Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Reading & Literacy Opinion

How to Help Students Embrace Reading. Educators Weigh In

By Larry Ferlazzo — July 26, 2022 3 min read
Surreal Illustration of books flying through the air
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 11 years. You can see all those collections from the first 10 years here.

Today’s theme is Reading Instruction.

You can see the list following this excerpt from one of the posts:

readingisoften

1. ‘Children Need Both Paper Books & Digital Texts’

Katie Keier, Stacy Nockowitz, Barbara Paciotti, and many readers share their thoughts on the debate between reading digitally or on paper. Read more.

2. Reading Digitally vs. Reading Paper

Daniel Willingham, Kristin Ziemke, Lester Laminack, and Kimberly Carraway explore that topic of reading digitally compared with reading on paper in this post. Read more.

3. Close Reading Can Be ‘Fun or Awful’

Christopher Lehman, Cris Tovani, Pernille Ripp, Jan Burkins, and Kim Yaris contribute their thoughts. Read more.

4. Close Reading Is a ‘Life Skill’

Sonja Cherry-Paul, Dana Johansen, Stephanie Harvey, Julie Goldman, Diana Sisson, and Betsy Sisson are the featured guests in this post. Read more.

5. Close Reading—Part Three

Kimberly Carraway, Katherine S. McKnight, Harvey F. Silver, Amy Benjamin, Nancy Boyles, Rita Platt—along with readers—share their ideas. Read more.

6. Teaching Literature Through ‘Choice’ & ‘Practice’

This post features responses from Regie Routman, Katherine S. McKnight, and Michael W. Smith. Read more.

7. Literature Can Be a ‘Gateway for Understanding Everything’

Several educators—Nancy Steineke, Sean McComb, Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher, Bill Himmele, and Pérsida Himmele—provide responses here. Read more.

8. A Good Reading Lesson Doesn’t ‘Put Standards Before Students’

In this post, guest responses come from educators Cheryl B. Dobbertin, Ilse O’Brien, Katherine S. McKnight, and Regie Routman. Read more.

9. ‘Reading Is Intensely Social': An Interview With Jeffrey Wilhelm & Michael Smith

Educators Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith are co-authors of the new book Reading Unbound. Read more.

10. Ways to Engage Students in Reading

Jason Flom shares his ideas, as do many readers. I also add an intriguing chart. Read more.

11. Reading Is a ‘Means to Bigger and Better Things’

Educators Kristi Mraz, Marjorie Martinelli, Kathy Barclay, and Cindi Rigsbee contribute their thoughts. Read more.

12. Ways to Develop Lifelong Readers

Donalyn Miller, Mark Barnes, and Christopher Lehman contribute their responses. Read more.

13. Using the ‘Fun Factor’ to Encourage Student Reading at Home

Read educator/author Nancy Steineke’s ideas, as well as comments from many readers. Read more.

14. Getting Students to Read at Home by ‘Building a Daily Habit’

Dina Strasser and Ariel Sacks share their thoughts in this post. Read more.

15. Helping Students Develop a Desire to Read at Home

In addition to sharing my own response, you’ll find contributions from two other guests—educators Donalyn Miller and Myron Dueck. Read more.

More Q&A posts about reading instruction:


Explore other thematic posts:

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Absenteeism Webinar
Attendance Isn't an Attendance Problem
Boost attendance by strengthening relationships, belonging, and support with practical strategies from Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey.
Content provided by Corwin
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
The Principal's Role in Collective Efficacy and Student Outcomes
Learn practical strategies that help principals translate their confidence into stronger collective teacher efficacy and student outcomes.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Reading & Literacy What is 'Linguistic' Phonics and Why Are Some Schools Adopting It?
A new question is emerging in the "science of reading": Is one type of phonics instruction better than another?
8 min read
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 . A new bill could change how literacy is taught in elementary schools by providing transitional kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers with training and textbooks that stress what's known as science of reading, an approach to literacy that focuses heavily on phonics and foundational reading skills to combat California's literacy crisis. Though other states have shifted to this evidence-based reading, California's reading instruction has largely been left to the control of school districts, many of which have not made the switch. The school has begun their shift to a science of reading approach and are seen as an example for other California districts.
Julie Celestial, center, teaches her kindergarten class a literacy lesson at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. Proponents of a "speech-to-print" phonics approach say it works more efficiently than other methods. But research evidence is inconclusive.
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via TNS
Reading & Literacy Middle Schoolers' Reading Scores Are Still Stuck at Post-Pandemic Lows
New data shows that the lowest-performing students are falling the furthest behind.
4 min read
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif.
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif. New research shows the nation's 6th graders' reading scores have flatlined, and the lowest-performing students are losing ground.
Annie Barker/AP
Reading & Literacy Federal 'Science of Reading' Bill Advances
A Senate committee also passed a proposal to classify dyslexia separately under federal disability law.
5 min read
AT LEFT, US Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) listens as US Senator Tim Kane (D-VA) speaks regarding the Special Education Administration Act (S. 5038), and the profit the transfer of certain offices to other Federal Agency (S.5046) Act during a Health, Education, Labor and Pension Executive Session at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., left, listens as U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee meeting at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 30, 2026. The committee advanced two bills related to reading, as well as another opposing the transfer of certain U.S. Department of Education offices to other agencies.
Demetrius Freeman for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Is Required Summer Reading a Good Idea? What the Research Says
Studies show benefits for summer reading in general. But little evidence supports assigning specific books.
4 min read
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they are studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. In Chicago Public Schools, the average reading score went up by the equivalent of 70% of a grade level from 2022 to 2023. Math gains were less dramatic, with students still behind almost half a grade level compared to 2019. Chicago officials credit the improvement to changes made possible with nearly $3 billion in federal relief.
The desktop of a student at the Wells Preparatory Elementary School reflects the literature they're studying in Charlotte Owens' fifth grade class on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. Research supports children reading over the summer—but not specifically assigning reading lists or holding kids accountable for completing them.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Photo