Other Best Practices

The following list contains the research studies which help determine the teachers' classroom practices. The following best practices are informed by the research.

• Build trust between the teacher and students. Treat students with respect as readers, learners, thinkers, and writers.

• Develop a growth mindset because all students are capable of reading.

• "Readers need abundant, daily access to appealing texts."

• "Choice is primal and motivating. The bulk of reading children do needs to be reading they have selected themselves."

• "Engaged reading is linked to every positive outcome imaginable—including a longer life! It’s important to make sure that what children are reading is compelling to them."

• "Children need copious amounts of time to read in school, particularly because we cannot assume that they are given that time at home nor an environment that’s conducive to reading."

The spectrum contains the goals teachers work to develop in all students. A thriving reader has positive attitudes and strategic reading behaviors in the following...

• Language

• Vocabulary Development

• Fluency

• Knowledge Acquisition

• Comprehension

• Genre & Format Knowledge

• Text Selection

• Reading Volume

• Surface Structure

Comprehension at the highest level is the ultimate goal of reading instruction. Below you'll find the Comprehension Continuum.

1. Answers Literal Questions

2. Retells

3. Merges Thinking with Content

4. Acquires Knowledge

5. Actively Uses Knowledge