States are at war with lagging test scores for reading and math. The pandemic widened learning gaps and many children fell further behind expected grade-level benchmarks. While the impact of the pandemic and distance learning cannot be ignored, there also was another more pervasive issue as it related to the reading curriculum in public schools. … Read more
Children with English language learning difficulties can struggle in a traditional classroom environment. Expecting a child to learn and master subjects when lessons are taught in a language that is foreign to the child can lead to learning deficits and gaps in proficiency. This is why children with English language learning difficulties might need specialized … Read more
Reading is the gateway to learning. Without the ability to read, children will fail to thrive academically. While hearing information helps children process new ideas and helps them master lessons, reading is crucial to understanding these lessons and for facilitating information. We learn to read so we can read to learn. If a child wonders … Read more
Millions of children struggle to read, and children who read at a proficient level are the exception not the rule. Unfortunately, the Nation’s Report Card revealed that only about one out of every three fourth graders read at a proficient level or higher. To complicate these figures, some children might read proficiently or fluently at … Read more
An article in EdSource highlighted the successful literacy curriculum of Frank Sparkes Elementary in Winton, Calif. Half of the school’s students are learning English as a second language, and by third-grade more than half (54 percent) of the school’s ESL students hit grade-level reading benchmarks. How does the school create a learning environment conducive to … Read more
For children, Memorial Day might mean that summer vacation is here or nearly here. Many schools around the country dismiss classes for months during the summer break. The long vacation might be relaxing but it’s also a time when kids are at risk for losing reading gains (and math gains, too). To keep kids from … Read more