Reading Instruction

In her radio documentary for American Public Media, reporter Emily Hanford made an ominous declaration: “Elementary schools across the country are teaching children to be poor readers—and educators may not even know it.” This striking statement undergirded a two-part examination of reading instruction (or the lack thereof) in America’s public...

In September 2019, a new publicly funded charter school opened on New York City's Staten Island with a unique mission—catering to “students with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia,” according to an article from local news outlet The City.

Can students who struggle with reading learn to love it? The short answer is yes, of course—but accomplishing such a feat is easier said than done. How can students for whom reading is a difficult task find joy in it? Often, nurturing a love of reading in students who have struggled...

Lexile® reading levels are an important tool for many teachers. In fact, MetaMetrics—the company behind the Lexile Framework for Reading—states on its website that “over 35 million U.S. students from all 50 states” are given a Lexile measure (or "score") each year, which they receive after taking a Lexile-linked reading...

For parents, trying to figure out whether their child is a struggling reader or has a learning disability is no easy task given the conflicting opinions and information on how and when children learn to read. For instance, in countries like Finland, formal schooling—which typically includes reading instruction—does not begin...

According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is, “a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is...

In a 2019 opinion piece for online education news site the74million.org, Harvard Graduate School of Education Professor Paul Reville posed an intriguing question: “What if every child had a personalized plan to help him or her thrive?” Although this may sound like a theoretical question, Reville heads up Harvard’s Education...

Let’s get right to the point: Literacy—or the lack thereof—is a big issue in the United States. Those who lack basic literacy skills (not to mention more comprehensive reading, writing, and critical thinking capabilities) are too often left behind, compelled to either drop out of school or pass through with...

If Henry had a dime for every time his teacher asked him to try harder, he’d be a rich kid! This experience is common for students with dyslexia, which is often referred to as the hidden disability. Although Henry and students like him are trying hard, they struggle with underlying...

While the effects of reading struggles are often far-reaching, there is an upside: Efforts to increase reading success have the potential to positively influence a student’s long-term trajectory. With this in mind, schools looking to have a broad impact on student outcomes can implement systematic and sustainable long-term practices, such...