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

The Essentials of Reading: What Teachers Must Know

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 18, 2023 1 min read
opinion classroom q&a reading
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

How can teachers, to borrow an expression from polling expert Nate Silver, distinguish the “signal from the noise” in the so-called “reading wars”?

These highlights from past Classroom Q&A posts may help educators do just that.

Plus, look for another series on this topic later in the fall as more classroom educators weigh in by talking about their direct experiences.

perhapsastart

1. How Can a Teacher Navigate the So-Called ‘Reading Wars’?

In the debate over how to teach literacy, shaming those who used instructional approaches outside the “science of reading” won’t help. Read more.

2. Use Knowledge-Building Curriculum to Boost Literacy

By pursuing in-depth knowledge building about specific topics, students are able to show what they can do, not just what they can’t. Read more.

3. Many Older Students Are Struggling to Read. How Can Teachers Help?

Educators offer targeted instructional steps to support middle and high schoolers in their in their journey to understand the written word. Read more.


Here are a few older posts that are also helpful:

4. ‘Teachers Know A Lot About Scaffolding’ for Complex Texts

This post includes three joint commentaries from Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher; Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan; and Aaron Brock and Jody Passanisi about how teachers can gauge students’ needs when dealing with complex texts. Read more.

5. ‘Reading Is Intensely Social': An Interview With Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith

This interview with educators Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith discusses how to develop lifelong readers. Read more.

6. Reading Digitally vs. Reading Paper

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


Similar topics from Classroom Q&A:

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
Special Education Webinar
Bringing Dyslexia Screening into the Future
Explore the latest research shaping dyslexia screening and learn how schools can identify and support students more effectively.
Content provided by Renaissance
Artificial Intelligence K-12 Essentials Forum How Schools Are Navigating AI Advances
Join this free virtual event to learn how schools are striking a balance between using AI and avoiding its potentially harmful effects.
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
Reading & Literacy Webinar
A Blueprint for Structured Literacy: Building a Shared Vision for Classroom Success—Presented by the International Dyslexia Association
Leading experts and educators come together for a dynamic discussion on how to make Structured Literacy a reality in every classroom.
Content provided by Wilson Language Training

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 Novels vs. Excerpts: What to Know About a Big Reading Debate
Here are three core things to keep in mind about new evidence on the texts used in reading classes.
3 min read
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025. Some observers of English/language arts curriculum fear that several growing in popularity subordinate the reading of novels and whole texts to shorter excerpts, but the evidence is still sketchy.
Jae C. Hong/AP
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
Reading & Literacy Quiz
Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Building Strong Writers?
Answer 7 questions about the key strategies and foundations for building strong writers.
Reading & Literacy These Teachers Have Their Students Read Multiple Novels a Year. How They Do It
Making time for reading, checking for understanding, and presenting works in context are top priorities.
5 min read
Students in Saxon Brown's 9th grade English class take turns reading as the different characters in To Kill A Mockingbird during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024.
Students in Saxon Brown's 9th grade English class take turns reading as the different characters in <i>To Kill A Mockingbird</i> during class at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Md., on Jan. 25, 2024. Teachers say several tips help them build the scaffolding and stamina kids need to tackle complex novels like Harper Lee's masterpiece.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Reading & Literacy Explainer What Is a Basal Reader, And Why Are They Controversial?
From the Civil War to the new millennium, one reading tool has held a secure spot in American classrooms.
8 min read
A selection from the basal reader, Reading Street, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
A selection from the basal reader Reading Street, published in 2013, pictured on Oct. 8, 2025.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week