Teachers Are Still Teaching Older Students Basic Reading Skills, Survey Finds Education Week
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PhonicsgetsmoreattentioninelementaryEnglish/languageartsclassroomsthanothercorefoundationalreadingskills,likefluency.Moregenerally,states’newreadinglawsemphasizingfoundationalreadingskillsseemtohavelittlebearingonhowfrequentlyelementaryteachersengageinthoseactivitieswithstudents.AndsecondaryELAteachersarespendingaconsiderablechunkoftimeontheseskills,too,possiblypointingtoolderstudents’needtomasterreadingbasics.
ThesearesomeofthekeyfindingsfromaRANDreportreleasedApril30thatanalyzedresponsesfrom3,500-plusELAteachersacrosstheK-12spectrum.Itfocusesonfoundationalreadingskills—howstudentslearntoassociatesoundswiththelettersinprintandusethisknowledgetoidentifynewwords.
ThetimelyresearchcomesamidK-12learners’lowreadingproficiencylevelsandasubsequentpushbymanystatestoattacktheliteracycrisiswithlegislationdesignedtogetevidence-basedreadinginstructionintoclassrooms.Itisamongthefirstnationalgaugesoft
