In this article, one literacy coach turned university professor describes her journey through Reading Recovery training and the lessons she learned along the way. She reflects on her teaching before and after studying Clay's work, and she describes the changes that she went through as a teacher as she applied the principles to her own teaching and…

Marie Clay's body of work has influenced classroom instruction in direct and indirect ways, through large overarching themes in our pedagogical content knowledge as well as specific smart practices. This paper focuses on her the contributions to our thinking about instruction which come from two broad theoretical concepts; emergent literacy…

Initiatives such as Response to Intervention (RTI) and the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS-ELA) have the potential to positively impact progress toward the goal of literacy for all. Because the CCSS-ELA will guide the content of the curriculum, instruction and assessment in the large number of adopting states, they will…

Educational policies designed to promote literacy achievement in U.S. schools over the past decade have failed to deliver the anticipated outcomes. These disappointing outcomes can be attributed to the implementation of evidence-free policies. In particular, policymakers have ignored the fact that underachievement is concentrated in schools…

How many times have researchers and professional developers approached you or your school with "the answer" to improving literacy achievement? How did it work out? If changes occurred during the engagement with these outside partners, what remained after the project ended? Did such efforts lead to lasting change and improvement in…

This article features an overview of two case studies, each featuring a successful literacy coach and the context of the urban elementary school in which she worked. The article describes improvements in reading and writing instruction and improvements in overall school culture that study participants attributed to the influence of these coaches.…

Investigates the effects on students' literacy learning of implementing recommended practices for primary programs, mandated in Kentucky's sweeping education-reform effort. Finds that students taught by four "high implementing" teachers outperformed students of "low implementing" teachers on every measure of literacy…

Describes the reading/language arts program at Queen Bee Elementary School (in a Chicago suburb), designated as an exemplary program by the International Reading Association. (SR)

Describes a project in Romania that trains elementary and secondary teachers in folklore and oral history fieldwork methodology, so that their own students can collect materials from their communities that are pertinent to their lives and bring it back to the classroom. Describes successful outcomes from around Romania in the project's first year.…

Presents guidelines designed to help teachers using whole language for the first time. Addresses a variety of concerns, including staff development, the change process, and implementation. (SR)

Describes how a group of professionals at a school near San Antonio, Texas, worked together to change the reading curriculum from a traditional basal reading program to an approach built around quality literature. (SR)

Discusses the differing responses of two groups of administrators and teachers to a new statewide reading assessment--one group saw the ideal and one group experienced the reality. (SR)

What can teachers do in their classrooms to help students prepare for a high-stakes, standardized, multiple-choice reading test without sacrificing what they know to be best practice? Decreasing class sizes or other solutions that require substantial changes in school finance are not usually realistic options. This article outlines five…

Outlines an approach for moving staff, parents, and children toward an emergent literacy perspective. Discusses how to (1) lay the foundation for new policy directions; (2) assess the literacy environment; (3) plan for essential experiences; (4) attend to skill development and program objectives; and (5) reassess emergent literacy programs. (MM)