[Editor’s Note: This is the 18th in a series of blogs that examine how education developed throughout history until the present. Links to previous blogs are included at the bottom of the post.] The Puritans were a large faction who became discontented with the Church of England and worked diligently toward religious, moral, and societal … Continue reading “A History of Education: The American Educational System, Colonial Period (Puritans)”
Tag: Reading
A History of Education: The Islamic World: Basics
[Editor’s Note: This is the 10th in a series of blogs that examine how education developed throughout history until the present. Links to previous blogs are included at the bottom of the post.] From its inception, Islam has placed a high premium on education and has enjoyed a long, rich intellectual tradition as a result. … Continue reading “A History of Education: The Islamic World: Basics”
A History of Education: An Introduction
[Editor’s Note: This is the first in a year-long series of blogs that examines how education developed throughout history until the present.] In its broadest sense, education is the imparting of information from one generation to the generation that follows it. It can be accomplished by modeling actions, sharing oral knowledge, or through reading and … Continue reading “A History of Education: An Introduction”
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”
Improving Reading and Writing Skills
In a recent Education Week post, Mike Schmoker described three key elements for teachers to use to impart core literacy skills to their students: purposeful reading, discussion, and writing. He advocated for 90-120 minutes engagement each day, spread throughout the curriculum. To understand just what this means for classroom instruction, let’s examine the three skills, … Continue reading “Improving Reading and Writing Skills”
Purposeful Reading
Reading is like any other activity; the more you know what you want to get out of it, the more benefit you’ll derive. Too often, though, we simply crack open a book and turn to page one without a thought about the process. That can lead to missed information; confusion about characters, plot, or informational … Continue reading “Purposeful Reading”
Want Better Reading Comprehension? Learn to Sigh More
Many studies have been performed to determine how effectively we read from paper versus an electronic medium such as a computer or smartphone, and the vast majority have concluded we retain more from reading on paper than from an electronic device. Researchers have posited several different theories for the disparity, including multitasking in the electronic … Continue reading “Want Better Reading Comprehension? Learn to Sigh More”
Teachers’ Social-Emotional Support Can Help Struggling Readers
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”
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”