As the school bell rings and we saddle up for another year in the classroom, International Reading Association publishes “Essential Reading for Back to School,” a new, cross-journal virtual issue featuring popular articles from the IRA’s three respected journals. The Reading Teacher (RT), Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL), and Reading Research Quarterly (RRQ) provide tips and industry news, from advice on close reading to advancements in literacy research. The 11 pieces included in this issue are free.
From The Reading Teacher
Articles in RT include step-by-step guidance from experts in literacy, as well as suggestions for creating rich classroom experiences to ensure success. In this virtual issue, “How Do I Write…? Scaffolding Preschoolers’ Early Writing Skills” by Sonia Q. Cabell, Laura S. Tortorelli, and Hope K. Gerde looks at how the first writing experiences for preschoolers can be greatly enhanced by productive writing instruction and encouragement.
Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey’s “Scaffolded Reading Instruction of Content-Area Texts” focuses on the complexity of the texts chosen for small-group instruction. Similarly, “Words, Words Everywhere, But Which Ones Do We Teach?” by Michael F. Graves, James F. Baumann, Camille L. Z. Blachowicz, Patrick Manyak, Ann Bates, Char Cieply, Jeni R. Davis, and Heath Von Gunten delves into the challenges teachers face when selecting vocabulary words.
In their RT article, Kathleen Roskos and Susan B. Neuman shed light on improving children's motivation to read, proficiency in reading, and their likelihood to become lifelong readers and writers in “Best Practices in Reading: A 21st Century Skill Update.”
From the Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy
Published specifically for teachers of older learners, JAAL offers practical ideas for the classroom, as well as reviews of young adult literature and advice for integrating cultural trends into teaching style. The virtual issue includes the JAAL article “Close Reading as an Intervention for Struggling Middle School Readers” by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey examining the effectiveness of close reading for struggling middle school students.
Zhihui Fang suggests moving toward discipline-specific language and literacy strategies in “Preparing Content Area Teachers for Disciplinary Literacy Research.” Mary Beth Monahan’s “Writing ‘Voiced’ Arguments About Science Topics” is a teacher research study advocating the importance of “voice” in writing compelling scientific arguments. “Text Complexity and Young Adult Literature” by Marci Glaus, points out that providing broad, qualitative evaluations of fiction is an important variable of English language arts instruction, especially as high school students prepare for college and careers.
From Reading Research Quarterly
For those interested in diverse viewpoints on educational practices and reports of vital studies, RRQ is dedicated to literacy scholarship for learners of all ages. “Teachers’ Instruction and Students’ Vocabulary and Comprehension: An Exploratory Study With English Monolingual and Spanish-English Bilingual Students in Grades 3–5” by Rebecca D. Silverman, C. Patrick Proctor, Jeffrey R. Harring, Brie Doyle, Marisa A. Mitchell, and Anna G. Meyer explores the relationship between teacher instruction and student vocabulary and investigates whether the relationship differs for multilingual students.
Thomas G. White, James S. Kim, Helen Chen Kingston, and Lisa Foster summarize an experimental study on the part poverty plays in summer reading programs with “Replicating the Effects of a Teacher-Scaffolded Voluntary Summer Reading Program: The Role of Poverty.” In “Effects of Educational Technology Applications on Reading Outcomes for Struggling Readers: A Best-Evidence Synthesis,” Alan C.K Cheung and Robert E. Slavin discuss the effectiveness of educational technology in improving the reading skills of struggling students.
Read and share IRA’s free cross-journal virtual issue now through the end of December. Interested in gaining access to more reports on the latest research and reflections on education across the globe? Join the International Reading Association and subscribe to RT, JAAL, and RRQ to receive issues throughout the year, view online editions and supplementary material to keep current on new studies, best practices, and resources in literacy.
Morgan Ratner is a communications intern at the International Reading Association.