Literacy
Find and share strategies for helping students read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word.
Creative Ways to Assess Math Understanding
Traditional math assessments tend to provide a narrow gauge of student learning—here’s how some teachers are going deeper.
Want Students to Master Literary Analysis? Try Starting With a Vocabulary Lesson
Unless they understand words such as ‘symbolize’ and ‘connote,’ it’s difficult for students to analyze literature well.
Why Students Should Write in All Subjects
Writing improves learning by consolidating information in long-term memory, researchers explain. Plus, five engaging writing activities to use in all subjects.
The 10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2020
We reviewed hundreds of educational studies in 2020 and then highlighted 10 of the most significant—covering topics from virtual learning to the reading wars and the decline of standardized tests.16.4k
Is it Time to Drop ‘Finding the Main Idea’ and Teach Reading in a New Way?
Some schools are changing the way they teach reading—based on research that shows background knowledge is more critical to comprehension than general skills like ‘finding the main idea.’37.3k
How to Teach Handwriting—and Why It Matters
Teaching young students how to write by hand before moving on to keyboarding can help improve their reading fluency as well.48.8k
Virtual Literature Circles Create a Safe Space for Students
Discussions that are centered in students' experiences spark more text-to-self connections and help students internalize concepts like empathy.3.3k
Mo Willems on the Lost Art of Being Silly
The author of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus! chats with us about creativity, drawing as empathy, and letting kids “do 51 percent of the work.”25.2k
What Doesn’t Work: Literacy Practices We Should Abandon
The number one concern that I hear from educators is lack of time, particularly lack of instructional time with students. Although we can't entirely solve the time problem, we can mitigate it by carefully analyzing our use of class time.116.5k
Reading Aloud to Middle School Students
Hearing books read aloud benefits older students, enhancing language arts instruction and building a community of readers.42k
Why Reading Aloud to Middle School Students Works
The benefits of reading aloud aren’t limited to elementary students. One middle school teacher explains how “read-alongs” improve comprehension and boost engagement.23.6k
How Teachers Can Use Their Own Writing as Model Texts
Many teachers demonstrate writing moves using model texts. Using their own writing can foster a strong classroom community as well as students’ writing skills.869
5 Ways to Support Students Who Struggle With Reading Comprehension
These strategies can help students who are able to decode well but have difficulty understanding what they read—and they’re beneficial for all students.13.5k
If We Want Bookworms, We Need to Get Beyond Leveled Reading
When it comes to nurturing kids’ love of reading, research suggests variety, choice—and encouragement to stretch—can make a difference.11.8kSupporting Students With Dysgraphia
While there's not a lot of research on dysgraphia yet, there are a few signs you should look out for, and some evidence-based tactics to help kids with the writing condition.15.1k