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Young Latina student smiling in the classroom at her desk

Bilingual Students With Disabilities Get Special Help

There are many children who are eligible for both special education and English as a Second Language instruction, but few models exist for how to serve these children well. Learn about a program in Clark County, Nevada in which dually trained teachers provide overlapping instruction to meet both these needs.
Elementary boy in yellow plaid shirt taking a test

Helping Students with LD Pass High-Stakes Tests

Students must pass high stakes tests to graduate high school. These tests are a major barrier for students with learning disabilities who often do not test well. Accommodations can help. Learn how to help children with learning disabilities do well on these tests.
elementary principal is school hallways with students rushing by

Characteristics of Improved School Districts

What are the factors that can improve school districts? This research brief from the Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement reviewed more than 80 research articles that investigated the attributes of schools and districts that have improved over time and found 13 themes or characteristics common to them.
Young boy looking at camera with his chalk drawing in the background

Paving the Way to Kindergarten for Young Children with Disabilities

Entering kindergarten can a joyful but also an anxious time, particularly for parents of children with disabilities. These best practices can help make for a smoother transition: using a collaborative team approach to involve families, setting transition goals, and focusing on the needs and strengths of individual children.
Five Key Principles for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Five Key Principles for Effective Vocabulary Instruction

Much vocabulary is learned without formal teaching. We gain words from conversation, observation, television/media, and reading. However, research shows that explicitly teaching vocabulary can measurably improve reading comprehension — if we teach the right words well enough. Here are five key principles to effective vocabulary instruction.

preschooler with picture book

Helping Your Child Become a Good Reader

Parents want the best for their children. Reading can open a window on the world, bringing chances to learn, enjoy and create. Even though schools teach reading and writing, home is the first and best place for your child’s love of reading to grow.

illustration of layers of a hamburger

Paragraph Hamburger

The “paragraph hamburger” is a writing organizer that visually outlines the key components of a paragraph — topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing sentence.

How Parents Can Support  Social Communication Development

How Parents Can Support Social Communication Development

Good communication development starts in the first year of life and goes far beyond learning how to talk. Communication development has its roots in social interaction with parents and other caregivers during everyday activities. Here are a few tips for supporting your child’s social communication.

Kristina Robertson

Kristina Robertson

Kristina Robertson is a professional development outreach specialist for WIDA and an ELL educator with extensive experience as a classroom teacher and professional development leader.

Eve Bunting

Eve Bunting is a spellbinding storyteller, both in conversation and in writing. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Eve Bunting relates amusing stories from her childhood in Ireland and offers insights into her books, some of which are unflinching in tackling tough subjects.

Looking at Writing

Looking at Writing

Explore annotated writing samples from kids in pre-K through grade 3, and see next-step suggestions for instruction. You’ll also learn about writing milestones and different purposes of writing — along with ideas for how to make room for writing during the day.

Good Night, Sleep Tight: Preschoolers and Sleep

Good Night, Sleep Tight: Preschoolers and Sleep

It’s important to remember that a lack of sleep can greatly impact your preschooler’s behavior and ability to have a good day at preschool. Try this little experiment with your child to make sure they understand and maintain an appropriate sleep schedule.

Our Video Interviews with Newbery Medal Winners

Our Video Interviews with Newbery Medal Winners

Over the years, Reading Rockets has had the opportunity to interview many beloved children’s authors and illustrators. Here, we share our video interviews with winners of the prestigious Newbery Medal and Honor Awards. 

Elementary aged girl looking at laptop with her father

The IEP Team

The IEP guides the delivery of special education and related services and supplementary aids and supports for the child with a disability. Without a doubt, writing and implementing an effective IEP requires teamwork. So, who’s on the team?
elementary principal is school hallways with students rushing by

School Culture: The Hidden Curriculum

Walk into any truly excellent school and you can feel it almost immediately — a calm, orderly atmosphere that hums with an exciting, vibrant sense of purposefulness. This is a positive school culture, the kind that improves educational outcomes.
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