SKrashen:
Four years of math?
Sent to the Washington Post, May 2, 2014.Maryland will now require all high school students to take four years of math ("Maryland to require math for all years of high school; universities also adjust rules," May 2). The fourth year, moreover, must be "non-trivial," such as algebra 2, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics and college algebra. This is in order to prev
MAY 01
The common core: A bad solution that aims at the wrong problem
Sent to Newsweek, May 1, 2014.Alexander Nazaryan ("Sorry, Louis C.K., but You’re Wrong About Common Core," May 1) says our schools need the increased "rigor" of the common core because they are so bad: "China, South Korea and Germany are leaving us in the chalk dust, most Americans can barely find America on the map ...".Not so. When researchers control for the ef
APR 29
Does educational software make a difference?
Does educational software make a difference? A summary of: Campuzano, L., Dynarski, M., Agodini, R., and Rall, K. (2009). Effectiveness of Reading and Mathematics Software Products: Findings From Two Student Cohorts—Executive Summary (NCEE 2009-4042). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.S
APR 28
Poll of the uninformed
Published in the San Francisco Chronicle, April 28, 2014 "Most in state approve of policy shifts in education," April 24: Yes, 69 percent of Californians polled said they liked the Common Core standards after hearing a brief statement about them. The statement said only that they "are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school have the knowledge and skills they
APR 26
Incentives for Reading Aloud to Children?
Published in the School Library Journal, 2014.Introduction by the editors of the School Library Journal: In School Library Journal‘s January 2014 print issue, Suffolk Cooperative Library System’s youth services coordinator Lisa G. Kropp wrote the article “Vivacious Vocabulary” about how in the interest of building students into critical thinkers and strong readers, libraries are embracing the “1,0
APR 25
‘Bribes’ for Read-Alouds?
Published in the School Library Journal, 2014. Introduction by the editors of the School Library Journal: In School Library Journal‘s January 2014 print issue, Suffolk Cooperative Library System’s youth services coordinator Lisa G. Kropp wrote the article “Vivacious Vocabulary” about how in the interest of building students into critical thinkers and strong readers, libraries are embracing the “1