Peering through a magnifying glass, Cai compares the seashell in his hand to the others on the table. Across the room, the clatter of collapsing plastic cups rings out; yet Sylvia and Bella remain undeterred as they rebuild their structure. In Mr. Park’s classroom, STEAM-related
Reading development is complex and is not a natural process. Humans are not born to read. Instead, every brain must be taught to read as there is no genetic code passed down from one generation to the next. This has significant implications on the interactions
Educational Absurdity As I begin my twelfth year as a teacher, I find myself reflecting on the more absurd aspects of the profession—those practices that are continually implemented despite their demonstrable ineffectiveness—and how they are perhaps most prevalent in the teaching of literacy. The English Language
Learning to read is laborious. Students’ minds are constantly decoding words, remembering what they have read, and making sense of the text. It’s no wonder so many students decide reading just isn’t for them by the middle grades! This doesn’t have to happen, though. Teachers
Most of us have experienced the content-area literacy movement through across-the-discipline strategies, often identified by acronyms or clever titles such as “Chunking the Text.” Secondary teachers, however, soon became strategy-fatigued, overwhelmed with what many perceived as a singular strategy to turn them into teachers of
As last week was the end of school, I began Monday by letting my students know that I had one final task that I wanted them to complete. Once the collective chorus of groans subsided and the last “Why do we have to do work
Like many teachers today, I sometimes struggle to engage the learners in my classrooms. My competition is fierce; I compete for their attention with technology, with the short attention spans, general distractability of young children, and with fads like Pokemon cards and fidget spinners. To
Throughout my career I’ve taught struggling readers. Here’s one area of struggle I see all the time, and not just among struggling readers—I see it with middle school students and also with university students: how to notice key details. In other words: how to separate the
As the school year begins it offers an opportunity to create an intentional classroom community of readers. One of those intentions is likely to help students become risk-takers who feel willing and able to tackle challenges and outgrow themselves as readers. When students feel pressure
Every time Nancy Boyles works in a K-2 class, she brings her magic binder. From the outside, it’s three-ringed, matte black, and ordinary, but on the inside are colorful concoctions that transform young learners into readers: Active reader cards. Corwin Literacy consulting editor Wendy Murray