Dear Parents:
Calling All Neurons!

The Train is in the Station -The Toddler The Question… As many of my readers are aware, I am a Moderator of the 242+K member FaceBook Group, Science of Reading-What I Should Have Learned in College. So…I see, read, and respond to many questions on an almost daily basis. It is one way I can give back and share my passion and information with educators (professors, administrators, teachers) and families who inquire about topics big and small. Most recently, I began thinking about the topic of teaching letters and corresponding sounds when a parent of a toddler asked, “Which…

Teachers who teach families about The Science of Reading are doing kids a lot of good. Even if it’s just one school at a time. Who Is This Great Teacher? Meet Rosemary Shaver One day last fall, I received an email from a teacher named Rosemary. She asked if I had a Study Guide for my book, Calling All Neurons! How Reading and Spelling Happen. Next, she asked if I would grant her permission to use what was on my website and some illustrations. At the time, I had no idea what she had in mind. I granted Rosemary…

The Prelude The results of NAEP 2024 (National Assessment of Educational Progress-otherwise known as the ‘Nation’s Report Card) for grades 4, 8 and 12 are now available. The 2024 scores provide nationwide information in the areas of reading, mathematics, and grade 8 science. For the purposes of this article, I focus only on the reading portion of the assessment. A Flurry of Responses Of course, a bunch of articles appeared just following the release of the latest reading scores. Author Natalie Wexler stated the scores “triggered a tsunami of dismay”. Dana Goldberg of the NY Times wrote, “the poor…

Most recently, the release of the new NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress–often thought of as the Nation’s Report Card) scores reveals that our nation’s 4th and 8th graders’ reading and math scores remain dismal and have not risen since the past administration in 2022. The aftermath of the pandemic is real and our nation’s children have not recovered. 69-71% of our nation’s 4th and 8th graders achieved reading scores below what would be considered ‘proficient’. Math scores are hardly better, particularly for the nation’s 8th graders. This pains me greatly. I had planned on writing about the NAEP,…

Recently, I came upon a “not infrequently” posed question from a teacher on behalf of a ‘distraught parent’: “I work with a student whose parent was distraught after seeing the results of routine mid-year screening. As one can imagine, this student did poorly on the screening and reportedly has been diagnosed with dyslexia. The parent wanted to know “what could be done at home in the form of an app or workbook” to improve this student’s reading. Can you provide suggestions?” 100% of the time I see a question like this (as I fulfill my volunteer role as a…

Each year on December 21, 22, or 23, darkness envelops Earth’s Northern Hemisphere for a bit longer than normal. While what we now know to be the winter solstice has a straightforward astronomical explanation, early myths of why the solstice takes place also share insights into early civilizations’ steps into science.Science ATL Image by Tom Fisk from Pexels Why YOU Want to Know About Winter Solstice? I’m choosing to write about Winter Solstice this month because it’s important for all of us, adults and kids alike, to S…L…O…W down and pay some attention to the environment around us this…