Ķvlog

Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Reading & Literacy Opinion

The Essentials of Reading: What Teachers Must Know

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 18, 2023 1 min read
opinion classroom q&a reading
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

How can teachers, to borrow an expression from polling expert Nate Silver, distinguish the “signal from the noise” in the so-called “reading wars”?

These highlights from past Classroom Q&A posts may help Ķvlog do just that.

Plus, look for another series on this topic later in the fall as more classroom Ķvlog weigh in by talking about their direct experiences.

perhapsastart

1. How Can a Teacher Navigate the So-Called ‘Reading Wars’?

In the debate over how to teach literacy, shaming those who used instructional approaches outside the “science of reading” won’t help. Read more.

2. Use Knowledge-Building Curriculum to Boost Literacy

By pursuing in-depth knowledge building about specific topics, students are able to show what they can do, not just what they can’t. Read more.

3. Many Older Students Are Struggling to Read. How Can Teachers Help?

Educators offer targeted instructional steps to support middle and high schoolers in their in their journey to understand the written word. Read more.


Here are a few older posts that are also helpful:

4. ‘Teachers Know A Lot About Scaffolding’ for Complex Texts

This post includes three joint commentaries from Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher; Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan; and Aaron Brock and Jody Passanisi about how teachers can gauge students’ needs when dealing with complex texts. Read more.

5. ‘Reading Is Intensely Social': An Interview With Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith

This interview with Ķvlog Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith discusses how to develop lifelong readers. Read more.

6. Reading Digitally vs. Reading Paper

Daniel Willingham, Kristin Ziemke, Lester Laminack, and Kimberly Carraway explore that topic of reading digitally compared to reading on paper in this post. Read more.


Similar topics from Classroom Q&A:

Related Tags:

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Events

College & Workforce Readiness Webinar How High Schools Can Prepare Students for College and Career
Explore how schools are reimagining high school with hands-on learning that prepares students for both college and career success.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
GoGuardian and Google: Proactive AI Safety in Schools
Learn how to safely adopt innovative AI tools while maintaining support for student well-being. 
Content provided by 
Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting Struggling Readers in Middle and High School
Join this free virtual event to learn more about policy, data, research, and experiences around supporting older students who struggle to read.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Reading & Literacy How the 'Science of Reading' Can Support English Learners
English learners are sometimes an afterthought in 'science of reading' policies. Some Ķvlog want to change that.
9 min read
First grader Kamila Reyes works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s English learner class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
First grader Kamila Reyes works on an assignment in Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s dual-language class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, on Sept. 3, 2025. The district is making cross-language connections a central part of its shift to the science of reading.
Noah Devereaux for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Small Group Reading Intervention
This Spotlight will help you discover how small group reading interventions lead to positive achievement by students.
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About a Learner's Reading Journey?
Answer 7 questions about a learner's journey to reading proficiency.