Reading Instruction

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...

More than 1 million students drop out of high school every year in the United States (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010), which equates to almost 7,000 students leaving school each day of a typical school year. These numbers are alarming to say the least, especially considering the positive impact of...

One in five students has a language-based learning disability, according to the Dyslexia Center of Utah, a nonprofit advocacy group. Further, the group notes on its website, the majority of such students have dyslexia. This is just the tip of the iceberg, however, as the Dyslexia Center of Utah also...

Here’s a simple yet powerful point that bears repeating: “All teachers want their students to master the skills that will allow them to enjoy reading books and writing their own texts.” This line comes from a 2019 blog post by Dr. Deborah K. Reed, director of the Iowa Reading Research...