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Practical Tips

These are articles, handouts, and other practical resources for classroom use that we've developed through years of work with classroom teachers or have created to respond to current conditions. Download a PDF by clicking on its title. 

Coping with Reading Mandates

State and federal mandates for teaching reading in certain ways are hampering teachers from providing the best instruction to their students. This reading gives practical advice for coping with the situation.

Addressing the Easier Comprehension Challenges

"Imagine if you could move 20% of the struggling readers in your classroom or school to reading proficiency in a matter of a few months. In fact, it is quite doable." This reading explains how. 

The Byword for Comprehension Instruction

When should comprehension instruction begin? From the very beginning of reading instruction.

W. Dorsey Hammond Answers Common Questions on Reading Comprehension

These questions are as relevant today as when they were first posed some years ago. The answers provide insights and practical advice.

On Reading Maturity

The 12 behaviors of reading maturity that we need to cultivate in children from the first days of school.

Teaching Your Students to be Metacognitive (Part 1)

Guide your students to improve their reading performance by learning to think about their own thinking and reading.

Speculating with Key Words

Here's an effective strategy for generating interest before reading informational text and developing comprehension of the information.

Helping Students Figure Out Unknown Words

What are effective ways to help young readers when they come to words they don't know? These suggestions and examples can help.

Vocabulary Teaching Tip

Is it best to teach vocabulary before or after reading? These guidelines will help with that decision.

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