Programs Impart Social Skills Along With Literacy
Reading studies point to links between academic and emotional progress.
In Joy Crawford’s kindergarten class, the alphabet is sung to a hip-hop beat, and “rap” stands for “Read Aloud, Please.”
During an hour of singing songs, reciting poems, following directions, and dispensing reminders like “Dolphin begins with the letter D,” Ms. Crawford covers letter sounds, works on sight vocabulary, and uses what could be described as a skills-heavy approach to literacy instruction.
But woven into circle time here at the 500-pupil Peyton Forest Elementary School, southwest of downtown Atlanta, are messages of friendship, love, and feeling special. And the day’s reading selection, Rainbow Fish , was picked because of its story of a beautiful fish who learned he could be happier when he shared his...
This article is available to subscribers only.
To keep reading this article and more, subscribe now or purchase this article.
Subscribe to Education Week and Save
Get a full year and save up to 45%!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
- 2 Positions -Associate Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer, and Director of Human of Resources
- Washington County Public Schools, Hagerstown, MD
- Principal
- Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Los Angeles, CA
- Elementary School Teacher
- Success Academy Charter Schools, New York, NY
- Principals
- Prince George's County Public Schools, MD
- Superintendent
- Pinellas County Schools, Pinellas County, FL
