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Interested in education, cognitive science, literacy--and fairness? Me too!
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Natalie Wexler
5,947 posts
Natalie Wexler
@natwexler
Free newsletter: nataliewexler.substack.com. Author, Beyond the Science of Reading & The Knowledge Gap; co-author, The Writing Revolution.
- When teachers read challenging novels aloud, poor readers made 16 mos. of progress on a standardized reading test in 12 wks. Comprehension instruction made no difference. Just one study, but maybe it's an approach worth trying. forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- A new study confirms that reading comprehension strategies work best if combined with background knowledge. And: the effect of 55 hours of instruction is the same as 1 hour. Kids get WAY more than 55 hrs in school. @DTWillingham More in my Forbes post:
- Wondering if knowledge-building curriculum can really boost reading comprehension? New RCT shows kids who started in K made significant gains after 4-7 yrs, & income-based gaps were ELIMINATED. @ClassroomWonder @DTWillingham @Amplify More here: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- It's not as obviously racist as the brutal murder of a black man by police, but the way we teach "reading" is oppressing millions of kids and depriving us all of their potential. More in my latest post for Forbes. @Ready4rigor @karenvaites @ehanford forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- Why do kids struggle w/reading comprehension? One overlooked reason: they're unfamiliar with the syntax of written language. We can fix that by teaching kids to WRITE complex sentences. @TheWritingRevol @ClassroomWonder More in my latest Forbes post: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- Glad to hear Calkins is rethinking her approach to phonics, although I'd like to hear what phonics experts say about her revisions. But the NYT story gives the impression that phonics is the ONLY problem with her approach. That's definitely not the case.
- Clearly, #CriticalThinking is important. But if we want kids to become critical thinkers, we need to get them to learn and retain information. In other words--dare I say it--they need to MEMORIZE stuff. My latest for Forbes.com: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- Small groups & rotation thru "centers" are standard in elementary classrooms. But does the resulting noise make it harder for kids to learn? Evidence suggests the answer is yes. More in my latest Forbes post. @anniemurphypaul @ReadingShanahan forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- Two popular reading curricula have recently been criticized--for good reason. But if we want to change teacher practice, we also need to be clearer on some widespread misconceptions about how reading works. My latest post for Forbes: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- There are effective ways to teach vocabulary, but the only way to enable kids to learn the vast number of words they need to be fully literate is to build their knowledge. @ClassroomWonder More in my latest Forbes post: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- Learning to read & write is hard. Most schools make it even harder by having kids read & write about unfamiliar topics. Cognitive load theory explains why that's hard--& what works better. @ClassroomWonder @TheWritingRevol More in my new Forbes post: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- At a top-performing high school in a wealthy district, many students can't name 5 countries in Europe or list 3 notable American authors. But they still might get A's. I wish this was an April Fool's joke not, but it's not. More in my latest Forbes post. forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
- What teachers & students THINK is working often conflicts with what scientists have discovered about the learning process. That can make teaching and learning harder than it needs to be. More in my latest Forbes post: forbes.com/sites/nataliew…
