Four-day school weeks are becoming increasingly common in the U.S., but their effect on achievement is not well-understood. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we conduct the most representative student-level analysis to date of the effects of four-day weeks on student achievement and within-year growth using NWEA MAP Growth data. We…

Many tens of thousands of preservice and inservice teachers have relied on this highly regarded text from leading experts, now in a revised and updated sixth edition. The latest knowledge about literacy teaching and learning is distilled into flexible strategies for helping all PreK-12 learners succeed. The book addresses major components of…

Family-school partnerships are increasingly touted as a means of improving both student and school improvement. This recognition has led to an increase in policies and initiatives that offer the following benefits: improved communication between parents and educators; home and school goals that are mutually supportive and shared; better…

In 2010, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation's Education Program has established the Deeper Learning Initiative, which focuses on students' development of deeper learning skills (i.e., the mastery of core academic content, critical-thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and "learn-how-to-learn" skills). Two test…

The Children's Art Carnival (C.A.C) is a community arts organization founded in Harlem in 1969. The organization aims to improve the language skills of pupils with low academic achievement through intensive participation in creative arts activities. In 1983-84, the program served 305 second, third, and fourth graders from eight schools in…

Deplores the preoccupation with isolated skill teaching among reading teachers. Calls for reading competencies to be taught in the context of reading that has meaning, interest, and significance for the reader, and stresses the importance of instruction in the thinking strategies that contribute to mature reading. (ET)

This action plan for reading success calls for educators, policymakers, and others to adopt practices that are consistent with available research on how to teach reading effectively. In early childhood, parents, care providers, and other community members should give children a strong base of cognitive skills related to print, background…

Offers selected ERIC references on the application of Piagetian theory and the use of Piagetian tasks in beginning reading/language arts instruction. (RL)

In implementing a districtwide reading project emphasizing staff development for middle school level teachers, the Moore County, North Carolina district conducted a study to determine whether middle school children could exceed their prior reading growth rates over a three-year period. Students from grades four through eight were pretested in the…

Describes a successful volunteer tutorial reading program, developed by the New Haven, Connecticut, school system, that provides disabled readers with assistance from volunteer tutors. Includes a list of seven caveats to consider when developing a volunteer program. (MD)

Central in the discussion of school improvement is the belief, supported by research, that almost all students can learn to read and that much reading failure is preventable. For almost all students to become literate, even those who are challenging to teach, educators must apply their best understanding of effective professional development, such…

Shares some warnings and positive suggestions about preparing students for the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SATs). Urges teachers to concentrate on improving students' reading and writing skills rather than have students memorize long lists of big words. (RL)

This article discusses the relation between instruction prescribed by standardized commercial curricula and reading achievement of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities. An instructional template for use with these curricula is described and its results examined. Limitations of generic instructional procedures adapting mainstream…

The resource book by the British Columbia Ministry of Education explains methods that may help in teaching language arts to native Indian students in grades K-7. The book, an attempt to enhance the development of native students' language skills within the regular classroom, indicates how to incorporate into the regular curriculum materials by and…

This document lists skills in the area of reading considered essential for pupils in Kentucky to progress to the next higher level of achievement. The skills are listed according to grade, and grades 1 through 12 are covered. The skills are described in terms of behavioral objectives. Students at the lower levels are expected to be able to perform…