https://www.readingrockets.org/feeds/news.xml Each weekday, Reading Rockets gathers interesting news headlines about reading and early education. Please note that Reading Rockets does not necessarily endorse these views or any others on these outside websites. To receive these headlines in a daily or weekly e-mail, sign up for our free Rocket Blasts service. Note: These links may expire after a week or so. Some websites require you to register first before seeing an article. en https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/13/books/review/jon-klassen-the-skull.html Folk tales are meant to be flexible things, open-source stories infinitely moldable to the needs of teller and era. That’s the wonder of them — and of “The Skull,” an old Tyrolean yarn distilled to its droll essentials and marvelously reimagined by the Caldecott medalist (and national treasure) Jon Klassen. Klassen’s version, accompanied by a generous helping of his odd and beautiful illustrations, follows a young girl named Otilla who, one snowy night, “finally” runs away from home. She becomes hopelessly lost in a deep, dark forest. Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:37:47 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.the74million.org/article/what-parents-can-do-this-summer-to-ensure-their-child-is-learning-to-read/ I’m writing this for all the parents out there: Don’t leave your child’s reading success to chance. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I was one of those parents. Sure, my wife and I read to our son every night, and we had plenty of books, newspapers and magazines around the house. Our local public school spent a lot of time on literacy too, but I cringe now as I look back on how they did it. They taught kids to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words using pictures, the first letter or other context clues. Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:35:31 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/schools-and-students-face-difficult-battle-to-close-learning-gaps-worsened-by-pandemic Billions of dollars were funneled to school districts across the U.S. to help them make up for learning loss from the pandemic. But new research shows that even with that extra money, school districts are still struggling to close the gaps in reading, writing and math. Stephanie Sy discussed the findings with Karyn Lewis of the Center for School and Student Progress and a lead researcher at NWEA. Thu, 13 Jul 2023 10:33:36 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.the74million.org/article/new-report-highlights-states-that-are-at-the-vanguard-of-the-reading-revolution/ A new FutureEd report, The Reading Revolution: How States Are Scaling Literacy Reform, tells the story of how Mississippi, Tennessee and other states at the vanguard of the reading revolution have redesigned reading instruction and raised student achievement in thousands of public schools through bold, state-level leadership. These states have addressed every aspect of early literacy, from how teachers and prospective teachers are trained to the curriculum they use, how students are assessed and whether children are retained rather than promoted to the next grade. Thu, 13 Jul 2023 09:33:32 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-what-people-are-getting-wrong-about-the-science-of-reading/2023/07 The science of reading, while typically villainized for solely advocating phonics, is misrepresented as a phonics program, while really, it is a body of research that informs the most effective way to teach decoding and language comprehension. The definition of the science of reading, provided by The Reading League, is “the vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing.” The term “science of reading” does not equate to phonics. That term does not equate to comprehension. Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:35:48 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61966/how-parents-can-help-children-with-adhd-thrive-in-friendships Parents of kids with ADHD often say their kids miss social cues, such as when peers are bored, hurt or offended, according to Amori Mikami, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada. “It can lead to a lot of outbursts or temper tantrums or whining and complaining or arguing with the friend,” she said. Mikami researches peer relationships, specifically focusing on children with ADHD. Additionally, she developed a parental friendship coaching (PFC) model where parents of elementary school-age kids can learn to support their child in making friends. Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:34:12 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.the74million.org/article/from-bus-stops-to-laundromats-cities-embrace-play-to-help-kids-learn/ Philadelphia and other cities are quietly building installations like the “Urban Thinkscape” to layer on learning where families already spend time. On a tiny triangular lot in the city’s Belmont neighborhood, kids waiting with their parents for the No. 40 bus can also work on their executive functioning skills, playing a hopscotch variation designed to train their brains. In Chicago, a wooden game mounted on the wall of a laundromat teaches children, in two languages, how to find color patterns in a lineup of detergent bottle tops. Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:31:46 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edutopia.org/article/preparing-families-new-school-year A few tips for ensuring that students—particularly those with disabilities and English learners—and their families get the year off to a good start. Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:29:52 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.k12dive.com/news/learning-loss-recovery-research-NWEA/686153/ Pandemic academic recovery in both reading and math is lagging notably behind pre-COVID achievement trends for students in grades 4-8 during the 2022-23 school year, according to a new report by NWEA analyzing MAP Growth test scores of 6.7 million students across 20,000 public schools. Third-graders were the only group who saw improvements, and they were slight, according to NWEA, an educational research organization recently acquired by learning technology company HMH. Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:29:15 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/2023/07/05/how-to-encourage-children-to-read-more-books-this-summer/ Every year, educators worry about “summer slide,” the potential for learning loss when children are not in school. This issue is more pronounced among low-income families who don’t have access to summer camps or other enrichment activities. One way to battle summer slide is through reading for fun, which is associated with many academic and health benefits, including strengthening the brain, increasing ability to empathize, reducing stress and building vocabulary. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:47:10 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edutopia.org/article/first-day-storytelling-elementary-school Engaging in storytelling gives students an opportunity to connect with each other and understand classroom expectations. Teacher Matthew James Friday says, "I tell a story every day for the first two or three weeks. I also suggest that the students can become storytellers themselves. All they need to do is write a story at home. After a few weeks of my telling stories, something magical always happens: A student brings in a story." Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:45:28 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edweek.org/technology/3-simple-ideas-for-introducing-ai-into-your-teaching/2023/06 While many teachers are embracing generative artificial intelligence—the technology behind powerful new tools that analyze huge amounts of online data and then use it to create unique text and images from basic prompts—others are still wary of the technology and even feel overwhelmed by it. For that latter group, Kristen Brooks, a technology specialist in Cherokee County schools outside of Atlanta, has three simple strategies for teachers to get their feet wet. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:43:11 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/4-ways-to-use-comics-and-graphic-novels-to-engage-students/2023/07 Most classroom walls display rules about arriving on time or raising hands to speak. Tim Smyth’s has a sign reminding students: “You’re Not Allowed to Ask Which is Better, Marvel or DC.” Even as he sidesteps fervent debates about which comic book publisher is superior, Smyth leans into comics and graphic novels in his 10th and 11th grade social studies classes at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pa. He believes they can offer students an engaging entry point into history and world cultures. Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:42:00 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2023/6/29/23778700/tennessee-tcap-tnready-statewide-2023-test-scores-pandemic Tennessee’s third set of test scores from the pandemic era improved again across all core subjects and grades, even exceeding pre-pandemic proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies. The academic snapshot suggests that Tennessee’s early investments in summer learning camps and intensive tutoring are paying off to counter three straight years of COVID-related disruptions. But the performance of historically underserved students — including children with disabilities, those from low-income families, and students of color — still lags. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:51:48 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.npr.org/2023/07/01/1185623418/a-new-picture-book-helps-kids-cope-with-grief A new children's book transforms a sad, scared and anxious little boy into a superhero. The book is called "Cape," in honor of the bright-red cape the little boy wears and finds comfort in following the death of his father. "Cape" is Kevin Johnson's debut picture book, and it's vividly illustrated by artist Kitt Thomas. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:49:56 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edutopia.org/article/animal-research-inspires-student-writing Teachers can assess young students’ literacy skills and knowledge by encouraging them to produce books based on animal facts. Mon, 03 Jul 2023 09:49:08 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-ways-to-teach-vocabulary-and-reading-comprehension Teachers can use evidence-based strategies for delivering vocabulary instruction to improve reading comprehension and vice versa by integrating literacy across content areas. These should engage students in active processing, which is essential to student learning and retention. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:13:08 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/61888/4-parenting-priorities-to-prevent-mental-health-summer-slide With school on break, along with all the homework, tests and early start times that come with it, parents often assume that young people’s stress and anxiety will take a pause as well. However, that’s not always the case, especially as the novelty of summer dwindles. Without the daily structure of school and extracurricular activities, kids may struggle with boredom or restlessness. Maintaining a routine during the summer can be a powerful tool for supporting children’s mental health, and parents can play a crucial role in establishing and reinforcing this structure. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:12:06 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://blogs.loc.gov/bookmarked/2023/06/30/le-petit-prince-turns-80-a-peek-inside-the-librarys-antoine-de-saint-exupry-collections/ Author, poet, aviator and adventurer par excellence, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is one of the most well-known French writers in contemporary history. This year marks the 80th anniversary of his most famous publication, Le petit prince (The Little Prince) published in 1943. Le petit prince is translated into over 250 languages with adaptations into radio plays, films, ballets, operas, musicals, children’s board books, and even an animated film. You can find a copy in Yiddish or the Burundian language of Kirundi. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:10:45 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/ https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/books/review/translating-childrens-picture-books.html With so few words, most of them kid-friendly, it should be a piece of cake. But it depends on who’s holding the whisk. Translator Daniel Hahn say,"I believe my job as a translator is to preserve all the dimensions of a book, not just one of them. When I find complexity, my job is to keep complexity, or more accurately to reconstruct it. And some of the most complex books I’ve reconstructed have been children’s picture books." Fri, 30 Jun 2023 09:08:23 EDT Reading Rockets https://www.readingrockets.org/