Teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents recognize the importance of providing deaf and hard of hearing children with full access to the languages around them. Without full access, reading and academic achievement remain far below intellectual capabilities. This article describes the Continuum of Reading Activities, which provides strategies that…

It is estimated that up to sixty-five percent of children entering grade school this year will end up working in careers that have yet to be created. This is a result, in part, of the rapid advances in technology that have occurred since Apple introduced the iPhone just ten years ago. This technology is not only impacting the way that we learn or…

Since children develop the critical language and early reading skills necessary to enter kindergarten between birth and age five, reading aloud is one of the most influential steps librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can take to foster preschoolers' literacy skills. Early exposure to books heavily influences vocabulary knowledge, which…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "Informing Adolescent Literacy Policy and Practice": Alliance Brief Offers Lessons Learned from Federal…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Time to "Learn": Comprehensive Literacy Bill Introduced in Congress; (2) "Teaching for a New…

This article provides an overview of research about how teachers, parents, and others can help young people develop literacy practices for success in school and life beyond school. The authors, members of the International Reading Association's Commission on Adolescent Literacy, present the results of its review of the literature in the form of…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) "In Need of Improvement:" New Alliance Brief Finds Flaws in NCLB's Design and Implementation for the…

The biggest campaign ever to improve the reading achievement of America's children is going on right now. The United States Department of Education, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the United States Department of Health and Human Services--all members of the Partnership for…

Designed for use at school or at home, this book focuses on the development of seven types of literacy: linguistic, visual, mathematical, scientific, geographic, economic, and computer. The book's suggested activities are each introduced with a detailed discussion of the necessary prerequisite skills, the concepts to be mastered, the materials…

This book was written for parents to assist them in becoming active participants in their children's literacy development. Each chapter presents frequently asked questions from parents, examples of student writing, strategies for home use, and parent's written reflections, as well as explanations of literacy based in research and theory. Chapters…

Parents can help their children prepare for the future by providing them with a literate home environment. The article suggests that parents model literacy at home, make time for reading and writing, create a literate environment, strengthen bonds while developing skills, and find meaning in reading and writing. (SM)

One way parents can improve their children's literacy skills is to create home portfolios. These showcase portfolios represent the child's best efforts and reflect achievements, and their scope is limitless. Creating home portfolios fosters self-esteem, teaches students about portfolios, encourages parent-child interactions, and improves study…

This brochure offers parents tips on helping their children connect writing with reading. It begins by noting that preschool children often want to scribble on paper, scribbles which sometimes represent a story. It suggests making space in the home for literacy, and encouraging early efforts. The brochure then offers four brief activities for…

Developed as part of the America Reads Challenge, this booklet helps family and community members to identify "checkpoints"--what most children can do in reading and writing by developmental periods and what most children can read, by grade level. The checkpoints are grouped largely by three-year developmental periods because children of…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Education Programs Receive Little Funding: Striving Readers One of Only a Handful of Programs to Receive Small…