The scientific evidence base on how we learn to read and how to best teach reading has been growing and converging over 40 years. This includes brain imaging studies that show how our brains learn to read and underlying causes of why some students have difficulty learning read.

Sadly, teachers often do not have access to this evidence base. Many teachers report that their preservice education in college did little to prepare them for teaching reading. Many veteran teachers report a lack of quality professional development once hired that could help them improve their reading instruction. And for too long, the reading wars have confused teachers and administrators. These wars started in the 1990's when whole language advocates succeeded in convincing too many schools that learning to read comes naturally without the need for explicit instruction in decoding skills. Even today, there are many reading "experts" that say they promote a "balanced" approach to beginning instruction, but what that actually represents is a little bit of incidental phonics thrown in on top of the same approaches to reading instruction that have not worked for the past 25 years. The latest scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the nation's report card, were just released—and things aren't looking good for the country's young readers. 

The first time it happened was with Frank Smith’s, Insult to Intelligence: the Bureaucratic Invasion of our Classrooms, published in 1986. Smith promotes alternatives to “drill –and-kill” instruction where, “children are learning that reading and writing are ‘school activities,’ punitive, pointless and boring, not to be engaged in unless teachers require them.” He promotes “literacy clubs,” where …”there is never a formal, tedious, and meaningless period of instruction; no one ever gives a struggling beginner a low score; differences in interest and ability are expected.” He was describing MY classroom! I should have written that book...

For Literacy Lines blog followers who are familiar with this professional development program, you will find an updated graphic organizer in the new edition that visually presents the teacher and student routines using a square shape as shown...

The demands and complexity of reading in a college setting, in workforce training programs, and in civic life in general have either remained the same or increased over the last fifty years. However, K-12 texts have actually declined in difficulty and sophistication and become less demanding....

The author of the piece, Annie Murphy Paul, notes that the practice of leveling students’ reading material so that teachers can adjust the difficulty of text to suit the ability and skills of the reader is very popular and has been around for over sixty years....

The ultimate goal of literacy professional development for teachers is for students to improve their reading and writing skills. Before this goal can be met, three stages must be completed......

When teachers attend professional development on an unfamiliar topic, they too, need help before they can fully implement the new instructional practices in the classroom. Not only do they need to fully understand the new concept, but they must be given time and support to change their practices....

Wendy has created a fantastic website full of articles, videos, and other great resources for teaching struggling readers (the picture of the girl pouting on the first page is priceless). Check out the great work Wendy and the rest of the advisors at Reading Matters to Maine are doing.....

Keys to Literacy began developing online PD courses in 2009. Since then, nearly 3,000 teachers across 54 districts have participated in blended online PD for our comprehension and vocabulary training. Through this experience, I have learned a great deal about what it takes to implement hybrid training......

The article addresses school coaches in general, but I think its message is important to literacy coaches, including educators who are trained to be building coaches for Keys to Literacy professional development programs.

Foltos starts the piece with a common question raised by new coaches: When can I share my experience and expertise with teachers I am coaching to help them improve?.......