What does it take to reach a middle school reader? Literacy expert Laura Robb recently shared her top strategies in a webcast for Scholastic fans. This article presents Robb's 13 strategies for thirteen-year-olds. These are: (1) Respect students' search for self; (2) Embrace blogging; (3) Send texts in class; (4) Take words apart; (5) Build…

The end of the school year is in sight, but it's not too late to help lower-level readers catch up. Experts across the country were asked about the most common obstacles to reading success--and effective ways to over-come them. Their insights and tips can help a teacher make a real difference before summer begins.

This article explores the factors behind the success of a reading workshop at the Center for Teaching and Learning in Edgecomb, Maine. In the workshop, teachers start by being honest with students about what they do as readers. They acknowledge the guilt many of them grew up with--the feeling that there's a proper, rigorous way to read and that…

Not too long ago, on a visit to two sixth-grade classrooms, the author saw very clearly the challenge teachers have before them when they try to differentiate reading. In both classrooms, 11-year-olds who read like fourth graders shared tables with classmates who read like the average ninth grader--a five-year span. How teachers approach this…

It is easy for intermediate students to get the wrong ideas about the purpose of reading. Educators pay so much attention to decoding and fluency in the early years that children sometimes come to believe that flawless and rapid word recognition is the point. As texts get more demanding or unfamiliar, some of the "good readers" in classes begin to…

Rafe Esquith has taught for 23 years at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los Angeles. In a neighborhood plagued by gangs, guns, and drugs, his is a special classroom known as Room 56. Within its walls, children living in poverty play Vivaldi concertos, perform unabridged plays by Shakespeare, and go on to attend top universities. In 2003,…

A "Read-iculous Read-a-thon" at an elementary school highly motivated first and second-graders to increase their reading time and interests through such activities as pep rallies, a reader's day, character act-outs, and other activities. (CB)

A recent study of reading instruction in 28 resource rooms designed for learning-disabled students is described. Program effectiveness was found to be determined by use of student time, method of instruction, and coordination between resource teachers and classroom teachers. Ways to use resource rooms more effectively are suggested. (MT)

Describes how to help young readers decode multisyllabic words by providing lessons on syllable spelling patterns. The article explains what a syllable is; presents the six common syllable spelling patterns (closed, open, r-controlled, vowel team, vowel-silent, and consonant-le); and offers a lesson on close syllables. (SM)

Reciprocal teaching uses a structured discussion based on four strategies: questioning, summarizing, clarifying, and predicting. Suggestions are presented for teachers wishing to use this technique in their classrooms. (CB)

Presents a selection of computers and peripherals designed to enhance the classroom. They include personal digital assistants (the AlphaSmart 30001R, CalcuScribe Duo, and DreamWriter IT); new Apple products (the iBook laptop, improved iMac, and OS 9 operating system); PC options (new Gateway and Compaq computers); and gadgets (imagiLab, the QX3…

In this article, the author shares the lessons he learned from Aaron, a 12-year old kid who had never been to school, on the importance of crafting systematic fluency lessons. The following are strategies that worked for them: (1) Demonstrate what fluency sounds and feels like; (2) Read aloud to the students at least three times a day from a…

Describes how teachers at three different elementary schools use jazz to teach students to read, write, and sing. In each case, jazz is used to enrich standard curricula and raise students' appreciation of this music form widely recognized for its rich heritage rooted in African American culture. Literature resources and relevant Web sites are…

St. Alphonsus School in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has strong academic traditions and a caring atmosphere. The factors that make this school an effective one are discussed. (MT)

Presents the story of one award-winning elementary school which shows that effective reading instruction demands a fine sense of balance. The school uses both phonics and whole language in order to teach to all children's needs. It also incorporates a balance of other techniques. After 3 years, the school's standards-based reading program is…