Latest in Literacy Blog
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9 Creative Ways to Keep Kids Reading Over Winter Break
Read more: 9 Creative Ways to Keep Kids Reading Over Winter BreakHere’s how to engage kids so they actually want to read at home Winter break is a time kids look forward to — and so do we, as educators and caregivers! No one can afford to lose ground, especially the more than two-thirds of elementary-aged learners already achieving below grade-level benchmarks. Thus, the first part…
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District Leaders: Secure Your Budget For Summer and Beyond — Before It’s Too Late
Read more: District Leaders: Secure Your Budget For Summer and Beyond — Before It’s Too LateAllocate any and all funding resources before they expire! The academic year is done. The bell rang on the last day of school and your students ran out the front door. Now, they’re busy enjoying their summer “break.” But for you, the race against time only intensifies. That is to say, you’re facing looming deadlines…
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Learning Loss Guide for Educators, Caregivers, and Community Leaders
Read more: Learning Loss Guide for Educators, Caregivers, and Community LeadersEducators need fresh ideas, tools, and resources, as well as innovative ways to combat learning loss and, more specifically, reading loss. This guide is for educators, school district administrators, families, and community leaders, delving into how to define learning loss in relation to reading loss, what experts believe causes it, its impact on individuals and…
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Addressing the Summer Slide
Read more: Addressing the Summer SlideIn 2012, my wife Barb and I were commiserating about the state of reading in the country—specifically what she, a 4th grade teacher, called ‘the dreaded summer slide’. Far too many kids, particularly from families that struggle, head back into class every fall, with less opportunity than their peers. They are not as engaged. They…
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The Story Behind Education’s Recovery After the Pandemic
Read more: The Story Behind Education’s Recovery After the PandemicIs everyone really ready for all of the faces hiding behind the computers to return to the brick-and-mortar classroom? Jose’s alarm rang. He rolled over and turned off the alarm on his cell phone. He was used to his new routine of rolling out of bed and opening his computer, as he sat up…
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Poetry: My Story
Read more: Poetry: My StoryIn 1994, my 6-year-old son Nicholas failed first grade. Testing revealed he could read ten words, showed no strengths, and had a low IQ. The prognosis was dire, his future bleak. Finally, the diagnostician called him: “The worst child I’ve seen in twenty years of teaching.” I had the option to remove my son from…
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Why Teachers May Feel Anxiety Teaching Remotely or Hybrid During the Age of COVID-19
Read more: Why Teachers May Feel Anxiety Teaching Remotely or Hybrid During the Age of COVID-19How technology and district pressure are ringing the anxiety bell for teachers COVID-19 has changed our education system in ways that very few people could have dreamed. Last spring, most schools in the United States closed their doors to thwart the spread of the deadly virus. This fall, some school systems opted for remote learning…
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If You Build It, They Will Read
Read more: If You Build It, They Will ReadIt’s not enough to say that home libraries are important. We need to take it a step further and ask why home libraries are important and how we can help build your student’s home library. Why a home library? Let’s start with this: “Children growing up in homes with many books get 3 years more…
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5 Keys to a Successful Summer Reading Initiative
Read more: 5 Keys to a Successful Summer Reading InitiativeKelli Bush with Elizabethtown Independent Schools highlights 5 keys to a successful summer reading initiative, such as Kids Read Now. In her eSchoolNews, December 2020 article, she explains how her district’s dedication and the Kids Read Now in-home summer reading program are changing her students’ reading habits for the better. Read the full article here.
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Book Deserts – Blame or Rain
Read more: Book Deserts – Blame or RainMany kids survive in a “book desert” without access to books. Let’s rain books onto every child to create a book oasis instead. “Something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.” Oh, wait… that’s an oasis. During this current crisis, many of us have spent time creating our own oasis with multiple trips to Home…