The Company a Word Keeps
A new study found something surprising: children learn words better when those words appear next to familiar ones — and the effect can still be measured in adulthood. Here's what "anchoring" means for how we teach reading.
Everything You Need to Know About Phonics!
This blog post has two main goals:
To provide a concise overview of the nature and process of reading and the most effective ways to teach it.
To demonstrate that teaching reading is a straightforward and logical process that almost anyone can master.
Letter Names or Letter Sounds?
Teachers with classroom experience—as well as reading researchers—know that letter names confuse some kids. These children internalize the names of the letters and have a hard time transitioning to letter sounds. For example, some students have a hard time learning that the letter "c" can represent the sound /k/ as in “cat” because they are stuck on the sound /see/.
The Value of Mnemonics for Teaching Letter-Sound Relations
Why Letters Make the Sounds they Do?
Why does the letter “s” make the sound /s/?
Why does the letter “L” make the sound /l/?
Kids ask tough questions.
The Truth about Phonemic Awareness
Question: Should schools invest in a dedicated Phonemic Awareness (PA) program to supplement their systematic phonics curriculum?
It's Time to Get Serious about Preschool Literacy Standards
More states plan to invest in preschool education with the goal of raising students' success in elementary school. But, if we expect to see results from this investment, we must get serious about preschool literacy by setting high standards, clear expectations, and robust teacher training programs. Adding another year to schooling may have some benefits, but unless we fill the day with researched-backed literacy activities, I am afraid the effort will bear little fruit.