K-12 For Educators

Critical reading skills are essential for students in high school, as they help students understand literature, problem solving, test taking and homework assignments. Using contextual clues and...

Developmental Reading Assessment measures a student's reading level from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The DRA level assists the educator in finding books for a student that correspond...

A literacy coach is responsible for the implementation of a school's reading program, usually in elementary grades. Literacy coaches work with teachers to determine the best ways to improve...

No matter what standardized test your students are taking, reading is a major focus (even on math tests). There, teaching reading even more important than ever. The strategy suggested here will...

Reading, writing, and language teachers can use the newspaper as an effective tool for demonstrating the concepts of reading and writing, as well as the structure of the English language. Using...

Knowing the reading level of a book is critical for reading comprehension. There are multiple ways to find out the reading level of a book. Often, the reading level, or an age range, is provided...

Teachers often struggle with how to best meet the needs of their diverse learners. The reading levels of students vary greatly, which makes it difficult to teach the same skills and strategies to...

All students learn best when effective teaching practices are used, but this is especially true for students with ADHD. Teachers must prepare students by providing a structured lesson that...

Teachers often find a disconnect between what they know works, and what the practical realities of their classrooms allow. One place where this often plays out in the secondary classroom is in...

Providing ESL (English as a second language) students with a variety of activities to practice and review their English improves their fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Improving these three...

Teaching reading is the most integral and difficult challenge that teachers face today. Successful reading teachers continue to hone their skills through professional development to capitalize...

Scaffolding in reading is similar to scaffolding in building. Scaffolds brace the building and allow workers access when a structure is being erected; scaffolds in reading support learning and...

English language learners (ELL) can achieve reading mastery through the traditional methods of direct instruction combined with intensive practice in specific reading skills like phoneme...

Children are expected to learn how to read early in their school careers. It is an important part of growing up and is vital to future success in life, yet millions of high school students have...

Fluency is the ability to read text with speed, accuracy and proper expression and it plays a major role in comprehension of the material read. There are activities and strategies that can improve...

Use a red pen or marker to draw a circle. Draw lines coming out from the circle. This basic type of organizer is sometimes referred to as a spider organizer. The main idea goes inside the circle,...

Reading assessments are evaluations which are designed to show reading levels and comprehensions patterns of various students. A reading assessment tutorial guides teachers to create a reading...

Vocabulary is important for reading comprehension and for communication. But memorizing vocabulary words is not an especially engaging activity, so it's not the best way for students to develop...

Before beginning a shared reading session, the teacher can preview the text the class will read together. It may be a large story book that the teacher reads and displays as she goes, or it may be...

A reading workshop is not just about the small group working with the teacher. The rest of the students must be engaged in meaningful tasks so that you can focus on the group and so that all...

Reading teachers often have to assess their students to gauge their progress, for direct instruction and to address reading problems. This can be done formally or informally, using pre-made...

Reading-intervention programs are designed to identify and assist students who may have difficulty developing literacy skills. These programs function as a part of the school and occur mainly in...

Literacy data from reading assessments is an important tool for school district administrators and classroom teachers. By studying this data, principals get an accurate view of student achievement...

Reading is a process that involves the integration of several skills. These skills progress from phonemic awareness to phonics, which teaches students that each letter is represented by a sound...

Most people who have poor reading skills lack understanding of speech sounds as they occur in words, letters and groups of letters. Poor reading skills continue due to infrequent practice, strong...

Teachers can use many types of assessments to measure reading comprehension. They can write tests themselves or use tests that are published with their textbooks. These tests are all useful to a...

Struggling readers at any level can receive a huge boost to their skills when they are enrolled in a reading tutorial program. By engaging students in a one-on-one learning situation with a...

Research-based reading interventions are used to reach struggling readers. Reading involves five key components according to the National Reading Panel: phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency,...

When it comes to reading standards, there are both national reading standards and state reading standards. The standards differ from school to school because of the combination of national and...

When looking for funding sources to support their reading programs, teachers have many options. And in writing a grant proposal, they can use the many online resources, books and grant-writing...

Engaging reading activities are the key to improving reading skills. Students need to read a variety of materials in a variety of ways so that they remain interested in reading while improving...

Learning how to read is an essential part of a child's education, because the ability to read fluently and comprehend what is written is foundational to all other subject areas. Therefore, it is...

Students need reminders when they learn reading strategies. Bookmarks are a great way to give students a handy tip sheet of facts and strategies for improving their reading. You can make your own...

Much of the elementary school curriculum is focused on literacy development. Teachers teach children how to read, answer comprehension questions, and help them begin to acquire higher order...

After-school reading programs provide an opportunity for children to build and improve reading skills and literacy awareness. Students who are struggling with various aspects of reading are able...

Elementary students have to understand and apply reading comprehension skills in order to read for meaning. Reading skills can be taught in isolation, but need to be practiced in real reading...

Formal reading assessments allow a teacher to track a student's progress over a period of time in acquiring specific skills. These tests can be administered quickly, and the results are easily...

While many children possess the ability to read a book, fewer know how to truly comprehend what they read. Regardless of what content area you teach, your goal should be to promote comprehension...

A child's preschool experience provides the foundation for early reading and writing education. The most effective way to begin instruction is through a student-centered approach that encourages...

Reading instruction should be delivered systematically and directly through teacher-modeled, student-centered activities. Although reading skills vary depending on grade and reading level, the...

First graders begin the school year already reading. The students will display various levels of ability, but most can decode (sound out) three- and four-letter words and read simple texts. The...

Reading is one of the most important skills -- if not the most important -- that a child needs to learn. Learning to read will lead to an appreciation of the written word. With improved reading...

Students achieve reading fluency when they can read accurately and smoothly while maintaining a conversational tone. Children do not become fluent in one specific grade of school. Rather, they...

Reading skills are taught through teacher modeling and student practice. The skills that are most essential for comprehension are predicting, inferring, questioning, retelling, and summarizing....

Scaffolding, in basic terms, is the process by which teachers can assist students in learning. In construction, a scaffold supports a building site; in education, a teacher supports her students....

Reading comprehension involves a number of critical thinking skills that are used alone, in combinations or simultaneously. The best way to practice and apply these skills is through real reading...

Knowing how to read and speak properly are important skills to function well in society. Learning to develop your reading and language skills will help you become a better communicator. Mastering...

Reading comprehension is the culmination of many reading skills used simultaneously. Students are taught these skills in varying levels of complexity depending on their grade and academic ability....

Teaching reading is quite a rewarding task. Once a child has mastered the most basic reading skills you may find that you can't wait to move them on to the next level. While there are many...

When students are learning to read, it can be useful to measure their progress with varying methods of assessment. Some teachers use reading assessment strategies to supplement district...