We have come to a pivotal point in education. The effects of early learning have consistently shown that children who do not have a strong start will continue to lag behind and encounter major barriers in the latter grades. Data from early grades have been powerful predictors of achievement and outcomes. Therefore, strong foundational skills in reading, math, and writing are fundamental for successes in high school, college, and in the workplace.
"Empirical evidence shows the difficulty of catching students up in the middle and high school. Several studies have explored the importance of preparation prior to eighth grade for students to have a reasonable chance of meeting college readiness benchmarks by the end of high school." (ACT Research and Policy, College and Career Readiness: The Importance of Early Learning (PDF), page 2). According to ACT, only 10 percent of students who are off track by 8th grade have a chance of being college and career-ready by 12th grade (and only 3 percent in mathematics). This shows the importance of preparing students in the early grades with a well-defined curriculum. This curriculum should include a well-designed reading and mathematics instruction. Reading should consist of students being able to decode words and understand the words they read. In addition, students should be able to understand the relationship between letters and sounds and develop basic comprehension skills from conversation and prior background knowledge. This development takes time which makes it harder to close large gaps in the upper grades, which is why it is so crucial to make sure
Profiles in Education: Ryan Twentey
Ryan Twentey of Parkville High School in Maryland is known as a dedicated teacher who fosters his students' artistic interests to develop the skills they need to be successful in school, in the community, and in preparation for college. His photography and multimedia students have earned a 100 percent pass rate on the AP exam. Twentey also teaches interactive media production. He produces tutorial
Winning Rap of Science Genius 2013
Connecting learners with curricular content so they take ownership of it and make it their own necessitates that design and delivery of learning experiences meets two requirements. It must be meaningful to learners. It must make sense to learners. In a paradigm of top-down education reform that effectively limits teacher autonomy, this is easier said than done. How much flexibility
ASCD Affiliates Unconference
Over the past year, in my work with ASCD affiliates, we have been exploring ways to revolutionize the ways we serve their affiliate members. Why? The writing is on the wall that today's educators have different needs and expectations. It's difficult to get out of the classroom to attend conferences, and when educators can get away for professional development they want to be actively engaged in a
Who Says Book Clubs Are Just for Moms?
I was honored to host the most recent Whole Child Podcast where we talked about ways we reflect, recharge, and refresh as educators. One theme present in the podcast discussion and one we hear about over and over again is reading. While we encourage students (of all ages) to read often, as adults we find it difficult to find the time to read between full-time jobs, raising our children, and, heav
