Teacher Praised for Leaving No Child Behind

Salt Lake Tribune (UT)

September 05, 2008

Eric Kern stepped to the podium, threw his hands the air and let out the exclamation that's become his trademark at Rees Elementary School. "Wooooo!" Kern yelled for for several seconds after learning he won the Utah 2008 No Child Left Behind American Star of Teaching award. One teacher in each state each year wins the award, which recognizes those who improve academic performance and make a difference in students' lives.

Milford Starts Full-Day Kindergarten for All Kids

Milford Daily News (MA)

September 05, 2008

On the first day of tuition-free full-day kindergarten for all students in Milford, MA, parents and school district staff said yesterday's switch will be an adjustment but also a positive step. "This is a landmark day," Superintendent Robert Tremblay said at last night's School Committee meeting. The schools previously had a tuition-based full-day kindergarten program. About 180 of the district's 310 kindergarten students participated last year. The remainder of the students went to kindergarten for a tuition-free half day.

San Mateo County Preschool Program Shows the Way

Oakland Tribune (CA)

September 05, 2008

At a recent commencement ceremony in Redwood City, CA, I looked out at the eager young graduates in bright blue caps and gowns and knew they were ready for the next big step this fall — kindergarten. New reports that confirm the importance of building early reading and math skills when children's brains are rapidly developing highlight San Mateo County's model high-quality preschool program. Over the past four years, our Preschool for All program has provided free, voluntary high-quality preschool to more than 2,350 3- and 4-year-olds in the Redwood City and Ravenswood school districts.

Canada: Literacy Campaign Kicks Off

Calgary Herald (Canada)

September 05, 2008

An alarming number of Canadians have difficulty reading — whether it's a newspaper, juicy novel or a simple restaurant menu. And the problem isn't going away. A 2008 study from the Canadian Council on Learning predicts nearly half of the country's population will grapple with poor literacy skills by 2031, a jarring scenario even for a relatively affluent province like Alberta. Hoping to bolster literacy levels and inspire a love of the written word, the Calgary Herald launched its 2008 Raise-a-Reader campaign Thursday, introducing five local organizations that will benefit from fund raising efforts to support a variety of literacy programs.

Budget Woes Spark PA School District Mergers

USA Today

September 04, 2008

Pennsylvania will be shedding a school district by the end of this school year — a significant development even after years of nationwide efforts to nudge and sometimes force school systems to share services or merge. The merger unfolding between two western Pennsylvania public school systems with sharply declining enrollments is the state's first district consolidation in at least 20 years, and most notably, its first voluntary one.

Kindergarten Welcomes Another Class

The Star-Ledger (NJ)

September 04, 2008

They stood in a raggedy line in the West Orange school yard at 8:30 a.m., clutching lunchboxes, stuffed animals and, in many cases, their mothers' legs. Shiny-haired, smelling sweetly of shampoo and milk, they ignored the parents' cameras and the video phones, looking solemn and oddly adult with their oversized backpacks and little sneakers. It was the most important day of their lives and they were up to the occasion.

Read Aloud Marks Its 10th Year

Honolulu Advertiser (HI)

September 04, 2008

The Read Aloud Program celebrated its 10th anniversary Thursday at Waimalu Elementary Library in 'Aiea, Hawaii. More than 500 people attended the gathering, which included free giveaways and a "read along." The Read Aloud Program was founded in Hawai'i in 1998, and has since been taken to dozens of schools statewide. The Read Aloud Program brings parents and kids together for six reading sessions during a semester, and is designed to motivate more reading in the home.

UK: Bedtime Stories? 'Sorry We're Too Busy' Say Parents

Daily Mail (UK)

September 04, 2008

Bedtime stories are becoming a thing of the past for Britain's youngsters as their time-strapped parents say they are too busy to read their favorite books, a new report reveals. Children in the South East of England listen to fewer bedtime stories than anywhere else in the UK, according to a countrywide survey by pre-school toddler activity group Talking Tots.

Author Rick Riordan Leaves a Trail of Clues for Children

The International Herald Tribune

September 03, 2008

Riordan is chiefly known as the author of the popular Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Now he has written "The Maze of Bones," the first installment of "The 39 Clues," a new mystery series published by Scholastic. Calling upon his experience of 15 years as a middle school English and history teacher, Riordan sought to fill the book with details that would not only be educational but also ensnare the average preteen reader.

Arizona Still Grappling with Balance on Mandated ELL Instruction

Education Week

September 03, 2008

Arizona education officials are giving school districts some room to diverge from a mandate that all English-language learners be taught specific English skills in classrooms separate from other students for four hours a day. Even so, the state is still pushing ahead with its overall requirement that districts provide intensive — and separate — instruction of English skills, despite criticism from experts who say there is little evidence to support that approach.

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The Write Stuff

The Guardian (UK)

September 03, 2008

Teachers need to be taught how to write if children are to reach their creative writing potential, according to a new research report, The Case for a National Writing Project, due to be published on September 10. Summer schools for teachers from different subjects should be set up where they can learn the craft of writing and take their new skills back to the classroom.

Model Literacy Program

Contra Costa Times (CA)

September 03, 2008

Pittsburg has embarked on an innovative literacy program. The idea is to encourage reading and improved literacy among children and adults in convenient locations around the city. The first site opened at City Hall, where books are available for kids to read while their parents pay bills. Over the coming year, Pittsburg plans to open children's reading centers in banks, health clinics and other sites where parents take children during the day.

Opinion: Right on Reading

New York Post

September 03, 2008

Last week, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein announced the start of a pilot program that will introduce a new way to teach reading to children in kindergarten, first grade and second grade in 10 low-performing schools. The program, developed by the Core Knowledge Foundation, stresses the importance of content knowledge, along with phonics and vocabulary.

Why Test NYC Kindergartners?

NPR

September 02, 2008

The New York City Department of Education has unveiled a new plan that would ask public schools to test kindergartners. The Department of Education says the program would simply provide new options for teachers to assess their students. Some parents worry that even kindergarten will end up being a place where test prep dominates, however. We examine why New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is embracing testing at a time when it's largely unpopular nationwide.

Get Pad and Pen: The School Supply List Is Long

NY Times

September 02, 2008

As school districts both poor and prosperous struggle to finance such basics as teacher salaries, utilities, building maintenance and textbooks, many are asking parents to purchase more — and more particular — school supplies. Gone are the days when back-to-school shopping meant making sure each child had new shoes and a three-ring binder.

Course Helps Northern Virginia Kids Get a Grip on Writing

LoudounExtra.com (VA)

September 02, 2008

In an era in which kids are more likely to use a computer to write a book report and a cell phone to send a note to a friend, there are still parents who believe that knowing how to write — on paper, with a pen or a pencil — is still important. What's more, they shelled out $160 for the unusual summer camp to help their children conquer their penmanship fears.

Florida State Parks to Celebrate Literacy in September

Foster Folly News (FL)

September 02, 2008

In conjunction with International Literacy Day on September 8 and National Library Card Signup Month, entrance to all of Florida's state parks will be free the week of September 7-13 for visitors who bring a library card, library book, or who donate a new or gently used family book.

Getting Your Child on the R.O.A.D. to Success

San Mateo County Times (CA)

September 02, 2008

We are wild about acronyms. They are a great way to memorize. So we thought parents might like an acronym to help put their child on the "R.O.A.D" to success.

Writing to Learn

Education Week

August 29, 2008

The National Writing Project has been around more than 30 years. But it now showcases writing as a tool to unlock students' critical thinking and analytical skills as much as their creativity.

Click here to register for free access to two Education Week articles each week.

Long Division: The Debate Over the Value of Preschool

The Wall Street Journal

August 29, 2008

People have long debated whether preschools provide any educational benefit — and whether it makes sense for states to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to fund them. A study appearing Friday in the journal Science could reignite the debate. It found the benefits of attending a good preschool, including improved mathematic and reading ability and social skills, can last for several years and give children a leg up when they enter elementary school.

Kindergarten, Here We Come

The Advocate (CT)

August 29, 2008

At a quarter after 8 a.m., 5-year-old David Telep was ready for school. His blue-and-black backpack was packed with the things a new kindergartner needs — a snack, a well-loved toy plane, a red visor. Thursday was orientation day for Stamford's public schools, a preview of today's first official day of school. David is among 1,044 children entering kindergarten in Stamford.

Testing Change Raises Scores

The Washington Post

August 29, 2008

A switch in testing for students who are learning English fueled a rebound in scores this year for immigrant-rich schools in Northern Virginia. These results mark another turn in the national debate over the best way to test millions of students who are new to English.

Results for Reading Program

Buffalo Business First (NY)

August 29, 2008

Good Schools for All received a grant from the U.S. Education Department for the Early Reading First (ERF) program. The agency conducted pre- and post-testing of all the Head Start children who participated and reported the following results: 93 percent of 4-year-olds met or exceeded standards in oral language and vocabulary skills, up from 72 percent.

Films Key to School Reading Programme

The Press (N.Z.)

August 29, 2008

Christchurch, New Zealand, schools say movies could be the key to raising children's reading levels. Pupils watch films with subtitles, based on popular children's books. They watch for about 10 minutes each period and do exercises such as checking words in dictionaries and reading the novel.

A Plan to Test the City's Youngest Pupils

The New York Times

August 28, 2008

The mayor of New York is asking elementary school principals across the city to join a yearlong pilot program to give standardized tests in English and math to children in kindergarten through second grade.