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It's cultural literacy, not Bible lessons, say Texas educators
Texas will add Bible stories and religious history to its K-5 reading curriculum.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 5, 20242 min read
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The great reading rethink: What does it mean?
Once students have learned phonics, what's next? Reading comprehension relies on a blend of decoding, vocabulary and general knowledge,...

Joanne Jacobs
May 22, 20242 min read
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Johnny can't read, and he's not in K-3 any more
Students who don't learn to decode quickly and automatically do not improve their reading comprehension.

Joanne Jacobs
May 21, 20243 min read
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If kids don't do much reading, they won't get good at it
Perhaps college students can't read long or complex texts because they didn't read many books in middle and high school, suggests...

Joanne Jacobs
May 20, 20242 min read
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College students can't -- or won't -- read, say profs
Many college students don't do the work -- perhaps because they have trouble reading and understanding college-level texts.

Joanne Jacobs
May 20, 20242 min read
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Magic worlds
The Rabbit Hole, a children's literature museum in Kansas City, sounds like a wonderful place. Children can explore "scenes from beloved...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 7, 20241 min read
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Core Knowledge students learn more -- a lot more
Students taught a structured, knowledge-rich curriculum starting in kindergarten earned higher reading, math and science scores in third...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 15, 20241 min read
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Teaching science and social studies improves reading (and math)
After a long battle to persuade educators they need to teach phonics, systematically and explicitly, the science of reading has moved on...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 12, 20242 min read
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Tennessee board: Don't wait till 3rd grade to retain poor readers
Help struggling readers starting in kindergarten, says Tennessee's school board in a resolution. If they need more time to...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 6, 20242 min read
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Odysseus so white
English teachers at Oakland's College Preparatory School, one of the most expensive private schools in California, have "let go" of...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20242 min read
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Poet X replaces Romeo: Why high school students can't read
Adam Kotsko, who teaches humanities at a small liberal arts college, finds that even his best students are unprepared to read and...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20241 min read
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Why Joe College can't read
College students have trouble reading anything long or complex, complains Adam Kotsko, in Slate. He's taught humanities classes in small...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 19, 20242 min read
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Teach old, 'problematic' books
Teach old books, argues Daniel Buck, author of author of What Is Wrong with Our Schools?, on Fordham's Flypaper blog. Yes the language...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 19, 20241 min read
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Parents get pushy in Fort Worth: Why did every 1st-grader get the same grade?
Trenace Dorsey-Hollins asked why her daughter received "emerging" (the lowest level) on her first-grade report card for a skill she'd...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 16, 20242 min read
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Teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates
Mary Wood is teaching Ta-Nehisi Coates' memoir, Between the World and Me, in her AP English Language and Composition class in Chapin,...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 7, 20242 min read
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$250K for 'woke' training: Reading, math scores fall even lower
Training teachers to "disrupt whiteness" isn't helping children learn at a Bay Area school, reports Jill Tucker in the San Francisco...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 5, 20242 min read
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Reading revolution: It's a lot more than 'back to basics'
States are jumping on the "science of reading" bandwagon, writes Sarah Schwartz for Education Week. New York, Massachusetts, Indiana,...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 2, 20242 min read
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Young students are better in phonics, worse in math
"Covid toddlers" -- kids who were two years old in March 2020 -- were more likely to be unprepared for kindergarten in fall 2023 reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20241 min read
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Students are catching up in math, reading -- but gaps are wider
Reading and math scores are on their way up, reports the Education Recovery Scorecard. On average, students in grades three through eight...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20242 min read
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Beyond decoding: Teaching knowledge, vocabulary builds comprehension
In Portage, Michigan, fourth graders are reading about hurricanes -- including words such as "atmosphere" -- in their English Language...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 17, 20242 min read
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