This week’s recommendation comes from:
Michelle Rimbey
ELA Fellow
Michelle says, “The points in the article align to the IFL’s work on equitable instruction to ensure that all students have access to high-quality literacy instruction.”
Reading by Third Grade: How Policymakers Can Foster Early Literacy
Nell K. Duke
“Fortunately, research reveals that professional development can have a significant impact on teachers’ practice and on children’s growth. To be most effective, professional development needs to be strong in both process and content.” – Nell K. Duke, profesor at the University of Michigan’s School of Education
This article by Nell Duke serves as a reminder of the complex practice of teaching children to read. She writes, “In my view, teaching reading to a class of first graders is akin in complexity to being an emergency room physician, requiring a broad range of knowledge and skills and the ability to manage and coordinate many “cases” at once” (p. 9). She concludes the article by outlining policy recommendations that address this complexity.