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…

The purpose of this article is to promote a deeper, more complex understanding of the challenge that "recess time" poses to elementary school educators and to thereby understand the practices in which they are currently engaging. Because teachers are expected to shepherd students through a vast array of learning standards while remaining…

Interactive read-alouds, where adults read text to children and facilitate discussion of the text, are an incredibly effective method for supporting children's literacy learning. In this article, Tanya Wright, an associate professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University, describes some of the knowledge and skills that…

The last 15 years have witnessed a quiet revolution in the understanding of spatial skills, and the authors are finding that these all-important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competencies are rooted in spatial knowledge. Spatial skills are the tools use to visualize and navigate the world. Spatial skills allows people to…

The early years are times of wonder for children. Curious about everything, they seek to explore and understand their world. During these early years, they attempt to interpret their world and make meaning through pretend play, drawing, and conversations with those closest to them. Although these first steps toward literacy may not look much like…

Babies and infants love mathematics. Give babies a set of blocks, and they will build and order them, fascinated by the ways the edges line up. Children will look up at the sky and be delighted by the V formations in which birds fly. Count a set of objects with a young child and then move the objects and count them again, and they will be…

Turning everyday activities such as baking into scientific activities is more than just fun: it is important for our children's futures. Science investigations provide an opportunity for children to learn about scientific concepts and listen to their peers, family, and community members, and to respond to their questions or ideas. It also provides…

As queer-identified women and former elementary school teachers who now work in universities as teacher educators, the authors spent the past decade developing a range of approaches to help elementary school teachers integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ)-inclusive practices into their teaching: "expanding…

Teacher leadership is vital to student success, with research finding positive connections between student achievement and teacher leadership and collaboration. While teacher leadership is certainly not a new idea, it is increasingly important in the nation's current climate to ensure students are taught in environments that are focused on their…

Guided looking, even done informally, has a huge impact on early childhood preparation for elementary school and is an effective way to address learning inequities. Why, therefore, does it play such a small role in schooling'? This is a question that occupied Philip Yenawine during his long career working in art museums, where the adults, once…

Professional educators--in the classroom, library, counseling center, or anywhere in between--share one overarching goal: ensuring all students receive the rich, well-rounded education they need to be productive, engaged citizens. In this regular feature, we explore the work of professional educators--their accomplishments and their challenges--so…

Just as social media created a new language that causes a rift in understanding between many adults and adolescents, so too has the use of technology in classrooms. The author, Ana Homayoun, an educational consultant, spends much of her time helping young people harness the power of technology to improve their organization and time-management…

This article chronicles a community coalition's efforts to revitalize a "failing" school, the Walter H. Dyett High School in Chicago. It tells the story of one group of people fighting to keep a school open and, moreover, to see it reflect their vision for their community and their children's education. We see that this community's…

For English language learners (ELLs) to productively engage in classroom discussions that foster language development, content knowledge, and analytical practices, teachers must create a trusting classroom culture. How do we ensure that all ELLs have opportunities to productively use oral language in academic settings? And how do we ensure that…

In this article, the author discusses the latest research on how to effectively teach English Language Learners (ELLs). This includes seven principles from a consensus report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The consensus report examines what the current research is about learning English from early…