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Joanne Jacobs
7 days ago1 min read
Atticus learns to read: Teaching phonics works
K-1 students made significant gains when teachers used UFLI Foundations, a systematic phonics and phonemic awareness program.
2 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 3, 20242 min read
Most teens don't read for fun: What can teachers do?
Few teenagers read for fun regularly, and many don't read for school either, writes Natalie Wexler on Minding the Gap. We're "becoming a...
7 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 18, 20243 min read
Teaching books doesn't work if students won't (or can't) read
English teachers don't teach many novels because students won't do the reading on their own.
12 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 28, 20242 min read
New report cards baffle parents: What does 'emerging' mean? (Your kid can't read)
Kris is an "emerging" reader, Carlos is "extending" and Emma is "developing." Is "proficient" Pat the best reader? Nope. Parents don't...
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 23, 20242 min read
Making money matter: More kids in special ed doesn't improve reading
Schools got $190 billion in emergency funding during the epidemic, write Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown's Edunomics Lab, and...
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Joanne Jacobs
Oct 2, 20242 min read
Georgetown students 'have trouble staying focused on even a sonnet'
Even elite colleges don't read very much and have trouble staying focused on books.
5 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Sep 12, 20242 min read
Poor kids can learn to read too
Overall, family poverty and reading problems go together. But some school districts are beating the odds.
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Joanne Jacobs
Sep 9, 20242 min read
200-day school year boosts reading scores -- and attendance
Adding 20 days to the school year improved reading scores at two Richmond elementary schools.
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Joanne Jacobs
Aug 21, 20241 min read
Sprinkling the fairy dust that helps children fly
My visiting eight-month-old granddaughter crawl-flopped past the teething toys to chew on the metal leg of the coffee table. "Try the...
2 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Aug 1, 20242 min read
Only the education-rich can afford laissez-faire schools
Monogamy is "outdated," Troubled author Rob Henderson's Yale classmate told him. She's been raised in a stable, two-parent family and...
9 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 9, 20242 min read
Why boys don't read very much: They want manly courage -- not teen angst
Boys might read more if they were introduced to classic books with male heroes.
7 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 5, 20242 min read
It's cultural literacy, not Bible lessons, say Texas educators
Texas will add Bible stories and religious history to its K-5 reading curriculum.
7 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 7, 20241 min read
Magic worlds
The Rabbit Hole, a children's literature museum in Kansas City, sounds like a wonderful place. Children can explore "scenes from beloved...
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 6, 20242 min read
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...
8 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20242 min read
Odysseus so white
English teachers at Oakland's College Preparatory School, one of the most expensive private schools in California, have "let go" of...
14 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 19, 20242 min read
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...
5 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 16, 20242 min read
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...
7 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 5, 20242 min read
$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...
5 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Jan 17, 20242 min read
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...
9 comments
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20232 min read
Parents trust their child's reading teacher, but should they?
More than 90 percent of parents think their child's elementary school and teacher are doing a "good" or "excellent" job of teaching...
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