Teaching Research

A tutor helps students at Benjamin O. Davis Middle School in Compton, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
A tutor helps students at Benjamin O. Davis Middle School in Compton, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2025. A new study shows that shorter, less intensive tutoring can be effective.
Eric Thayer/AP
Reading & Literacy Can Lighter-Touch Tutoring Programs Benefit Kids Too?
A short, classroom-embedded tutoring program showed persistent gains in student improvement.
Sarah Schwartz, August 26, 2026
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3 min read
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School use exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C.
Students at R. Brown McAllister Elementary School practice exercises in phonemic awareness during literary instruction on March 19, 2025, in Concorn, N.C. Consensus exists that teaching students alphabetics, including phonics and phonemic awareness, is critical for reading—but which methods are the most efficient?
Cornell Watson for Education Week
Reading & Literacy A New Phonics Debate Shows How the 'Science of Reading' Movement Is Evolving
Growing momentum behind 'linguistic' phonics has raised questions about how best to use classroom time.
Sarah Schwartz, August 13, 2026
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6 min read
Fifth grade students attend a math lesson with teacher Jana Lamontagne, right, during class at Mount Vernon Community School, in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
Fifth grade students attend a math lesson with teacher Jana Lamontagne, right, during class at Mount Vernon Community School, in Alexandria, Va., May 1, 2024.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Mathematics Here's What Educators Say Makes Them Anxious About Math Teaching
Some educators dread teaching math, and that can affect their students' learning.
Evie Blad, August 12, 2026
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1 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 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?
Sarah Schwartz, August 7, 2026
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8 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
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.
Sarah Schwartz, July 30, 2026
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4 min read
Fifth grade teachers from left, Traci Meyers, Autumn Mayer, Lakisha Smith and Allison King take part in training to teach math at West Forest Intermediate School in Opelika, Ala., on Nov. 4, 2021.
Fifth grade teachers from left, Traci Meyers, Autumn Mayer, Lakisha Smith, and Allison King take part in training to teach math at West Forest Intermediate School in Opelika, Ala., on Nov. 4, 2021. New research suggests anxiety about teaching math could affect students' achievement in the subject.
Julie Bennett | preps@al.com via TNS
Mathematics When Teachers Fear Math, Their Students Suffer the Consequences
Elementary teachers tended to experience more math anxiety—and the effect on student learning can compound.
Evie Blad, July 24, 2026
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4 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Become Your Own Researcher: How Teachers Are Experimenting in the Classroom
Research shouldn’t stay in the ivory tower. “Action research” can transform your teaching practice.
Larry Ferlazzo, June 25, 2026
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8 min read
readingPanel
A copy of one of the National Reading Panel's work products is shown in this June 17, 2026 photo. The influential report, now more than 25 years old, has long served as a cornerstone of the “science of reading” movement, shaping state legislation, curriculum, and teacher professional development.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Reading & Literacy Is It Time for Another National Reading Panel?
The panel's 2000 report on reading has influenced policy for years. Now, Congress is calling for an update.
Sarah Schwartz, June 17, 2026
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7 min read
20250205 AMX US NEWS NEW DATABASE LOOK UP K5 1 PO
An educator at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Ore. works with students on phonics and phonemic awareness on Feb. 5, 2025. New studies point to the mix of factors teachers should consider when selecting texts for students.
Julia Silverman/OregonLive.com via TNS
Reading & Literacy How Should Teachers Select Books for Young Readers? (Hint: It's Not Just Decodability)
Three new studies offer clues about what makes texts easier and harder for young students to read on their own.
Sarah Schwartz, June 12, 2026
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5 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. Districts have emphasized structured literacy, though research suggests that how teachers use that time can significantly affect student outcomes.
Niki Chan Wylie for Education Week
Reading & Literacy What Might Matter More Than Phonics in Early Literacy
A district invested in evidence-based literacy instruction but reaped uneven results. Here's why.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 11, 2026
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4 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 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.
Sarah Schwartz, April 29, 2026
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9 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion How Teachers Are Solving Classroom Problems by Doing Their Own Research
Educators share how they are using their own data and self-reflection to support their students.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 13, 2026
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11 min read
First-graders in Chelsea, Mass. public schools meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program.
First graders in Kelly Elementary School in Chelsea, Mass. meet with virtual tutors from Ignite Reading in 2025 as part of a study of the program. The Chelsea district is now targeting 1st graders for tutoring to make sure all of them meet reading benchmarks by the end of the year.
Courtesy of Chelsea Public Schools
Student Achievement The Case for Reading Tutoring Before 3rd Grade, Not After
New research suggests virtual tutoring can boost literacy learning before kids begin to struggle.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 26, 2026
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6 min read
Students attend 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 in Bow, N.H., pictured here on Oct. 29, 2025, has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students. Teachers who work with older readers say they often have a hard time finding texts that support these students' needs at grade level without feeling babyish or patronizing.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Few Books Are Tailored for Older Struggling Readers: 'It's an Absolute Wasteland'
Teachers and researchers identify three barriers to finding reading materials that meet these students' needs—and how to overcome them.
Sarah Schwartz, February 24, 2026
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6 min read