Students who struggle with foundational reading skills need more than remedial instruction to make them successful students; they need their teachers’ social and emotional support as well. Many students who read below grade level and have difficulty mastering basic concepts like phonics, vocabulary acquisition, fluency, and prosody feel anxious, frustrated, and even ashamed of their … Continue reading “Teachers’ Social-Emotional Support Can Help Struggling Readers”
Tag: phonics
Home Is Where Children’s Reading Skills Start to Develop
The On Track study performed at the Norwegian Reading Centre at the University of Stavanger found a strong connection between a child’s home reading environment from the time they’re very young and the progress that child makes in learning to read and learning to read better when they’re in school.[1] Study researcher Vibeke Bergersen indicated … Continue reading “Home Is Where Children’s Reading Skills Start to Develop”
The Deaf and Reading Comprehension – Part 2 (Phonics Instruction)
[Editor’s note: This is the second post of a five-part series on the deaf and educational interventions to ensure effective reading comprehension and fluency. To read the first part, go here.] Chamberlain & Mayberry (2000) indicate that reading requires two related abilities. First, you must be familiar with a language. Second, you must understand the … Continue reading “The Deaf and Reading Comprehension – Part 2 (Phonics Instruction)”
Addressing Subvocalization
According to Merriam-Webster, subvocalization, a term first used in 1925, is defined as “the act or process of inaudibly articulating speech with the speech organs.” When used in the context of reading, subvocalization refers to the habit of reading along with the printed text using your “inner voice” to form the words instead of silently … Continue reading “Addressing Subvocalization”
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?”
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”
Does Learning Music Help Students Learn to Read?
If it’s to be believed, a 2018 study from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that students who receive music lessons — specifically piano instruction — have an advantage over their non-musical peers when it comes to learning to read, and that … Continue reading “Does Learning Music Help Students Learn to Read?”
Has the Coronavirus Created a Generational Gap in Education?
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives in numerous ways, from limiting social gatherings to seeing businesses close and even fold from the loss of income. One of the biggest ways it’s impacted us as a society, though, is one that has even greater implications for the future — the movement of education to strictly … Continue reading “Has the Coronavirus Created a Generational Gap in Education?”
Guest Blog: Online Tools to Improve One’s Literacy
[Editor’s note: Today’s blog was written by Jane Miller, a freelance writer, part-time high school English teacher, and a graduate student based in Seattle, Washington. It has been lightly edited for clarity.] Literacy goes beyond just reading and writing. These skills allow us to communicate effectively, and, just as importantly, they give us the ability … Continue reading “Guest Blog: Online Tools to Improve One’s Literacy”
Interview with Leah King: Educator, reading specialist, and reader, Part 2
[Editor’s note and disclaimer: This is Part 2 of our discussion with educator and reading specialist Leah King. The content for this two-part post came from an interview conducted by Miriam Ruff on October 4, 2020, and it has been edited somewhat for length and fluency.] To read Part 1, click here. MR: Like everyone … Continue reading “Interview with Leah King: Educator, reading specialist, and reader, Part 2”