Latest in Literacy Blog
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Incorporating Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Curriculum
Read more: Incorporating Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood CurriculumEarly Childhood Education is a vital foundation for children of tender age. Not only are they introduced to various experiences, but they are also taught how to form and maintain positive social relationships, a sense of belonging, and developing specific skills to reach their full potential. We see regular acts of racism, sexism, and prejudice…
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Literacy + STEM = A Perfect Pairing
Read more: Literacy + STEM = A Perfect PairingWhen it comes to STEM and literacy, one can’t exist without the other. STEM teachers emphasize the Engineering Design Process and computational thinking, as well as technology tools. But the work of engineers and scientists goes much further than the traditional STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math. They are also communicators, collaborators, writers,…
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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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Include Me!
Read more: Include Me!All children like to read things they can relate to or that make them feel good. And the best children’s stories I “read” were those on the laps of my parents. In order to write books for children of a different mold than our own, we need to know them. I grew up in a…
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Reading Supports Social Emotional Learning
Read more: Reading Supports Social Emotional LearningHow reading helps children learn social emotional skills I am a lover of all things book and the written word. As a child, I was precocious and very curious. Thankfully, my father had a great passion for reading and ensured that I, along with my siblings, understood the importance of literacy and that it was…
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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…
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It is the Opportunity Gap, Not the Achievement Gap
Read more: It is the Opportunity Gap, Not the Achievement GapWe call it the “achievement gap” – but isn’t it really an opportunity gap? A closer look at socioeconomic reading disparities — and how we can help your child to close the gap An opportunity gap of .8 means a testing gap of 3 years. For decades, efforts to reduce the racial divide on test…