Another Vote against Oral Reading Measures
Teachers have long used oral reading measures as a standard of reading assessment. Meanwhile, opponents have launched a variety of criticisms, pointing to the social stigma associated with reading out loud and claiming too great a focus on "sounding right." But new research from the University of Maryland presents fresh, concrete data against oral reading measures and in favor of silent reading comprehension in student assessment.
1 Comments Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Myth of Bad Behavior and “Model” Students
According to a New York Times article, "Bad Behavior Does Not Doom Pupils, Studies Say," research from two separate studies indicates that our fears that children with poor behavior will not succeed in the upper grades are exaggerated.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, November 22, 2007
Never Underestimate the Importance of Informal Assessment
Documenting student reading behavior has always been a challenge, and with the stress now on formal reading assessments, it's important to remember that reading is a distinctly personal process--and to remember that we're not teaching reading; we're teaching children.
3 Comments Posted Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Pinky Promises
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, forget for a moment about tests, NCLB, and what our kids can't do; instead, think about what your kids are capable of doing, what they're really thinking about the things we throw at them, and the various blessings they offer you.
0 Comments Posted Friday, November 16, 2007
Problem Solving: More than Meets the Eye
Math teachers have long struggled to find methods to help students focus not just on getting the right answers, but on how to solve problems. In fact, problem-solving skills are becoming more and more of a hot topic in math instruction. So how exactly do you teach a child to think through the elements of solving any given problem?
0 Comments Posted Thursday, November 15, 2007
But Why Do We Read?
If we can agree that most adults who are responsible for children's education want children ultimately to read independently for multiple purposes, to feel agency in how they think about what they read, and to get some enjoyment out of reading, then why is it that so much of what we throw at them at school seems counter-intuitive to accomplishing those things?
0 Comments Posted Monday, November 05, 2007
Separate the Chaff from the … What? – The Irony of Reading Research
"Scientifically-based reading research" (SBRR) is a term that has been widely used since the passage of NCLB and the Reading First Act, and the publication of the National Reading Panel's five essential elements of reading instruction in their report "Teaching Children to Read." Unfortunately, SBRR today, as informative and unbiased as it sounds, is not used by the powers that be to truly tease out the very complex nature of reading and learning to read.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007
Are Students Inheriting a Fear of Math?
Math anxiety is a common problem. It's a large part of the reason students fail to take important upper-level math courses. But maybe talking to our students about their math fears isn't all we need to be doing. Maybe some of that fear is inherited, passed down from parents with their own math anxieties. Maybe it's time for the schools to address the math anxieties of the parents as well.
1 Comments Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Who’s Your Village?
Like my nieces and nephews, many kids in the U.S. are fortunate enough to have "a village" to help raise them - like in the African proverb. But why does it seem so difficult for teachers who are responsible for 15 to 35 kids to get help from their local communities?
0 Comments Posted Tuesday, October 16, 2007
D for Missing Assignments
The National Panel for Assessment and Educational Progress, which bills itself as the nation's "report card," recently released the results of its periodic assessment of a sampling of children's reading and math skills around the nation. According to the report card, children seem to be doing significantly better in math and moderately better in reading. However, the report card also shows that the achievement gaps between white children and their Black and Hispanic counterparts have changed very little.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, October 11, 2007
Illiteracy: What if it could kill you?
With all of these philosophies being thrown around today, especially in light of government-influenced educational practices in schools ala NCLB, what is the bottom line? What does it really mean for our kids to be sufficiently "literate"?
0 Comments Posted Friday, September 28, 2007
Preschoolers on the Computer
A common question for most parents is, "When is my child old enough?" We wonder when our children are old enough for potty training, for a "big" bed, for any number of first steps. But in a time when technology seems to rule our home lives as well as our work lives, many parents are stopping to ask, "When is my child old enough to use the computer?"
0 Comments Posted Tuesday, September 25, 2007