Effective Writing Instruction

Reading and writing are complementary skills; you read text that’s written, and you create text to be read. Both skills need to be explicitly taught and rigorously practiced since the human brain isn’t hard-wired for either one [see our blog post here]. We’ve talked on this blog about many different approaches to reading instruction. Now, … Continue reading “Effective Writing Instruction”


Reading Fluency Instruction After Grade 3

We’ve addressed the issue of reading fluency in emerging readers a number of times, as it’s one of the fundamental concepts that must be explicitly taught by the teacher and practiced by the students (you can find previous texts here and here). Reading fluency generally refers to a student’s oral reading fluency, as they’re encouraged … Continue reading “Reading Fluency Instruction After Grade 3”


Teaching Reading in a Digital Age

Reading has changed dramatically over the past decade or so, with the inclusion of mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, eBooks, multimedia websites, and social media. The big questions are, though, has the way we teach reading changed with their introduction, and what should teachers be doing to help prepare students for the complexity of modern … Continue reading “Teaching Reading in a Digital Age”


The Science of Reading – Part 3A: Developing Fluency

[Editor’s note: This is the third part of our five-part series on the best practices of learning to read and learning to read better.] To read Part 1, “Unlocking Language,” click here. To read Part 2, “Vocabulary and Comprehension,” click here. For emerging readers, text reading fluency generally refers to oral reading fluency, as students … Continue reading “The Science of Reading – Part 3A: Developing Fluency”


The History of Writing and Reading – Part 10: Etruscan, an Undecipherable Language

[Editor’s note: This is the eleventh of an ongoing series that examines the rise of writing – and therefore reading – around the world. We will be looking at the major developments and forces that shaped the written languages we use today. Links to all the previous posts are listed at the end of this … Continue reading “The History of Writing and Reading – Part 10: Etruscan, an Undecipherable Language”