Blogs About Reading

Shanahan on Literacy

Timothy Shanahan

Literacy expert Timothy Shanahan shares best practices for teaching reading and writing. Dr. Shanahan is an internationally recognized professor of urban education and reading researcher who has extensive experience with children in inner-city schools and children with special needs. All posts are reprinted with permission from Shanahan on Literacy.

Should We Teach Spelling? Part 2

May 8, 2015

My last blog entry was written in response to a fifth-grade teacher who wanted to know about spelling instruction. Although teachers at her school thought that formal spelling instruction, like working with word lists, was a bad idea, it turns out that such teaching is beneficial to kids.

Should We Teach Spelling? Part 1

May 1, 2015

I often hear concerns about our students' poor spelling abilities, and have been thinking about practical ways to address this issue. Although we want to continue to steer away from memorized lists that are often not retained, I want to get your feedback about incorporating more word study in your ELA block. I know what you are thinking — there is no time!

Round Robin by Any Other Name ... Oral Reading for Older Readers

April 27, 2015

I am seeking your advice based on the email correspondence below that I have had with my principal. She noted that I was practicing "round robin reading" on a classroom observation. Upon asking her to remove it (since it was not what I was doing), I realized that she doesn’t entirely understand what that practice looks like.

Is Rhyming Ability Important in Reading?

April 16, 2015

Our district is wrestling with how much emphasis to give rhyming as an early literacy skill. We had previously downplayed rhyming as a necessary focus but the new CA ELA/ELD Framework and CCSS where rhyming is specifically called out has resurfaced old questions.

Connecticut Early Literacy Presentation

April 13, 2015

The Connecticut Council for School Reform asked me to speak in Hartford, on April 9, 2015. My presentation reviewed and responded to some of the complaints or concerns about teaching young children to read, and considered several issues in expanding preschool literacy opportunities.

Response to Complaint About What Works Clearinghouse

April 6, 2015

I have recently encountered some severe criticism leveled at reviews and reviewers from What Works Clearinghouse (for example, this from the National Institute for Direct Instruction).