Research and Reflections
Delve into new research and perspectives on instructional materials and practice.
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Part 3
High-Quality Curriculum Raised the Bar, But Not High Enough
What we miss when we narrowly define what “high-quality” means in instructional materials
Research-based AND Responsive
Putting the science of reading to work for the kids in front of you
Part 2
Constantly Shifting Practice
How the Shifts of the Common Core changed instruction and still missed the mark
We’ve Come a Long Way, Fast
How Technology is Shaping the Modern Classroom in Unseen Ways
Learning From Mistakes: Easier Said Than Done
How can you turn mistake-making into mistake-learning in your classroom?
Why A Skills-Based Approach Is Failing Students in Reading
A reflection on Natalie Wexler’s The Knowledge Gap
Let’s Not Make Power ELA/Literacy Standards and Talk About Why We Didn’t
Concerns about the effect of "power standards" on student learning
What the Data Can’t Tell Us
Concerns about summative assessment in a pandemic year
Transforming Literacy Instruction
An opportunity to equitably accelerate students’ literacy development
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Knowledge-Building Model Lessons for Middle and High School
Rethinking how we define “text” to engage older students and accelerate learning
Part 2
What Principles Must Underlie Successful Personalized Learning?
What educators should consider when selecting or using personalized learning approaches to accelerate literacy outcomes
Part 1
Is it Possible to Use Personalized Learning to Accelerate Students’ Literacy Outcomes in the Time of COVID?
Examining the research base
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Why Teaching Justice Through Reading & Writing Cannot Wait
How teachers can enact change and combat racism through purposeful discussions and literary curricula
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You Have a List of Culturally Diverse Texts. Now What?
Guidance on facilitating classroom lessons and discussions that push student thinking
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Digital Coaching Menus Bring the Professional Learning Principles To Life
Designing effective coaching sessions that reflect teacher needs
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What to Consider if You’re Adopting a New ELA/Literacy Curriculum
Recommendations for how to search for a new ELA/literacy program
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How Does Education Research Relate to My Practice?
Is your reading program working? What can you do to improve it?
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My Experience with Teachers College Units of Study
A veteran teacher explains the strengths and weakness of the program based on her experience
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For the Love of Learning
How a focus on building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction can enrich ELA instruction and engage learners
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A New Way to Consider Cognitive Demand in ELA Assessments
A Framework for Text Complexity in ELA and Reading
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Professional Learning Design 101
How to Craft a Meaningful Professional Learning Experience for a Room Full of Strangers
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Quality Instructional Materials or Quality Professional Learning Opportunities for Teachers?
Support for educators serving English Learners
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Strong Materials in the Hands of Great Teachers
A year of school visits highlights what makes curriculum work
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On Curriculum: How Pinterest and TpT Exacerbate Inequity
The danger of fragmented materials and the power of a cohesive, knowledge-building ELA curriculum
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Effective Reading Instruction
Why a text-centered approach, instead of a strategies-based approach, is more effective
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Observing Reading Foundational Skills Instruction
Introducing a new tool to observe the components of foundational skills instruction
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Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing
Why aren’t students successful writers and what can teachers do to help?
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Doing Better: Aligned Instructional Practice
An overview of the Instructional Practice Guide suite of tools
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Making the Connection Between Materials and Instruction
Why instructional practice should be at the heart of all instructional materials decisions
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Seeing College- and Career-Ready Standards through Instruction
Exploring the updates to the Instructional Practice Guide
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Creating and Sequencing Text-Dependent Questions to Support English Language Learners
Strategic selection and organization of questions can be a scaffold that helps English learners grapple with highly complex questions.
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Considering Reading Instruction with the End in Mind
Meet students not only where they are, but also where they're going.
