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.

Education Opinion

Q & A Collections: Reading Instruction

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 12, 2016 3 min read
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I’ll begin posting new questions and answers in late August, and during the summer will be sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past five years. You can see all those collections from the first four years here.

Here are the ones I’ve posted so far:

This Year’s Most Popular Q & A Posts!

Classroom Management Advice

Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning

Implementing The Common Core

Race & Gender Challenges

Best Ways To Begin & End The School Year

Brain-Based Learning

Teaching Social Studies

Project-Based Learning

Using Tech In The Classroom

Parent Engagement In Schools

Teaching English Language Learners

Student Assessment

Today’s theme is on teaching reading instruction. You can see the list following this excerpt from one of them:

* ‘Children Need Both Paper Books & Digital Texts’

Katie Keier, Stacy Nockowitz, Barbara Paciotti and many readers share their thoughts on the debate between reading digitally or on paper.

* 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.

* Close Reading Can Be ‘Fun or Awful’

Christopher Lehman, Cris Tovani, Pernille Ripp, Jan Burkins and Kim Yaris contribute their thoughts.

* Close Reading Is A ‘Life Skill’

Sonja Cherry-Paul, Dana Johansen, Stephanie Harvey, Julie Goldman, Diana Sisson and Betsy Sisson are the featured guests in this post.

* ‘Close Reading’ - Part Three


Kimberly Carraway, Katherine S. McKnight, Harvey F. Silver, Amy Benjamin, Nancy Boyles, Rita Platt -- along with readers -- share their ideas.

* Teaching Literature Through ‘Choice’ & ‘Practice’

This post features responses from Regie Routman, Katherine S. McKnight and Michael W. Smith.

* Literature Can Be a ‘Gateway for Understanding Everything’

Several educators - Nancy Steineke, Sean McComb, Nancy Frey, Doug Fisher, Bill Himmele and Pérsida Himmele - provide responses here.

* A Good Reading Lesson Doesn’t ‘Put Standards Before Students’

In this post, guest responses come from educators Cheryl B. Dobbertin, Ilse O’Brien, Katherine S. McKnight and Regie Routman.

* ‘Reading Is Intensely Social': An Interview With Jeffrey Wilhelm & Michael Smith

Educators Jeffrey Wilhelm and Michael Smith are co-authors of the new book, Reading Unbound.

* Ways To Engage Students in Reading

Jason Flom shares his ideas, as do many readers. I also add an intriguing chart.

* Reading Is a ‘Means to Bigger and Better Things’

Educators Kristi Mraz, Marjorie Martinelli, Kathy Barclay and Cindi Rigsbee contribute their thoughts.

* Ways to Develop Life-Long Readers

Donalyn Miller, Mark Barnes and Christopher Lehman contribute their responses.

* Using the “Fun Factor” To Encourage Student Reading at Home

Read educator/author Nancy Steineke ideas, as well as comments from many readers.

* Getting Students to Read at Home by ‘Building a Daily Habit’

Dina Strasser and Ariel Sacks share their thoughts in this post.

* Helping Students Develop a Desire To Read At Home

In addition to sharing my own response, you’ll find contributions from two other guests -- educators Donalyn Miller and Myron Dueck.

* ‘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.

* Teaching Complex Texts Requires ‘Getting To Know Your Students’

Read responses from three educators: Wendi Pillars, Amy Benjamin, and Christopher Lehman.

* “Ten Elements Of Effective Instruction”

This post includes pieces from Jim Burke and David B. Cohen, as well as comments from readers.

* Many Ways To Help Students Develop Academic Vocabulary

Several educator/authors - Marilee Sprenger; Jane Hill and Kirsten Miller; and Maria Gonzalez - provide guest responses.

* Ways To Help Our Students Become Better Readers

Stephen Krashen and Richard Allington share their ideas on helping students develop a love for reading.

* More Ways to Help Our Students Become Better Readers - Choice & Access

Teacher/Authors Regie Routman, Laura Robb, and Kylene Beers contribute their thoughts in this installment of the reading series.

* Ways to Help Our Students Become Better Readers - Part Two

Nancie Atwell and Cris Tovani sent-in their responses for this post.

* Ways to Help Our Students Become Better Readers - Part Four

This post featured recommendations from Kelly Young (my mentor), Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Carol Jago.

* Advice From The “Book Whisperer,” Ed Week Readers & Me About Teaching Reading

Donalyn Miller, the “Book Whisperer,” my colleague Dana Dusbiber, and several readers contributed here. I shared my own suggestions, too.

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.