Children who don't learn to read by the fourth grade are likely to be plagued by reading problems their entire life. Research has shown that learning to read is complex, involving neurological and sociological processes. Despite these insights, reading averages in schools continue to drop. But some educators believe that the trend can be reversed, with the help of technology. Producer Gemma Hooley looks at some of these interactive technologies and the role they play in today's schools by helping the students and the teachers. Tune in to the A, B, C's in Web of Letters.
Web of Letters was produced by Gemma Hooley. Special Thanks to Wendell Boyd of the Washington D.C. Public Schools Distance Learning Unit and Vinita Chhabra with (NICHD) (the National Reading Panel at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development). This program originally aired as part of our series on education and technology, with support from the US Department of Education.
Links:
National Institute for Literacy
Explore how to build a fully literate United States in the 21st century.
Helping Your Child Learn to Read
Learn how parents can encourage reading with activities and resources for children from infancy to age 10.
Literacy Center Education Network
An ad-free site that offers free activities to improve literacy in children.
Books:
Literacy for the 21st Century : A Balanced Approach, 2ND Edition by Gail E. Tompkins A guide for teaching reading at the elementary level in today's schools based on four contemporary theories of literacy learning
Best Practices in Literacy Instruction by Linda B. Gambrell How to improve reading instruction in light of recent school reform to improve literacy rates.
In the Middle : New Understandings about Writing, Reading, and Learning, 2ND Edition by Nancie Atwell Tips for how to instruct middle school reading.
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