Use Easy Nonfiction to Build Background Knowledge
A librarian shares his strategy of using nonfiction picture books to introduce new concepts to struggling adolescent readers and to build their background knowledge. Once kids have been exposed to academic content in easy reading material, they are more confident in making the transition to textbooks.
What's New
How to Increase Higher Order Thinking
Parents can do a lot to encourage higher order thinking (HOT) — thinking on a level beyond just memorizing facts or re-telling something exactly the way it was told to you. Here are some strategies to encourage complex thinking, including seven different ways to answer kids' questions in a way that promotes HOT. You can do this during family trips, around the campfire, at the baseball game … anywhere!
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Benefits of Audiobooks for All Readers
Audiobooks can introduce kids to books above their reading level; model good interpretive reading, teach critical listening, highlight the humor in books, introduce new genres and so much more.
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Today's News
More Highlights
Launching Young Readers
Watch an IEP team in action, find out what the brain reveals about dyslexia — and meet Ben, a young student who may be dyslexic, but he's also a published author! Watch these clips and more, excerpted from Adventures in Summer Learning, Reading and the Brain, A Chance to Read, Empowering Parents and Reading Rocks! — all episodes from the award-winning Reading Rockets' series Launching Young Readers.
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Expert Advice
My son has been diagnosed with dyslexia (mild). He is 12 and still can barely read. He has reasonable math skills. He is very sports oriented. Please advise as to what to do.
Let's start with who diagnosed him with dyslexia and how long ago. (It may have been seen as mild when done; however, he is now several years older.) This person should advise you about specific needs. If he has dyslexia and can barely read, he has more than a "mild" disorder. The treatment is to work with professionals who are trained and skilled in helping students with dyslexia (often called learning disabilities specialists).
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Contributions From You
Today's First Person Essay
Robert Rauschenberg by Robert Rauschenberg
Robert Rauschenberg's works now hang in major art galleries and museums all over the world. When he was in school his success would not have been predicted. Rauschenberg has dyslexia...
