Instruction

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Loralyn LaBombard, a reading specialist, reads “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix with a group of students in a 7th grading reading class at Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Loralyn LaBombard, a reading specialist, reads <i>Among the Hidden</i> by Margaret Peterson Haddix with a group of students in a 7th grade reading class at Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025. Nationally, experts say there is a lack of resources available to help middle and high school students learn basic reading skills.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Many Teens Lack Basic Reading Skills. These Teachers Are Trying to Change That
Schools are building programs to provide sustained reading support to older students.
Sarah Schwartz, December 4, 2025
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6 min read
A student shows their spelling of the word “knew” during an exercise in a fifth grade structured literacy class at Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Bow Memorial School has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps among middle schoolers, integrating sound-letter skills with a rich diet of reading materials. A student shows their spelling during an exercise in a 5th grade class at the school in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy When Older Students Can't Read: How This Middle School Is Tackling Literacy
Structured literacy classes at a New Hampshire middle school have helped some students crack the code.
Sarah Schwartz, November 24, 2025
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14 min read
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
High school teachers learn how to teach reading to struggling older readers during an AIM training at Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2025.
Jason Drakeford for Education Week
Professional Development Video How One District Is Getting Secondary Teachers Up to Speed on Reading Support
A district invests in improving secondary teachers' knowledge to help students needing reading support.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, November 24, 2025
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1 min read
Image of a student reading in the library.
New research suggests that exercises in phonemic awareness may be more impactful when connected to print and purposeful phonics teaching.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Reading & Literacy A Popular Method for Teaching Phonemic Awareness Doesn't Boost Reading
In a new study, a highly used program didn't lead to improvements in students' word-reading abilities.
Sarah Schwartz, November 4, 2025
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5 min read
Silas McLellan, a kindergartener in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during “Choice Time,” at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024.
Silas McLellan, a kindergartner in a play-based learning class, plays with toy blocks during Choice Time at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. After years of early grades becoming increasingly academic, play-based learning is making a comeback.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood Explainer Play-Based Learning in Kindergarten Is Making a Comeback. Here's What It Means
Amid rigorous academic expectations in the early grades, some advocates push for a return to play.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 21, 2025
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7 min read
Handwritten excerpts of student writing
Laura Patranella's 5th graders write verses in response to <i>Love That Dog</i>, by Sharon Creech. One of Patranella's English/language arts unit features that novel alongside the poems that inspired it.
Illustration by Vanessa Solis/Education Week. Student writing courtesy of Laura Patranella
Reading & Literacy Are Books Really Disappearing From American Classrooms?
Measuring whether "whole texts" are vanishing in favor of excerpts isn't clear cut.
Sarah Schwartz, October 13, 2025
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17 min read
Flat vibrant vector illustration depicting science education and learning concept. Illustration is showing different ways of learning: listening, watching, observing, exploring, experimenting, asking questions, talking and communicating, reading, drawing, and writing. The female teacher is placed on the right side and there are also two pupils each one representing different theme; one girl asking question and learning by listening and a boy holding a hand up to answer a question.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Science Opinion Science Scores Are Down. But We Know What Would Improve Them
The when, where, and how of science instruction needs rethinking.
Emma Banay, Christine Cunningham & James Ryan, October 9, 2025
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4 min read
Kids climbing a pile of books to a higher reading level. Concept vector about education, literacy, and self development.
iStock/Getty Images
Reading & Literacy Opinion Small-Group Reading Instruction Is Not as Effective as You Think
We’re missing out on a golden opportunity—one that could effectively triple literacy instruction overnight.
Mike Schmoker & Timothy Shanahan, September 26, 2025
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5 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight When it Comes to Reading: A Great Start Keeps Kids in the Race!
It takes more than phonics to master literacy. This Spotlight delves into what else can be keys to helping students on that journey.
September 22, 2025
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Small Group Reading Intervention
This Spotlight will help you discover how small group reading interventions lead to positive achievement by students.
September 11, 2025
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Supporting Literacy Initiatives?
Answer 7 questions about supporting literacy initiatives.
September 2, 2025
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About a Learner's Reading Journey?
Answer 7 questions about a learner's journey to reading proficiency.
August 26, 2025
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Social Studies Opinion What Should Civics Instruction Look Like?
States should take four policy actions for a rigorous approach to civics in the classroom, an educator explains.
Rick Hess, August 26, 2025
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6 min read
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson.
First graders take a closer look at bees during a class lesson. Science is often neglected in the early grades, but new research suggests that young students who are exposed early to science instruction do better on science exams—potentially setting them up for later success in the discipline.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
Science Making Time for Science in Kindergarten Could Have a Big Payoff
When teachers in grades P-1 received high-quality curriculum and PD in science, students' scores rose, a new meta-analysis finds.
Sarah Schwartz, August 14, 2025
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4 min read
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