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

Jobs Regional K-12 Virtual Career Fair: DMV
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
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 Climate & Safety Webinar
Cardiac Emergency Response Plans: What Schools Need Now
Sudden cardiac arrest can happen at school. Learn why CERPs matter, what’srequired, and how districts can prepare to save lives.
Content provided by American Heart Association
Teaching Profession Webinar Effective Strategies to Lift and Sustain Teacher Morale: Lessons from Texas
Learn about the state of teacher morale in Texas and strategies that could lift educators' satisfaction there and around the country.

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 Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Helping Struggling Students Get Back on Track?
Too many students struggle with reading. Test your knowledge of what works—and discover strategies to help them get back on track.
Reading & Literacy How the Science of Reading Is Reshaping Teaching: What the Data Say
A nationally representative survey shows how reading curriculum, PD, and teacher practice have shifted.
9 min read
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025.
Anjanette McNeely teaches a reading block with her kindergarten students at Windridge Elementary School in Kaysville, Utah, on Dec. 4, 2025. New research shows significant shifts in how teachers are teaching reading, as well as the materials and PD they receive, but some still use older methods.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How a School's Language Lab Teaches Non-Phonics Reading Skills
In 'language lab,' teachers work on vocabulary and syntax to help students understand complex text.
5 min read
5th grade classroom in February. A morpheme word sort, sentence combining practice, and syntax surgery.
In a 5th grade classroom at Rock Rest Elementary, near Charlotte, N.C., students practice combining sentences and participate in "syntax surgery" to order the parts of complex sentence.<br/>
Madison Hart, Rock Rest Elementary
Reading & Literacy Quiz Risk vs. Reward: How Defensible Is Your Literacy Strategy?
Build a stronger case for your literacy approach. Test your knowledge of research-driven strategies that support reading success with this quick quiz.