Comprehension

Teachers often encounter students who can read nearly anything placed in front of them but struggle to explain what they’ve read. These students read accurately and fluently, so it feels as though comprehension should  follow automatically. Research, however, tells us otherwise. While decoding is essential, it is only one component of what students need to truly understand text (Gough & Tunmer, 1986; Perfetti, Landi, & Oakhill, 2005). Decoding gets students through the door—b

Round robin and popcorn reading remain common practices in many classrooms, yet a substantial body of research shows these approaches are not effective in promoting student reading development. It is critical for educators to understand the limitations of these methods and explore research-backed alternatives that foster meaningful engagement and skill growth for all learners. What Are Round Robin and Popcorn Reading? Round Robin Reading:  A structured approach where students

Reading aloud to students—no matter their age—is one of the most researched and effective ways to support literacy. Decades of evidence show regular, interactive read alouds foster vocabulary growth, comprehension, print awareness, motivation, and even social-emotional learning (Swanson et al., 2011; DeJulio et al., 2022; Lane & Wright, 2007). Benefits Backed by Research Vocabulary & Language Growth: Meta-analyses reveal that read aloud interventions, paired with active quest

As teachers, we’ve all had students who work hard but still struggle to make sense of print. It can be frustrating to know they’re putting in the effort yet not making the progress we hope for. David Kilpatrick’s Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties speaks directly to this challenge. As an Amazon Associate, earnings are made from qualifying purchases, which helps support the work of EA Literacy & Learning. Why It Matters for the Classroom

“Without knowledge, even the strongest reading skills can’t help students understand what they read.” Natalie Wexler Closing The Knowledge Gap : A Call for Knowledge-Rich Instruction As an Amazon Associate, earnings are made from qualifying purchases, which helps support the work of EA Literacy & Learning. Natalie Wexler’s The Knowledge Gap offers a compelling examination of one of the most pressing challenges in education today: the persistent gap in reading comprehension a