We’ve talked a number of times about the need for students to use critical thinking to effectively evaluate and process new knowledge [see here and here]. It helps, though, to understand the specific steps that make up the critical thinking process. Here are nine steps, adapted from an infographic designed by Mentoring Minds. Examine Use … Continue reading “The Many Traits of Critical Thinking”
Category: Education
Savvy Strategies for Integrating Technology into the Classroom
In a past blog post, we described the efforts of teachers trying to integrate technology and technological tools into their classrooms. Then came the pandemic, with an abrupt shift to distance learning that, by definition, was technology-dependent and a game-changing experience. Now our knowledge of educational technology has skyrocketed, along with a host of strategies we … Continue reading “Savvy Strategies for Integrating Technology into the Classroom”
Balancing Literacy: What Makes for Good Reading Instruction?
In a September 8, 2021 opinion post, Education Week described two educators’ concerns over the polarization of literary instruction and the distortion of the term “balanced literacy” from its original meaning.[1] To address the former, we have to look no farther than the hotly debated “war” between phonics and whole-word instruction, which we dealt with … Continue reading “Balancing Literacy: What Makes for Good Reading Instruction?”
The Importance of Scaffolding in Reading Instruction
Scaffolds in education are like scaffolds on a building: they serve as a supporting framework for the structure. Unlike differentiated instruction, which adjusts texts to students of differing abilities, scaffolding strategies can be used with all students, including students who struggle with reading at grade level. Scaffolding as an instructional concept was first mentioned in … Continue reading “The Importance of Scaffolding in Reading Instruction”
Teaching All the Foundational Reading Skills
Learning to read is a complex process — as is teaching reading skills to young learners. Most of the debate about the best approach seems to center around the whole-word approach versus phonics, with the latter being the better supported. However, according to a recent post in Education Week, that debate misses out on the … Continue reading “Teaching All the Foundational Reading Skills”
Challenges Facing Returning to In-Person Instruction
In its August 3, 2021 blog post, Education Week asked a number of teachers the following question: “What do you think will be some of the challenges for teachers who might be returning to the physical classroom for the first time in a year and a half, and what are your ideas for how they … Continue reading “Challenges Facing Returning to In-Person Instruction”
Remote Support for Students with Dyslexia
We’ve previously discussed the challenges of reading for students who have dyslexia (links to all blog posts here), but our extended experience of remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic has led these students to face a new host of difficulties in education in general and reading in particular. Some students discovered their support services, including … Continue reading “Remote Support for Students with Dyslexia”
The Importance of Certified Reading Specialists
No matter whether they learn to read at home or in the classroom, children who excel early in reading do better in school overall than those who struggle with basic literacy. Perhaps it’s because once students transition from learning to read to reading to learn, those who have a good grasp of the mechanics can … Continue reading “The Importance of Certified Reading Specialists”
Excused Absences for Mental Health
It used to be that excused absences for missing school focused solely on the visible: a broken bone, a severe illness, the death of a family member. But even before the pandemic started throwing up warning signs about students’ poor mental health, governments and school districts alike were making time for mental health days, citing … Continue reading “Excused Absences for Mental Health”
eLearning and Knowledge Acquisition
eLearning, while once a limited force in education, has moved into the mainstream, and is poised to become a leading part the future, in large part because of the necessity of remote instruction during the pandemic. Students are also becoming more immersed in the online environment outside of the classroom, with increasing social media outlets, … Continue reading “eLearning and Knowledge Acquisition”