Thursday Thoughts: Great Literacy and Learning Links From the Past Week

BRAIN TEASER:

Play along: Quiz yourself and see if you would choose the healthiest snack available to you- Which School Snacks Meet New Federal Rules?

INTERESTING NEWS AND COOL LINKS:

The Right Approach to Reading Instruction. The student-led approach to reading and writing known as balanced literacy is making a comeback in New York City schools. But critics say students need closer instruction from teachers and more work on phonics and facts. What is the right approach to improving student literacy? New York Times Opinion Pages, July 3, 2014

Could Text Messages to Parents Help Close the “Word Gap”? The program gives parents a digital tap on the shoulder via text messages reminding them to interact with their kids to boost literacy—and close that ever-widening word gap. And, it’s working… New America Ed Central, July 3, 2014.

Not a huge fan of the title, but the tips inside it are worthy of a read. How to Trick Your Kids Into Reading All Summer Long. Don't bother taking away the iPad or setting minimum page counts. Instead, find sneaky ways to leave your children alone with books—and then see what happens. The Atlantic, July 2, 2014.

Predicting Dyslexia- Even Before Children Learn to Read. shows it’s possible to pick up some of the signs of dyslexia in the brain even before kids learn to read. And this earlier identification may start to substantially influence how parents, educators and clinicians tackle the disorder. Mind/Shift, June 24, 2014.  

Learning About Learning. Alumni profile of Stern Center founder and president, Dr. Blanche Podhajski. UVM Quarterly, Summer 2014
 
Making a Difference: Decoding Dyslexia. Highgate, VT woman talks about her experience with her own four children all of whom have dyslexia. St. Albans Messenger, July 1, 2014.