As the election approaches, the stakes of how and what children learn, what they see and hear from both Presidential candidates, couldn’t be more different and critical for the future of America’s children. Breaking it down for kids, one candidate is X-rated, and the other is fine for prime time! For years, former President Trump’s […]
Questioning the Classroom Impact of Neuroscience and the Science of Reading
Suppose one tries to debate the Science of Reading (SoR) and what it is precisely. They will likely be met by cognitive psychologists, parents, and educators who are insistent about the importance of neuroscience. Trying to understand how the brain works and why some children have learning disabilities has existed for decades. I’m staring at […]
Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Need Help!
Public schools stand out for their inclusive approach toward students with disabilities, in stark contrast to many charter, private, and parochial schools. This unwavering commitment ensures that every student, including those with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), receives the necessary support to thrive socially and academically. The CDC reports that 1 in 5 children have […]
The Madness of EdTech: All or Nothing Options
By Emily Cherkin, MEd. Recently, my daughter, grade 6, had to turn in an illustrated graph for Science. She was proud of the beautiful colored pencil work she did and I loved the fact that she actually had a paper-based assignment. As is typical of my creatively-brained child, however, she realized the morning it was […]
Breaking Down the Harris/Walz Education Plan
Voting for Trump/Vance and Project 2025 would devastate public education. Most Republican Governors are working hard to end our public schools. For example, Cheryl Binkley describes how Virginia, a state whose public schools have been some of the best in the nation, is being privatized under Rep. Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Similar scenarios are happening in […]
Crystal Ball: A President, VP, and the Future of Public Schools
Clairvoyance is the name of the game when it comes to public schools, the Democratic party, and Presidential elections. In contrast, we know Republicans want to end them. Vice President Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, have yet to devise an education agenda. Walz’s past as a teacher, coach, and governor and his […]
Project 2025: Ending Public Education for Students with Disabilities
The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expense of it. ~John Adams, President and Statesman, 1758 The Fourth of July always makes me think of freedom and free public schools for all America’s children, including students with disabilities. The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 […]
The Comprehension Problem with New Reading Programs: Ignoring the Books Children LIKE to Read!
I’m not a gambler, but if I were, I’d bet that a lot of parents whose elementary school-age children are getting explicit phonics instruction, memorizing rules, and who can define words like diphthong and schwa will be disappointed when their children get to high school and couldn’t care less about reading. New reading programs promising […]
Ask When Children Should Begin to Read
In 1936, Mabel Vogel Morphett and Carleton Washburne wrote When Should Children Begin to Read? a research paper published in The Elementary School Journal. This is a critical question because if children are pushed to read before they’re ready, they might not get it, then hate it, fail to read later and decide that reading […]
Reports Show How Phonics Crowds Out Quality Reading Like Picture Books
In 2023, Science of Reading (SoR) supporters were offended by The Science of Reading and the Rejection of Picture Books. At that time, I included reports and observations showing an overfocus on phonics instead of reading for enjoyment in SoR classrooms. If you’re a teacher who combines phonics with reading picture books for enjoyment and […]