Today’s Literacy Headlines

As everyone involved in American schooling continued to claw their way back to some semblance of normal in 2024, the year in education was anything but. One need look no further than Education Next’s annual round-up of the 20 most-read articles to observe some themes in what most concerned our readers about education in this evolving post-pandemic period. Lagging student achievement and the interventions that address it draw readers’ interest.

Tune in, talk more, take turns is good advice for anyone hoping to build their conversational skills. It is also the name of an enrichment program created by the University of Chicago’s TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health to promote equity in children’s language acquisition and to reduce disparities in developmental outcomes for children from low-income families.

We’re down to the big final lists of the year now. If you’ve been following this series this month then you’ve seen me me talk about a lot of nonfiction picture books until now. This list takes the best of them, as well as a couple titles that don’t slot neatly into categories. I consider these the best of the best. The ones you cannot miss. See if you can find one you missed before now.

Jimmy Carter campaigned for president on a promise of establishing a federal department of education and, after some hedging on his part and multiple internal and external political battles, finally delivered on that pledge late in his one term in office. The creation of the Cabinet-level agency elevated the federal government’s role in education for decades to come. The achievement was arguably the high point on education in a long public career in which Carter served as a local school board member, a Georgia state legislator interested in school reform, and a governor who delivered an overhaul of his state’s education system.

Former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at 100 years old, left behind a substantial impact on the American school system that has shaped the trajectory of education policy. Carter’s legacy influenced a wide range of educational developments, including providing support for higher education opportunities, as well as disadvantaged student groups and schools, both nationally and in the Peach State.

Philadelphia’s K-8 public school students are being taught a new literacy curriculum starting in the 2024-2025 school year. It’s called Expeditionary Learning, and it conforms with what literacy experts call the science of reading, which are research-based skills needed to become a strong reader. Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo is a clinical professor of literacy studies at Drexel University and previously worked as an elementary school teacher for 18 years, teaching kids to read and write. She talked to The Conversation U.S. about the strengths and challenges of Philly’s new curriculum.

New York City’s top financial watchdog is demanding the Education Department cancel plans to expand the use of a reading tutor powered by artificial intelligence until the agency adopts clearer policies on the technology in schools. The Maryland-based EPS Learning company would provide students with automated one-on-one tutoring in reading, screening for risk of dyslexia, and other assessments of students’ reading abilities.

Video content—whether viewed on cellphones, laptops, or interactive whiteboards—has become so ubiquitous both inside and outside classrooms that educators may not stop to think about the effects on their students, particularly adolescents. While there’s much discussion around screen time, this particular offshoot of that issue is one educators should pay special attention to, recommends a recent report from the American Psychological Association.

This year’s top titles range from an alphabet book of quirky tunes to an authentic portrait of our nation. Many of this year’s best children’s books give a glimpse, in their own ways, into how other people live. Matt Lamothe and Jenny Volvovski’s All About U.S. quite literally steps into the homes and daily lives of 50 American kids, one from each state. Xin Li’s I Lived Inside a Whale brings readers into the quiet space of a young girl who finds the world too loud and busy. And Stephanie Seales’ My Daddy Is a Cowboy whisks them away on a sunrise horseback ride, so that they may imagine what it’s like to be an urban cowboy.

As any designated bedtime book reader knows: novelty is key. If you are ready to depart from the well-trodden tried-and-true, here are 10 new picture books that NPR critics and staff loved in 2024. These are just a handful of the hundreds of books recommended in Books We Love, our annual year-end books guide.

Meg Medina’s two-year term as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature came to an end on December 12 at a celebration held in the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C. The Ambassadorposition was an honor for many reasons, Medina told PW, especially because the role exists specifically to “elevate the needs, interests, and thoughts of children.” She added that this is crucial because most lifelong readers discover their reading pathway during childhood. She also appreciated the opportunity to represent the kid lit community.

Project-based learning can inspire young students to ask questions about their surroundings and see where their curiosity takes them. “Through our curriculum project, we repeatedly see pre-K children making insightful connections between what they’re learning inside the classroom and what they’re discovering outside the classroom—whether it’s from seeing a house being constructed in their neighborhood or taking a family pet to the vet’s office.”

Every December at The 74, we take a moment to spotlight our most read, shared and impactful education stories of the year. Many of America’s schools are still grappling with the academic struggles that followed the pandemic – as well as the end of federal relief funds, which expired this fall. Student enrollments have yet to recover and many districts are facing – or will soon face – tough decisions about closures. Meanwhile, some educators are testing innovative ways of teaching math, reading and science, hoping to gain back some of the academic ground lost since the COVID shutdowns. 

Parents in Massachusetts have sued the creators and publishers of some of the most popular balanced-literacy curricula on the market, saying the materials hindered their children’s ability to learn to read. But this new strategy in the “reading wars” has a longer history. It’s centered on one discrete teaching practice. Learn more in our latest explainer video.

An evidence-based approach to literacy instruction can help students close grade-level reading gaps and improve their confidence.

Phonemic awareness is a crucial component of any reader’s tool kit. It’s crucial in chunking and blending words, as well as building vocabulary. As it involves the ability to listen to and manipulate phonemes, the skill also bridges reading and writing. Playing with rhyme is a fun way to develop this skill, and it’s a common component of teaching in the younger grades.

One in 10 public school students in the United States is classified as an English learner. When educators feel prepared to teach in such classrooms, they can celebrate this diversity properly while also developing students’ English literacy skills. Here’s some advice for how teachers can amplify diversity in ways that acknowledge students’ heritage and foster a productive learning environment for everyone.

Multiple states have banned a method used to teach children to read for decades, but it’s still allowed in Georgia. For the past 30 years, Georgia State University has run a program for experienced teachers to learn a curriculum called Reading Recovery, which is intended to help children learn how to read. Once hailed as one of the most effective intervention models, a study published in the Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness in 2023 raises questions about its effectiveness.

The list features books with vibrant illustrations, engaging stories, and characters who know when to take risks—plus ideas for utilizing the books in the classroom.

This year, we’re going to talk about the usual slew of “message” books, while also taking some time to consider those titles that look at social and emotional learning. You’ll see a wide range of titles here today. Hopefully their inclusion will make a certain amount of sense.

It’s that time of the  year when you’re making your list, checking it twice, for gifts that spark a love of science for the kids in your life. Ira Flatow talks with Mahnaz Dar, young readers’ editor at Kirkus Reviews and Carrie Wolfson, collection development librarian at the Boulder Public Library to  round up some of the top kids’ science books of 2024 and make recommendations based on listener questions.

A fiery voice of Black liberation in the 1960s, she later honed a more tender, meditative style in best-selling books for children and adults. When her son was about 2, she published the children’s poetry collection “Spin a Soft Black Song” (1971). “No cheek-pinching auntie, she explores the contours of childhood with honest affection, sidestepping both nostalgia and condescension,” Nancy Klein wrote in a review for the Times. The book was followed by a dozen more titles for children, including “Rosa” (2005), which was named a runner-up for the Caldecott Medal and told the story of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, with illustrations by Bryan Collier.

As host of The Stacks podcast and book club, Traci Thomas reads a lot of books, mostly for adults. So when it’s time to read with her young children, she finds herself learning new things about old classics, like “Charlotte’s Web.” Listen to the latest episode of the MindShift Podcast to hear how Thomas sources books suggestions, and what books she hopes her kids read when they’re older.

Schools can support relationships among students, staff, and the wider community through engaging opportunities that promote literacy. Positioning literacy as an inclusive set of practices involves the daily work of getting to know students and families. The school where I am serving is keen to encourage family and teacher interactions through positive communication and reaching out, and families can be seen as partners in the schooling journey. 

For the first time in a decade, the American Academy of Pediatrics released updated recommendations on how pediatricians and caregivers can encourage early childhood literacy, with a Wisconsin doctor working on the effort. Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, professor of pediatrics and human development and family studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, helped write the new literacy promotion policy statement and accompanying technical report. He told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” what parents and healthcare professionals should know.

When I learned about Weirdo, a middle-grade graphic novel memoir released in 2024 by Tony Weaver Jr., about an awkward preteen who loves all things geeky but struggles with mental health issues and self-doubt, I knew we needed the book.

New York City is rolling out tweaks to its sweeping reading curriculum overhaul after facing concerns from teachers and union officials, according to a message sent this week to school staffers. Purchasing new curriculums, training thousands of teachers, and building support in school communities has been a difficult task. The city’s teachers union has been a major supporter of the curriculum change while the union representing principals has been more resistant, criticizing the mandate as hastily implemented without buy-in from school leaders or community input.

Thorny questions about research drive the reading wars: What makes a curriculum research-based? Who gets to decide? Those questions have never been settled in the K-12 education world, where teachers have long been encouraged to create and modify materials—and where publishers have touted their products’ absolute fidelity to research. But now they’re at the heart of a new lawsuit against three of the largest figures in the balanced-literacy world, and the publishers of their products. Aimed at reading series by Lucy Calkins and Fountas and Pinnell, the lawsuit raises new questions about how popular curricula are marketed. 

In reading through hundreds of studies, we found a few good and bad things to say about the future of ChatGPT and AI in classrooms (Hint: the tools are still not ready to teach). We also looked at whether there’s any truth to reports that “pandemic babies” lack basic skills like grasping a pencil or getting along with other kids; how to make your classroom management impervious to “inattention contagion”; and the price students pay when outdoor spaces are deemed “too risky” to learn in.

Through guided play, exploration, relationships, and conversations, kindergarten teachers can transform learning for children from something teacher-directed and constrained to something engaging and interactive. But to do this well, educators need enabling state and local policies, appropriate resources and environments, and supportive schools. New America has launched work to tell the story of kindergarten across the country, elevate the most important research findings on teaching and learning in kindergarten, identify and highlight bright spots, and promote state and local policies that create the conditions for kindergarten instruction and environments in the ways young children learn best.

Karrie Conley and Michele Hudak filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that the educational publisher Heinemann and three of its best-selling authors promoted “deceptive” and “defective” products that made it harder for their children to learn to read. The suit, filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, seeks class-action status on behalf of schoolchildren in Massachusetts who were taught to read with Heinemann products. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants falsely marketed their literacy products as “research-backed” and “data-based,” failed to “warn” consumers that the products lacked sufficient phonics instruction and continued to sell those products even when they should have known they were inadequate. It claims that Heinemann and its authors “denigrated phonics at worst and paid mere lip service to phonics at best.” 

A lawsuit filed in Massachusetts state court accuses famous literacy specialists Lucy Calkins, Irene Fountas, and Gay Su Pinnell and their publisher Heinemann of pushing reading curriculums they knew didn’t work. Adopting a consumer protection approach, the lawsuit charges the curriculum authors with “deceptive and fraudulent marketing.” The filing alleges they willfully ignored decades of research into more effective practices and used shoddy studies to prop up their own work, then charged school districts for updates when they were forced to admit their materials were not effective.

Here are the year’s most notable picture, chapter and middle grade books, selected by The New York Times’ children’s books editor.

After mandating science of reading as the only approach in elementary schools, the state is offering preK teachers free training and bonuses. Early childhood experts say that though preschools don’t offer the same intensity of reading lessons that kindergarten and first grade teachers do, there are ways to subtly improve young children’s understanding of letters and their sounds with play, songs and games that fit their age.

To my mind, a simple picture book is a picture book for younger readers. Preschoolers, for example. Adults (particularly adult reviewers) are rather enamored of providing children with thoughtful, complex picture books. I include myself in that statement. It can be difficult to understand how truly praiseworthy simple picture books and their basic texts are, and how much good they do for the youngest of readers. Today, we celebrate those rarities.

In his thought-provoking book, Brave New Words, Sal Khan discusses his early experimentation with generative AI, or GenAI, models and how, over time, they might change education. If AI is a new frontier, Brave New Words reads much like the field notes of an explorer documenting his experiences and trying to make sense of what they mean for teaching and learning. At the heart of Khan’s vision is the idea of AI-powered tutors that adapt to each student’s unique needs, abilities, and interests

Just as more states are requiring schools to teach the fading art of cursive, many educators and researchers are calling for a parallel focus on the basic skill of keyboarding, particularly in the elementary grades. Learning the foundational skill early isn’t only sound life preparation, they argue, but it can set students up for academic success as high-stakes assessments increasingly go digital. And although students are growing up using smart phones and iPads, their natural inclination toward technology doesn’t mean they inherently know how to properly keyboard.

U.S. fourth graders saw their math scores drop steeply between 2019 and 2023 on a key international test even as more than a dozen other countries saw their scores improve. Scores dropped even more steeply for American eighth graders, a grade where only three countries saw increases. The declines in fourth grade mathematics in the U.S. were among the largest in the participating countries, though American students are still in the middle of the pack internationally. The extent of the decline seems to be driven by the lowest performing students losing more ground, a worrying trend that predates the pandemic.

International testing data released Wednesday offered the latest evidence of U.S. learning loss since the pandemic, with American students falling behind some of their European peers, average scores in the subject fell to the level seen in 1995, struggling students are especially in trouble, and a gender gap re-emerging between boys and girls in STEM disciplines. 

After missing 40 days of school last year, Tommy Betom, 10, is on track this year for much better attendance. The importance of showing up has been stressed repeatedly at school — and at home. When he went to school last year, he often came home saying the teacher was picking on him and other kids were making fun of his clothes. But Tommy’s grandmother Ethel Marie Betom, who became one of his caregivers after his parents split, said she told him to choose his friends carefully and to behave in class. He needs to go to school for the sake of his future, she told him.

I’ve picked out my absolute favorite picture books of the year that stand up as high quality and kid-friendly. So, what makes a picture book stand out to me? Here’s what I’m looking for specifically: Exceptional writing. (Not too wordy.) Beautiful, interesting, or charming illustrations. Re-readable stories. Kid-friendly stories and topics. (Nothing didactic. Nothing where the kid does not have agency. Nothing that only adults would like.) These are the picture book recommendations that check all my boxes.

Educators maximize learning when we make our thinking and strategies visible to students by modeling or providing an example. Additionally, asking students to make their thinking visible to others allows us to see their strengths and the next steps needed to effectively coach and support deeper learning. While we often think of visible learning as written text, it can also include oral language, particularly early in elementary school. We can gain a great deal of understanding from listening to others. Here are some teaching practices that support visible learning.

The 2024 Nation’s Report Card will debut a new measure of student socioeconomic status upon its release in early 2025, according to a November announcement by the National Assessment Governing Board. Instead of solely relying on students’ eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch to gauge low socioeconomic status, the National Assessment of Educational Progress will also include new measurements — specifically, the number of books in a student’s home and the highest level of education of either parent. 

As students write using sentence stems, they are actively encoding words and applying their phonemic awareness skills, while transferring their understanding of phonics concepts. Vocabulary and comprehension skills are strengthened, and fluency is practiced as students reread their sentences out loud. This holistic approach pays dividends for teachers and students alike.

It isn’t enough to write a good picture book. If you want to command a room and capture the attention of your young listeners, you need to write the kind of picture book that excels as a readaloud. The truth? Not every picture book does that. Heck, a lot of them don’t even come close. Today, we celebrate the few that do. The books that you can stand in front of a room of twitchy children and enrapture in mere moments thanks to the power of words and images (and your own vocal chords) alone.

Young kids can learn to appreciate the natural world and to problem solve around climate change. In the earliest grades, lessons should focus on cultivating an appreciation for and understanding of the natural world, said Emily Townsend, K-5 education specialist at SubjectToClimate, which provides resources for educators on climate instruction. Students can learn about how plants, animals, humans and the planet are interconnected, and how changes to the planet affect those living beings.

The founder of Khan Academy and Khanmigo believes AI can deliver the personalized instruction students need, while freeing up teachers to do what they do best. AI can help human teachers with time-intensive tasks like lesson planning and assessment writing, and free up valuable “time for personalized learning, hands-on activities, or classroom conversation” — the sort of assistance that, rather than replacing teachers, can make them “more valuable, not less.”

Sustained tutoring designed to help kids catch up is intensive, structured, and highly relational, typically consisting of students working in 30-minute sessions three or more times a week with a trained educator. Now, a new initiative is training tutors for the rigor and intensity needed to make it effective.

Two new literacy/dyslexia laws were signed last month by Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer at Gardner International Magnet School in Lansing. “Kids won today,” said state superintendent Dr. Michael F. Rice. “This is the most consequential education legislation signed in Michigan in the past two decades, with the possible exception of historic state school aid budgets for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. In the coming years, Michigan children learning to read will benefit enormously.”

In my school district, there is active encouragement to have less “teacher talk” and more academic conversation and interaction between students, which both honors their perspective and increases their opportunities to speak and listen to each other. This year, I’m weaving together one new and three updated practices that encourage student conversation and listening. 

In a still life painting, the subjects cannot move. That’s the rule according to the very authoritative artist in Alex London’s new children’s book, Still Life. Unfortunately for the artist, his still life painting doesn’t care about the rules. Instead — a mouse takes a bite out of the hunk of cheese and leaves its jammy footprints on the tablecloth. A knight chases a dragon and a princess goes on a quest. Coins spill, ink splatters, the tablecloth falls off the easel and the painting has gone entirely rogue.

In 1984, 35 percent of 13-year-olds reported reading for fun “almost every day,” according to NAEP. By 2023, that figure was down to 14 percent, and 31 percent of respondents said they never read for fun at all. Kids are also faring worse on tests that measure their information literacy, including their ability to recognize reliable sources. Those results are indicative of a broader problem. Kids may be learning basic literacy, but “they’re not reading in the ways that they need to read in order to be prepared for the tasks of learning and critical thinking,” Harvard professor Catherine Snow said. 

“Practice gratitude.” It’s a simple instruction we see on tote bags, coffee mugs and yoga T-shirts. Yet it can often feel nearly impossible to maintain this habit. Just remember: Our kids are listening. Stories of giving and of appreciating everyday wonders will warm hearts and teach valuable lessons this holiday season. Build back your gratitude muscle by sharing these 10 picture books with the little ones in your life. 

Research has shown that PLCs can improve student learning and build teachers’ collective efficacy. But after the inspection phase—identifying core goals, reviewing lessons and units, analyzing data, building assessments, and reflecting on our impact—some PLCs struggle to move into the action phase, where strategies are implemented. This four-step process can help teacher teams successfully transition from the planning phase to the action phase.

Sometimes as educators, you need to look outside of the classroom and beyond the walls of the school to find people who can inspire students and yourselves as teachers in ways you could not have imagined. Our schools are in communities full of people with talents that can benefit teaching and learning. Educators can seek these resources within their community to enhance their pedagogy and their students’ experience with the curriculum. Additionally, teachers can learn from and connect with their surrounding community.

Reporting on the 40th anniversary of the popular pizza literacy program sent one writer on a mozzarella-scented memory trail. [She] found half a dozen Book It! alums who remembered the program’s signature punch cards, and recalled how it had helped them discover books like Donald J. Sobol’s “Encyclopedia Brown” series and Ann M. Martin’s “Baby-Sitters Club” books.

Past research has shown that learning a second language may positively affect attention, healthy aging, and even recovery after brain injury. A new study from the Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) of McGill University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Zaragoza in Spain elaborates on bilingualism’s role in cognition, showing increased efficiency of communication between brain regions.

My students come from all over the world. Many are from Latin American countries, where oral storytelling is deeply rooted in their culture. Storytelling traditions are passed down through generations in a way that emphasizes speaking and listening, often with an focus on personal connection and community. Here’s how to build a culture of reading to welcome students who are learning a new language, particularly those who come from strong oral storytelling traditions. 

Teaching English-language learners presents several challenges that educators must navigate to ensure effective instruction. These challenges often stem from linguistic, cultural, and academic differences that ELLs bring to the classroom, making it crucial for teachers to adopt strategies that address these diverse needs.

Students who started school as English learners but later shed that designation by becoming proficient in the language are more likely than their classmates to graduate from high school and enroll in college, all after post superior grade point averages in school. That’s according to a new study from researchers at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research that adds to a growing body of research finding that former English learners tend to outperform their peers who never received English language services.