by Sharon Vaughn
The University of Texas
July 29, 2013

Question: I teach a 4th grade self-contained class. I am a huge proponent of reading of all types—from magazines to wordless picture books. I have always supported the use of literature circles within the classroom. I have typically always used a same-ability grouping for students in literature circles. My question is: What type of grouping works best—same ability or mixed ability?

by Timothy Shanahan
University of Illinois at Chicago
July 10, 2013

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is the biggest curriculum reform of my lifetime. My own assessment of the standards is that they represent a big improvement over past standards, though there are niggling problems—the kinds of things that one can easily critique but which would likely make little or no difference in kids’ learning if “improved.” Nevertheless, the CCSS is now under fire by “grass roots” conservatives or “right wing fringe” groups (which description to use depends on your political perspective).

by P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley
and Virginia Goatley, University of Albany
July 2, 2013

The June 17 release of the National Council for Teacher Quality report on the state of teacher education in the United States, dubbed Teacher Prep Review, has prompted numerous responses from the educational research and policy community. Most of the responses focus on the numerous flaws in the methodology used to collect and analyze evidence about the quality of the more than 1100 teacher education programs the NCTQ tried to evaluate (AACTE, 2013; NCTE, 2013; Darling-Hammond, 2013).

by Jen Scott Curwood
The University of Sydney
June 20, 2013

In and out of school, young adults use digital tools and online spaces to create, collaborate, and communicate through multiple modes and mediums. But how do teachers view digital literacies and how do they integrate technology in meaningful and transformative ways in schools? Two recent studies address this question.

by Annemarie Palincsar
University of Michigan
June 11, 2013

The Internet offers so many possibilities for supporting information gathering; that is both its blessing and its curse! Students have incredible amounts of information at their fingertips, but, of course, the quality and accessibility of that information varies dramatically. 

by Nonie Lesaux
Harvard Graduate School of Education
June 10, 2013

The short answer to this question is: no. An English-only rule at home is unlikely to support English language learners’ (ELLs) academic development in the way that one might think. In fact, it’s likely to do more harm than good. Encouraging all families to talk (and talk, and talk!) in the languages with which they are most comfortable (most often their native languages) is a key way to provide children with the learning experiences they need for reading success (Snow, Porche, Tabors, & Harris, 2007).

by Amy Correa, Chicago Public Schools
with Nell Duke, University of Michigan
June 7, 2013

As a classroom teacher (or geek) who finds learning about reading research not only interesting but also imperative in making me a better teacher, I really enjoyed the IRA Outstanding Dissertation Research Poster Sessions. Each year IRA selects ten finalists and one winner of this prestigious award. These finalists are among the next generation of researchers who will influence our profession, and many of their studies have direct implications for classroom practice.

by Catherine E. Snow
Harvard Graduate School of Education
June 6, 2013

Over the last 18 months I have had the chance to review a couple dozen proposed curricular units, developed by district teams or other groups, and designed to prepare students to meet the Common Core State Standards (or, more specifically, to pass the assessments aligned with the Common Core). I have been simultaneously impressed by the quality of the tasks assigned to students in those units, and dismayed by the lack of attention to providing any justification to the students for why they should undertake such difficult tasks.

by Peter Freebody
The University of Sydney
April 25, 2013

We ask: 'How can different types of research can be useful in guiding us in setting policy and shaping classroom practice?' But there is a prior question: 'Why, after so much research on literacy education, do we feel that we have not 'set policy' or 'shaped classroom practice' to our satisfaction?' Why is there a sense of disappointment on this count among researchers, policy-makers, and teachers?

by Peter Afflerbach
University of Maryland
April 17, 2013

I first read this article 3 decades years ago—when I was a rookie elementary reading teacher—and the important message it carries has stayed with me. I return to it every few years, providing myself with the opportunity to see how it has influenced my thinking and practice. And reminding me of how careful and caring research matters. If you're interested in experiencing how a 30-year-old article can speak to today's classroom practice, this is the read for you.

by Nell Duke
University of Michigan
April 16, 2013

The Education Commission of the States has recently released analyses of state policy in Pre-K and K. Given the importance of these years of emergent literacy development, this analyses may be of strong interest to IRA members.

In State Pre-K Funding: 2012-13 School Year (PDF) by Michael Griffith, we learn that despite state budgets growing only 2.2% and many cuts to K – 12 schooling, 24 states increased funding for Pre-K in 2012-13, most by percentages in the double digits.

by Virginia Goatley
University of Albany
April 15, 2013

To help address this question, let’s start with background information for readers who are not familiar with this assessment. The edTPA is a performance assessment for pre-service teaching candidates that is being piloted in a number of states. For the assessment, candidates provide a range of artifacts, including lesson plans, a videoclip of their teaching, student work samples, and a reflective narrative on the lesson.

by John Guthrie
University of Maryland
April 15, 2013

The common core state standards (CCSS) are bringing a sea change in reading and writing. Designers of the new standards, educational administrators, and teachers all say the CCSS will require new reading skills. Calling for more complex text, the standards immediately raise the difficulty of the materials in the classroom. Beyond the texts, the standards call for reading as reasoning. Merely recognizing words, or being fluent at reading aloud, is not enough. Students need to think deeply to answer high level questions.

by Nell Duke
University of Michigan
April 15, 2013

The What Works Clearinghouse is a federal initiative founded in 2002 “to be a central and trusted source of scientific evidence for what works in education.” The WWC engages in many activities related to the review and dissemination of literacy research. WWC Practice Guides are developed by panels of researchers and practitioners who, with WWC staff, review research and then offer recommendations in a particular area.