Building Literacy Skills
The state of reading instruction in grades K-3
May 13, 2015
Early-grades reading instruction has long been a central point of emphasis—and concern—for educators and policymakers. That's in large part owing to a provocative body of research showing that students who don't read with proficiency by the end of 3rd grade are far more likely to experience poor academic outcomes, including leaving school without a diploma. This Education Week special report takes a wide-ranging look at new efforts to address the challenges of early-grades reading instruction.
- Reading & Literacy Should 3rd Grade Be the Pivot Point for Early Reading?New research calls into question the widespread practice of retaining students in 3rd grade based on their reading proficiency.Education Quiz: Test Your Knowledge About Reading DevelopmentThere are common misconceptions about how students master literacy in the early grades. This interactive quiz, based on research, will test your knowledge of early reading development.
Reading & Literacy Under Common Core, Students Learn Words by Learning About the WorldUnder the common core, teachers are building students' vocabulary skills by teaching words in context, rather than through word lists.
Reading & Literacy New Read-Aloud Strategies Transform Story TimeUnder the common core, teachers use new questioning techniques to help the youngest students learn to draw evidence from what they read.
Reading & Literacy Ala. Reading Intervention Stands Test of TimeA statewide reading initiative begun 17 years ago in Alabama is credited with raising reading scores and narrowing racial achievement gaps in one of the nation’s poorest states.Reading & Literacy Reading Fluency Viewed as Neglected SkillFifteen years after the National Reading Panel identified it as a pillar of reading instruction, fluency remains a neglected and somewhat misunderstood skill, according to experts.Reading & Literacy Editors Note: Building Literacy SkillsThis Education Week special report takes a wide-ranging look at new efforts to address the challenges of early-grades reading instruction, particularly in light of the waning influence of the federal Reading First program.
Student Well-Being Push for Grade-Level Reading Takes Many FormsA school attendance program in Connecticut, a free preschool in Kansas, and summer learning programs in Illinois and Iowa are all part of an effort to ensure students read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
