Language and literacy pioneer Catherine Snow discusses the current state of literacy in America While the pandemic has challenged literacy development and outcomes for many students, that doesn’t mean America is currently in a literacy crisis. Professor Catherine Snow, a pioneer with decades of research in language and literacy development, says she’s puzzled by the public discourse about a literacy crisis.…
These 5 Proven Methods for Teaching Foundational Literacy are Vital to Overcoming Pandemic Losses By Dean Elson Our first look at long-term trends in reading and math assessments since the pandemic began affirm what many education professionals were anticipating. The National Association for Educational Progress, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” recently issued its signature report, which revealed that students…
Missing Out: Kids with Chronic Illness Lose Out on Learning and More By Arielle Haughee Chronic illness can be particularly cruel, especially when it afflicts some of our most vulnerable population, children. According to the CDC, around 27% of children in the United States have a chronic condition, and 1 in 15 have multiple conditions. That’s over 4 million elementary…
The path to prison is often paved by illiteracy. Yet many prisoners aren’t being taught to read. SALEM, Ore. — Vincent Valdez’s childhood memories are tinted by the vodka-filled water bottle he brought to class. “I’ve thrown up a couple of times in the middle of the classroom,” he said. “I’ve fallen over on the bus.” Valdez grew up in…
Low literacy linked to New Mexico’s poverty There is an inextricable link between poverty and literacy — particularly between child poverty and literacy, according to education experts. And for many New Mexicans, the relationship is generational. That is grim news for New Mexico, which had a poverty rate in 2021 of 19.1% — the third highest in the country and…
Book Truck Is Helping Combat Negative Stereotypes Black Wordschoolers is a bookmobile filled with stories from Black authors. It’s helping students learn to repel stereotypes and raise literacy rates. It may look like an ice cream truck, but what’s inside Natalie Pipkin’s creation may be far sweeter. “We have a variety of baby board books,” Pipkin said. “Some are bilingual.”…
Ten Ways to Make Summer Reading Fantastically Fun By Arielle Haughee Summer is a time for fun and also a time when kids can regress in their reading skills. That’s why reading is essential for this time of year. It can be tough to pry kids away from screens and get their noses into books, but we’ve corralled a…
5 ways to support children’s early literacy skills and build family connections this summer With the end of the school year here, parents, caregivers and educators may find themselves reflecting on another turbulent year in education. For researchers of children’s literacy, year-end reflections may prompt discussions of the “summer slide” — children’s loss of knowledge over summer break, particularly…
Childhood Literacy Plummeted Following Pandemic Shutdowns, Studies Show Young children are continuing to miss key reading benchmarks at a higher rate than before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to several studies. The number of students nationwide whose literacy skills are considered developmentally “on track” has yet to return to pre-COVID-19 levels, according to an Amplify Education study, though literacy did improve…
Lauren Page laments the way the pandemic affected students worldwide, whether they caught the virus or not The metaphor “summer slide” has been used for decades to describe the essential skills that children lose over the summer when they’re out of school. Though this term was popular before 2020, unfortunately it is now the least of many parents’ concerns. Over…