Fictional stories help children work through fears and desires, and nonfiction helps them understand processes and observe patterns. Every time you pair a book with an experience, you are giving your child an opportunity to learn more about their world.
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Hands-on experiences give kids a broader framework for new information they might encounter in books. Here are three simple steps to help expand your child's knowledge of the world this summer.
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Reading nonfiction is a great way for your child to build a store of knowledge. Join TJ and his mother Andrea as they visit the library to learn more about TJ's favorite topic: dinosaurs.
Has the pressure of high-stakes testing squeezed out exposure to meaningful content? Learn why it's critical to build that content back into the curriculum and the basic reading texts — the earlier the better.
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When children have limited knowledge about the world, they have a smaller capacity to learn more about it — so building background knowledge is integral to strengthening cognitive processes. Learn more about what this means for the classroom teacher.
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Creating original podcasts with your class strengthens skills in research, writing, collaboration, and peer review — and helps kids master the technical side of things, including recording, post-production, and publishing. Learn the practical how-to's in this step-by-step guide.
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Discover the common traits of improved school districts, how school leaders can effectively support school-wide reading initiatives, and the importance of individualized, differentiated professional development for teachers.
Characteristics of Improved School Districts >
Teacher Knowledge Matters in Supporting Young Readers >
Supporting a School-Wide Reading Initiative with Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment >
Learn more in our section for school principals.
We're interested in finding out what you think about the Reading Rockets website, and hear your ideas on how we can make it more useful for parents and educators. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. For taking time to help us improve the site, you can enter a random drawing to win a new, blue 4 GB iPod nano, pre-loaded with Reading Rockets podcasts!
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Author Megan McDonald has written more than 30 books for children, but she is best known for two of her characters: 8-year old Judy (bossy and moody, sometimes) and her little brother Stink (a pest, sometimes). Her books are funny, wise, and true to the all-over-the-map feelings that children have. Reluctant readers are some of her biggest fans. "I've had kids come up to me and say, I read a book like my mom and dad read."
Discover great hands-on activities in our new collection of summer-friendly books. Try everything from creating your own pop-ups, to cooking up green eggs and ham (or some other Seussian dish) to building a water-powered rocket. For kids up to 9 years old.
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Best Books for Educators
We asked our research advisors and project partners for their summer reading recommendations. Here are three excellent selections:
Language and Reading Success
Andrew Biemiller (1999, Brookline Books)
Described as a little gem of a book: very readable, well-grounded in research, and full of practical suggestions for teachers. Biemiller focuses on the relationship between oral language (especially vocabulary) and reading achievement.
Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students
Karen Harris, Steve Graham, Linda Mason, and Barbara Friedlander (2008, Brookes Publishing)
Developed collaboratively by researchers and teachers, this book is a user-friendly guide to a research-based strategy for planning, writing, and revising. Includes a comprehensive collection of ready-to-use lesson plans.
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
Maryanne Wolf (2007, HarperCollins)
Is the act of reading a miracle? The author integrates psychology and archaeology, linguistics and education, history and neuroscience in this look at the development of the reading brain — written for a lay audience.
Read our August newsletter for more book ideas!
On June 24, a Senate Appropriations subcommittee voted to eliminate all funding for the Reading First program. Last week, a House Appropriations committee also scrapped funding for Reading First, which has been funded as part of No Child Left Behind. An advisory panel, however, urged Congress to refrain from eliminating funding, saying that recent poor evaluations of the program were based on flawed research designs.
Read the full story (EdWeek) >
There is legislation in Congress right now that would establish a federal-state partnership to expand the quality of pre-K programs throughout the nation. Wording within the legislation suggests that states would be encouraged to develop programs that meet children's developmental and educational needs. Funding of this kind would be big step towards national interest in pre-K.
View proposed legislation on pre-K >
If so, you might want to stop by the new Wrightslaw blog. Authored by Pete and Pam Wright, parents can find a wealth of information about special education law and advocacy. Recent posts cover topics of retention or promotion, special education regulations that are state specific, and school evaluations.
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You may be interested in the Parent's Choice travel picks, based on age. For 8+, they recommend Nerdy Wordy, in which parents and kids try to construct as many 2 to 5 letter words as possible. Portable picks for kids recommendations range from infant to 12 & up.
Go to PBS Parents website >
Long, hot days often require a new website for diversion. Smithsonian has gathered several fun online games for kids from museums across the country. For example, learn how to make a light bulb at the Lemelson Center or see a skeleton walk at the Natural History Museum.
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Audiobooks are becoming more and more common in the classroom. They can be a valuable learning tool, and provide kids access to authors and genre far beyond their own reading level. We found a site that includes lots of good ideas for ways to use audiobooks in the classroom, including as teasers for reading groups and as support for book clubs.
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The NY Times isn't just for reading on the subway anymore! The newspaper also has an extensive online collection of materials just for teachers. You'll find lesson plans, "on this day in history," crossword puzzles, education news, and much more.
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What teacher has enough picture cards, decodable passages, and word lists? One can never have enough! FreeReading offers those resources and much, much more on their website. The site also includes lots of activities complete with lesson plans. It's worth spending some quality browsing time here.
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- New! RTI Network: developed in partnership with the National Center for Learning Disabilities and others
- Advocacy dashboard: stay informed on the latest from Capitol Hill
- Visit the Principal's Office, NAESP's award-winning blog: open the door to conversation and connections
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