Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. The analysis of the Response to Intervention Model, current research in the fields of dyslexia and information literacy and the American Association of School Librarians Standards Framework for Learners, resulted in…

Experiential learning opportunities support readers in developing the background knowledge that is essential for comprehension. When authentic experiences are not feasible, virtual reality experiences serve as a vicarious approach to help readers have opportunities that promote comprehension. Rooted in experiential learning theory, virtual reality…

Today's teachers are required to spend most of their English/Language Arts time in teacher-directed instruction with required text, which is primarily informational. Little, if any, time is allocated to self-selected independent reading (Garan & DeVoogd, 2008). In addition, some teachers do not understand the importance of independent reading…

Student motivation is a critical element of engagement, learning, and achievement. With this in mind, teachers are particularly interested in motivating their students to read. However, getting students to do so can be a difficult task, especially if they lack confidence in choosing personally interesting books. We advocate for carefully nurturing…

In recent decades, extensive studies from diverse disciplines have focused on children's developmental awareness of different gender roles and the relationships between genders. Among these studies, researchers agree that children's picture books have an increasingly significant place in children's development because these books are a widely…

Teachers can use literature written for the young adolescent as a powerful tool for establishing and enhancing the community in the classroom that is arguably a necessity for learning to occur. In order for the young adolescent to be successful in the school classroom, a shared sense of community must exist. The students must feel connected to,…

Studies indicate thoughtfully planned chants integrated with shared book reading help young children remember concepts and vocabulary they hear in literature, capture children's imagination, develop their rhyming acuity, and background knowledge, and increase their sense of story structure, understanding of story sequence, phonological awareness,…

Current reading assessments put emphasis in the five components of reading competency, neglecting the self-efficacy needs of students. When students struggle with one of or all five components of reading competency, they could have negative feelings about themselves as a reader. This article offers teachers and effective user friendly assessment…

There are a plethora of innovations in the school curriculum. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) the C3 Framework of the National Council Social Studies, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA), among others, indicates movement in curriculum modification and change. Classroom teachers…

Curriculum Based Evaluation (CBE) can be utilized as part of a comprehensive programmatic assessment system for preparation of special education teacher candidates. The paper provides an overview of the following: (1) rationale for the use of a curriculum-based assessment system to measure on-going acquisition of specific content knowledge; (2)…

Primary students who struggle to read need incentive to redirect their mindset back onto the productive path of daily reading. Reading is daunting to the youngest readers who experience difficulties because the act of reading is difficult and tiresome. Effective reading engagement programs motivate these readers to read on a daily basis and…

Several federal mandates have eradicated developmentally appropriate early literacy practices in primary grade classrooms across the country. Studies show that patterns of oral language use are developed extensively during the preschool years and lay a foundation for literacy development. In recent years, high quality pre-kindergarten classrooms…

Constructivism is somewhat opposite of a mandated curriculum. It does not emphasize testing to ascertain pupil achievement. Nor is it a teacher determined reading curriculum. A formal reading curriculum with measurably stated objectives would not harmonize with constructivist thinking. Flexibility is a key concept in describing, in part, its basic…

Reading comprehension and fluency issues are the most significant challenges facing adult, developmental reading students in community colleges. While a great deal of focus has been on improving developmental reading instruction, there is a lack of attention, and research, on how to best improve students' actual reading. Self-selected reading…

There are a plethora of directions in which the curriculum might move, such as being subject centered versus being activity centered. Each must be appraised in terms of approved standards in assisting learners to achieve more optimally. Time moves forward rather rapidly as pupils move through the grades and graduate from high school, thus helping…