The whole language approach to teaching reading has been devastating for students Reading is the most important skill taught in school. If students don’t learn how to read, not much else that happens there is going to matter. That’s because being able to read is essential in virtually every job. Without the ability to read,…
Literacy lessons tailored to early grade-schoolers with reading difficulties show promising results
As educators around the world assess how school disruptions and online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected students, a project led by a University of Alberta researcher is showing that targeted interventions can help make up for learning loss among students with reading difficulties and set them up for educational success later on. George…
Students need more time reading books and less time reading screens. Good teaching, not more technology, is key
Technology has had a huge impact on public education. Classrooms of today look quite different from those of a generation ago. It shows just how quickly technology changes and the extent to which it dominates our children’s lives. However, while it makes sense to ensure that students and teachers have reasonable access to computers, technology…
Especially if they already struggled with reading before COVID-19
Last spring’s COVID-19 school closures put young, struggling readers further behind in their skills – and the situation won’t get better unless there are changes to online and at-home instruction, suggests a University of Alberta reading expert. A comparison of reading ability scores among students in Grades 1 to 3 in a sampling of Alberta…
Almost nine million Canadians can’t read well enough to perform everyday tasks. We need a cultural shift to a family-centred approach to literacy
By Erin Schryer Elementary Literacy Inc. and Nicole Letourneau University of Calgary Two out of five Canadian adults – nearly nine million people – can’t read well enough to perform everyday tasks. Reading difficulties start early. Children who aren’t reading well by the end of Grade 1 are never likely to read well. Reduced literacy…
The Little Free Library's mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges worldwide
You may have noticed some miniature libraries popping up in your community. Some of them have been placed next to storefronts, while others are strategically situated on a neighbours’ lawn. This unique concept, the Little Free Library, has helped encourage more reading - and reduced the scourge of literacy - in our society. The idea…