It is a new year according to the calendar, but in most schools, we’ve just reached the half-way point. Resolve to be involved in your children’s education in new ways this year. Studies show that kids whose parents are involved in their education have better grades, a better attitude toward school, and more appropriate school behavior than those with less involved parents.
Reach Out and Read is a national program that seeks to make early literacy an integral part of pediatric primary care. Pediatricians encourage parents to read aloud to their young children and give books to their patients to take home at all pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age. Parents learn that reading aloud is the most important thing they can do to help their children love books and to start school ready to learn.
Dr. Robert Naseef is a clinical psychologist, writer, and the parent of an autistic adult. He specializes in helping the families with autism and other special needs to lead full and productive lives.
Rosemary Wells is the author and illustrator of delightful books for youngsters. In this exclusive video interview with Reading Rockets, Rosemary Wells talks about creating books for children and their adult readers that will stand up to being read over and over again.
When schools screen large numbers of students, they may under- or over-identify students with disabilities. Find out how school-based screening can be used effectively.
Schools play a pivotal role in helping young children learn how to read. This collection of tips will help administrators, teachers, and other school staff members set children on the path to reading.
Sneed B. Collard III is the author of more than 30 children’s books about science, nature, and the environment. With a background in biology, Collard introduces aspects of the natural world to children in a way that is accessible. His book topics range from beaks to wings to cloud forests to animal dads. Through his books and school visits, Collard encourages young people to see science as an integrated part of their lives — and not as some complicated school subject removed from day-to-day life. “If I’ve achieved anything in my career,” he says, “it’s the hope that I’ve written books that are being picked up by people who have never picked up a science book before.”
Because early intervention is so important, children who require special services need to be assessed at a young age. Here are six stages in the assessment process, from child-find to program evaulation.
Riddles are the perfect medium for learning how to manipulate language for many reasons, including students’ familiarity with them and motivation for reading them. Here’s how riddles can be used in the classroom to stimulate student’s metalinguistic awareness.
Treating communication and language difficulties early on can prevent potential problems with behavior, learning, reading and social interaction. Learn more about the five ways that early intervention can help your child and your family.
Recent research has provided a clearer picture about reading difficulties and how to prevent them. This position paper of the International Dyslexia Association argues for reform in teacher preparation to reflect these research-based understandings.
From starting a volunteer reading program to getting families involved, there are concrete steps community groups can take to help more children learn to read. Learn about these and more steps religious, cultural, and community organizations can take towards this goal.
A child’s background and prior experiences can contribute to increased risk of reading problems. However, the are four factors that hinder reading development regardless of a child’s background. Find out what they are in this brief overview.
Mem Fox is Australia’s best-known children’s book author. Her books are tremendously popular in the U.S. as well, and she has traveled widely as a writer, teacher, and passionate proponent of reading aloud to children. You can also see our exclusive video interview with writer and illustrator Helen Oxenbury, Fox’s partner on Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.
