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?”


Conducting a Reading Evaluation – Part 2

Last week we discussed the necessity of conducting a reading evaluation for any child struggling with the reading process, and five of the eight elements that evaluation should contain to be effective. This week we will describe the remaining three elements – written expression, spelling, and reading comprehension – and how they impact the evaluation … Continue reading “Conducting a Reading Evaluation – Part 2”


Conducting a Reading Evaluation

If a child is struggling with reading, it is critical to have a specialist conduct a reading evaluation to determine what the specific difficulties are and what can be done to correct them. Such an evaluation should always be conducted by a qualified professional, someone who has an expertise in reading in addition to any … Continue reading “Conducting a Reading Evaluation”


Autism and Reading Comprehension – Overview

Autism, more commonly called autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, communication skills, and cognitive processing. Most individuals with ASDs also demonstrate limited imaginations and a tendency toward repetitive patterns of behavior. Individuals within the spectrum display a range of strengths and weaknesses, and their intellectual abilities may … Continue reading “Autism and Reading Comprehension – Overview”


Understanding Dyslexia – Part 2

[Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a four-part series on dyslexia. Links to the other parts are included in the blog.] In Part 1 of our discussion on dyslexia, we talked a little bit about the disorder and the difficulties dyslexics encounter when reading, spelling, and even verbalizing. Now we’re going to look at … Continue reading “Understanding Dyslexia – Part 2”


Literacy Begins Early

A new report from Alberta, Canada indicates that fewer students are entering kindergarten each year with the necessary literacy skills to begin reading. As a result, according to Christie Watson, lead teacher of the Comprehensive Literacy program, only 78% of kindergarteners in the 2015-2016 school year were prepared enough to move on to Grade 1 … Continue reading “Literacy Begins Early”