Virtually every teacher works with at least some and sometimes many, students who struggle to read on grade level. Recent research has demonstrated success in improving the reading level of students in grades 4-9 with reading difficulties. This practice guide, developed by the What Works Clearinghouse™ (WWC) in conjunction with an expert panel,…

Sharing reading techniques with families is an important responsibility of teachers. Dialogic reading is one way to improve young students' expressive vocabulary skills, which are important for later reading success. Dialogic reading also supports students' understanding of story structure and content. This well researched technique has not been…

This report is part of a series of four guidance reports that the EEF has produced on the theme of language and literacy. It focuses on pupils between the ages of 5 and 7 in Key Stage 1. However, it may also be applicable to older pupils who have fallen behind their peers, or younger pupils who are making rapid progress. Separate reports cover…

Literacy improves lives--and with the right instruction and supports, "all students" can learn to read and write. That is the core belief behind this teacher-friendly handbook, your practical guide to providing comprehensive, high-quality literacy instruction to students with significant disabilities. Drawing on decades of classroom…

The presence of a developmental disability has been associated with failures in learning to read (Landgren, Kjellman, & Gillberg, 2003). Given that children with disabilities are at higher risk for reading difficulties, it is especially important that they receive repeated opportunities to develop emergent skills--particularly oral language,…

This report offers seven practical evidence-based recommendations--that are relevant to all pupils, but particularly to those struggling with their literacy. To develop the recommendations we reviewed the best available international research and consulted experts to arrive at key principles for effective literacy teaching. This report is part of…

Research shows that home environments play a critical role in developing children's early literacy skills. Given the importance of developing early literacy skills to bolster children's chances for subsequent academic success, this article highlights the role of parent-child shared book reading. Summarizing research on different types of…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as of this writing, 21 states and three U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year, with closures impacting at least 124,000 U.S. public and private schools and affecting at least 55.1 million students. In addition, districts in nearly all other states…

Authored by two passionate psychologists and educators, "Book Smart: How to Develop and Support Successful, Motivated Readers" is a how-to guide rich with stories, lessons, activities, and ideas aimed at supporting reading development and addressing the broad range of interpersonal, social, emotional, and motivational skills that can be…

This article presents a socio-cultural study of parental involvement in reading by examining the reciprocal mediation between a Chinese mother and her daughter in the reading of a dual-language storybook. The findings reveal a child learning in the "interplay of her contexts" that reflects dynamics of collaborative involvement in meaning…

This article presents practical, research-based strategies for parents to use when reading with their child. The intended audience is classroom teachers and reading specialists who work with parents of the children they teach. Each strategy provides supporting research, followed by a description of how the strategy can be implemented by parents.…

This handy resource can be used by teachers, classroom volunteers, and parents for large- or small-group shared reading instruction. Scripted language, fun activities, and sample questions on topics such as directionality, text conventions, high-frequency words, and comprehension provide the instructor with reading strategies to support beginning…

The premise of this booklet is that reading should be taught from the beginning to all students with the techniques and materials and orders of presentation that have been found to be effective in remediation, such as the concept of controlled lists. It is "common sense" to teach words in such lists in phonic context, rather than the…

This book provides educators, parents and caretakers with a variety of instructional strategies for engaging K-8 students. These approaches are designed to enable all students to read easily and enjoyably by utilizing different styles and approaches. The techniques are not generally found in conventional classrooms, but are specifically targeted…

Part of a series designed to provide practical ideas parents can use to help children become readers, this booklet focuses on how to encourage high school students to read. The booklet describes the social needs of teenagers, general guidelines for developing purposeful reading, and specific strategies to develop purposes for reading. Under each…