Teaching Research
Professional Development
Opinion
Teacher PD Gets a Bad Rap. But Two Approaches Do Work
Many researchers have given up on teacher professional development as a way to raise student test scores, but two approaches have been yielding good results, writes Heather C. Hill.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
Praise Seen as Effective Classroom-Management Tool
When teachers use more praise and fewer reprimands in the classroom, it seems to help students stay on-task and behave better, according to a new study.
Reading & Literacy
Preservice Teachers Are Getting Mixed Messages on How to Teach Reading
Professors introduce a mix of reading experts to future teachers, including those whose work conflicts with scientific research on reading.
Reading & Literacy
Video
What the Science Says About How Kids Learn to Read
The debate on how to teach early reading has raged for a century. But for the last few decades, the cognitive science has been clear: Teaching young kids how to crack the code—teaching systematic phonics—is the most reliable way to make sure that they learn how to read words.
School & District Management
How Much Should Teachers Talk in the Classroom? Much Less, Some Say
Are teachers consciously monitoring how much they talk vs. how much their students do? Research and front-line teacher experience suggest they should be.
Reading & Literacy
Data: How Reading Is Really Being Taught
New survey data show that most K-2 teachers and education professors are using instructional methods unsupported by cognitive science.
Reading & Literacy
The Most Popular Reading Programs Aren't Backed by Science
An analysis of the five most-used programs for early reading shows that they often diverge from evidence-based practices.
Reading & Literacy
Improving Reading Isn't Just a Teaching Shift. It's a Culture Shift
Flawed methods for teaching reading are passed down through cherished mentors, popular literacy programs, and respected professional groups.
Reading & Literacy
Will the Science of Reading Catch On in Teacher Prep?
Many teachers leave preservice training without clarity on what the cognitive science says about how students learn to read.
Reading & Literacy
A Look Inside One Classroom's Reading Overhaul
At an Ohio school, teachers who once “did their own thing” are now using structured literacy programs—and they say they’re seeing gains.
Reading & Literacy
More Than Phonics: How to Boost Comprehension for Early Readers
Learning how to decode words is essential to becoming a reader. But building a strong vocabulary and knowledge-base is crucial as well.
School & District Management
Letter to the Editor
Evidence Over Experience
To the Editor:
Joseph Murphy is correct that teachers' experience is a valuable element of efficacy and shouldn't be dismissed ("Stop Devaluing the Wisdom of Teachers. Researchers Don't Have a Monopoly on Evidence," Oct. 30, 2019). However, the scientific evidence backing effective practices is an essential element that also can't be undervalued, so I'm compelled to enter this perspective into the conversation.
Joseph Murphy is correct that teachers' experience is a valuable element of efficacy and shouldn't be dismissed ("Stop Devaluing the Wisdom of Teachers. Researchers Don't Have a Monopoly on Evidence," Oct. 30, 2019). However, the scientific evidence backing effective practices is an essential element that also can't be undervalued, so I'm compelled to enter this perspective into the conversation.
School & District Management
What the Research Says
Teachers' Content Chops Are Vital to Teach Early Algebra
An educator's experience teaching math is important, but performance on math-content-certification tests is the best predictor of how well a teacher's students will perform in early algebra, finds a new study by the Regional Educational Laboratory Central at Marzano Research.
Teaching
Students Learn More From Inquiry-Based Teaching, International Study Finds
A massive experiment involving 17,000 students in four countries finds gains for inquiry-, or problem-based teaching over traditional approaches.