Teachable moments--opportunities to help children learn foundational reading skills--happen every day within homes and communities. These moments can be used to complement the systematic instruction children should be receiving at school (preschool and early elementary school). This article discusses ways to take advantage of teachable moments.

Duke draws on research into how children learn to read to advise teachers on how to best prompt early readers who get stuck on a word. She notes the 5 key questions young readers face--What is that word? Did I read that word right? What does that word mean? What does the text mean? Why does that meaning matter--and the core mental processes and…

Reading by third grade is a hot topic. Dozens of state legislatures have passed laws aimed at improving early reading, many of them mandating retention if the job is not done by the end of grade 3. Everyone from philanthropists to publishers, from parents to the press, have fixed on it. And setting aside too many people's assumptions to the…

The simple view of reading is commonly presented to educators in professional development about the science of reading. The simple view is a useful tool for conveying the undeniable importance--in fact, the necessity--of both decoding and linguistic comprehension for reading. Research in the 35 years since the theory was proposed has revealed…

In a project-based learning approach, students work over an extended time period for a purpose beyond satisfying a school requirement--to build something, to create something, to respond to a question they have, to solve a real problem, or to address a real need. For example, students might work to plan, plant, and cultivate a garden to help feed…

Reading involves and is influenced by many factors, which makes reading difficult to understand, teach, and explain to parents, policymakers, and other stakeholders. A metaphor of driving, which likens reading to an everyday practice, demystifies complexities inherent in reading. Both reading and driving are active, strategic processes. Just as…

Decades of research offer important understandings about the nature of comprehension and its development. Drawing on both classic and contemporary research, in this article, we identify some key understandings about reading comprehension processes and instruction, including these: Comprehension instruction should begin early, teaching word-reading…

Different research methods can yield unique insights into literacy learning and teaching--and, used synergistically, can work together to move the field forward. Now revised and updated with 50% new material, this definitive text presents widely used methods and provides students and researchers with a clear understanding of when, how, and why…

The need to explicitly teach letter-sound relationships in U.S. classrooms is settled science. However, too often such instruction is not provided in the most efficient or effective way. These instructional missteps mean that fewer children will develop strong word-reading skills. In addition, ineffective phonics instruction is likely to require…

Experiences with books before age three predict children's motivation to read (Bus et al., 1995), and can support the development of vocabulary, communication, and symbolic skills (Scarborough, 2001). Sharing books with infants and toddlers is different than reading aloud to older children. For example, it is important to attend more closely to…

As the popularity of project-based learning grows, so does the importance of understanding how this instructional approach can support students' learning and development. The authors describe a project-based approach to literacy and social studies instruction that research has shown to be effective. Key characteristics of the approach and…

Reading professional Nell K. Duke replies to questions posed via e-mail or Facebook on the topic of expository text.

This article introduces a framework designed to improve students' awareness of the need to critically evaluate websites as sources of information and to improve their skill at doing so. The framework, called the WWWDOT framework, encourages students to think about at least six dimensions when evaluating a website: (1) Who wrote this and what…

Readers use different processes to read different kinds of text. Three principles can guide teachers in helping their students better understand the nuances of different genres. Teachers should engage students in reading and writing for real-world reasons, develop students' knowledge of specific genre features, and teach strategies tailored to…

Nonfiction resources contain so much more information than any one--student or teacher--can possibly hold. Much of the knowledge of our society is accumulated in nonfiction texts. Nonfiction can answer many of the questions that young children have every day and can raise many new questions as well. In this article, the author explains some of the…