregivers should find creative ways to help them attempt harder texts. Some simple strategies can keep kids immersed — trusting children to pick their own books is essential. Librarians and teachers are key to guiding children to books that will engage them and encourage them to stretch without getting demoralized.

“Summer reading should be fun. It should bring that joy of reading back into students’ hearts, where they can take it up with abandon as they would like,” said longtime school librarian Courtney Pentland, president of the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. Pentland, an advocate and expert on both school and public libraries, shares key factors that impact the likelihood that students will pursue summer pleasure reading.

Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome have been married for 33 years. Lesa Cline-Ransome became an author and James Ransome, an illustrator. Together, they’ve now created multiple picture books including Before She Was Harriet, Overground Railroad, and Satchel Paige. The Story of the Saxophone is their latest children’s book, inspired by a mutual love of jazz. The couple had just finished watching Jazz, the 2001 PBS documentary, and James Ransome had an idea. He knew that saxophonists like Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young were instrumental in helping the saxophone gain popularity in the jazz world.