In an education environment focused on high-stakes testing in reading and math, service learning may seem like an unnecessary frill. But well-planned service learning projects can enhance student engagement in school and give students opportunities to use academic skills and knowledge to make a difference in their communities. This article gives…

An elementary education professor taught first grade for a year and developed a balanced program for beginning readers that blended instructional methods from skills-based and holistic perspectives. The program consisted of five complementary parts: teacher read-alouds, sustained silent reading, decoding instruction, shared reading, and writing…