Rebecca McKay, William H. Teale, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

“Letter-a-week” may be a ubiquitous approach to teaching alphabet knowledge,  but that doesn’t mean it’s an effective one. In No More Teaching a Letter a Week, early literacy researcher Dr. William Teale helps us understand that alphabet knowledge is more than letter recognition, and identifies research-based principles of effective alphabet instruction, which constitutes the foundation for phonics teaching and learning.  Literacy coach... more

Mariana Souto-Manning, Carmen I. Lugo Llerena, Jessica Martell, Abigail Salas Maguire, Alicia Arce-Boardman, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

Every child is a cultural being with a unique history and rich cultural practices; a member of communities in and outside of school. Yet too many children spend their days inside classrooms where they rarely find their voices, values, and cultural practices reflected in curriculum materials, much less embraced and celebrated through instructional practices. Culturally relevant teaching is essential, now more than ever. If we want children... more

Debbie Miller, Barbara Moss, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

"What if there was a time when things slowed down? No rotations, activities, or worksheets—just you, your kids, and books. Would you take it?" —Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss We know children learn to read by reading. Is independent reading valuable enough to use precious classroom minutes on? Yes, writes Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss, but only if that time is purposeful. DEAR and SSR aren’t enough.... more

Julie Nora, Jana Echevarria, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

Too often in classrooms, English Learners are described by what they cannot do, rather than by what they can do.  Particularly in mainstream classrooms in which teachers have little or no training in how to meet their needs, ELs are seen through a deficit lens.  In No More Low Expectations for English Learners, esteemed EL researcher Jana Echevarría argues that teacher attitude affects student achievement, and describes what best practice methods... more

Linda Ruiz Davenport, Connie S. Henry, Douglas H. Clements, Julie Sarama, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

"Pencils ready? On your mark...get set...begin!" Remember flipping over a page full of unrelated fact problems and scrambling to answer as many as possible in a minute? Remember trying to memorize math facts by rote? Many of our children are still asked to learn this way­—even though research shows this approach can harm student learning more than help. Explore an effective, research-based approach to math... more

Kathy Collins, Janine Bempechat, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

While schools around the nation reconsider homework policies, teachers, students, and parents continue to ride the wave of either too much, too little, too easy, or too hard homework assignments. In the expectation that children complete homework, sometimes they are assigned mindless “busy work.”  Kathy Collins and Janine Bempechat take on the stormy topic of homework by re-focusing the conversation from “to assign or not to assign” to how we can... more

Jennifer Palmer, Marcia Invernizzi, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

“When we give every student worksheets to learn phonics and spelling, we miss opportunities to get our students excited about words and fail to give them the opportunity to meet the high standards represented by the Common Core Standards. Our students need instruction that makes them think and helps them apply their word knowledge to real reading and writing situations.” —Jennifer Palmer and Marcia Invernizzi We... more

Erin Brown, Susan L'Allier

Teacher-coach collaboration is critical to teacher effectiveness and student learning, but sometimes the in-the-moment response rate required when supporting several teacher requests at once can make literacy coaching appear to be, well, rather random.  No More Random Acts of Literacy Coaching looks at the common obstacles and misconceptions that can prevent effective coaching, and offers strategies that literacy coaches, teachers,... more

Barbara A. Marinak, Linda Gambrell, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

Pizza. Pez dispensers. Nerf balls. When we give students “junk” to reward reading, we are focusing their intention away from the act of reading and from their own independence as readers. Instead, we can create classrooms where reading is seen as its own reward. In this book, esteemed researcher Linda Gambrell provides a research-based context for cultivating children’s intrinsic motivation to read and identifies three essential principles, the... more

Lynn Geronemus Bigelman, Debra S. Peterson, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

The research is compelling: when teachers differentiate reading instruction, students learn more. But teachers are too often given the expectation of differentiation without the details on how to make it work.   In No More Reading Instruction Without Differentiation, Debra Peterson and Lynn Bigelman offer an instructional framework that adapts instruction based on individual students needs and interests. Peterson unpacks the research that supports... more

Jacqueline Barber, Gina Cervetti, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

It is common to engage students in the process of science, using mostly hands-on activities, and equally common to provide students with only science knowledge through mostly text-based experiences. Neither of these approaches is authentic to how scientists make sense of the world. Both fail to connect those experiences to the larger purpose of science. In this book Jacquey and Gina show you why, and how integrating science... more

Elizabeth Hammond Brinkerhoff, Alysia D. Roehrig, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

“We need to evaluate how we spend time in our classroom by asking whether it is proportional to how valuable the activity is in fostering students’ independence and growth.”
—Elizabeth Brinkerhoff and Alysia Roehrig Time is precious, and every teacher needs more. No More Sharpening Pencils During Work Time and Other Time Wasters shows you where to find it as well as research-based... more

Carrie Cahill, Kathy Horvath, Anne McGill-Franzen, Richard L Allington, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

Everyone loves summer—except reading teachers. Kids take a vacation from books and those with limited access to books lose ground to their peers. You may have thought there’s nothing you can do about it, but there is. No More Summer-Reading Loss shows how to ensure that readers continue to grow year round. School-based practitioners Carrie Cahill and Kathy Horvath join with renowned researchers Anne McGill-Franzen and Dick Allington... more

Gianna Cassetta, Brook Sawyer, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

Frustrated by ongoing difficult student behavior? You’re not alone: classroom management issues are a leading cause of teacher burnout. But there is a solution. No More Taking Away Recess and Other Problematic Discipline Practices shows how to promote good behavior, address interruptions, and keep everyone moving forward. “Management and control are not the same,” write teacher and school leader Gianna Cassetta and noted researcher... more

Jaleel R. Howard, Tanya Milner-McCall, Tyrone C. Howard, M. Colleen Cruz, Nell K Duke

Teachers know the importance of strong relationships with their students, but sometimes connecting with them feels challenging. No More Teaching Without Positive Relationships reviews the teacher-student relationship research and provides practices for building relationships that make a difference. To learn, students need positive relationships with their teachers. So what gets in the way and how can we do better? Since there is... more

Suzanne Kelly, Elizabeth Dobler, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

Educational software can do many things—assess a student’s reading skill, give instruction and practice at the student’s level, and assess again to determine progress. But software cannot build a relationship with a child and it cannot look at a child’s face and recognize understanding or confusion. It still comes down to teaching students, not technology. EdTech cannot replace a knowledgeable and skilled teacher, but it can support effective literacy... more

Suzanne Kelly, Elizabeth Dobler, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

Educational software can do many things—assess a student’s reading skill, give instruction and practice at the student’s level, and assess again to determine progress. But software cannot build a relationship with a child and it cannot look at a child’s face and recognize understanding or confusion. It still comes down to teaching students, not technology. EdTech cannot replace a knowledgeable and skilled teacher, but it can support effective literacy... more

Arlène Elizabeth Casimir, Courtney N. Baker, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

Trauma and adversity... more

Arlène Elizabeth Casimir, Courtney N. Baker, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

Trauma and adversity are increasingly common experiences for students and educators, with growing poverty, income inequality, social injustice, institutional inequity, and the global pandemic worsening the situation. Now more children are attending school while experiencing significant chronic and acute stressors. What can educators do to support students, help them learn, and ensure they reach their full potential? Trauma-informed schools are... more

Charlene Cobb, Camille Blachowicz, Nell K Duke, Ellin Oliver Keene

“Just as word learning is incremental, so is learning about vocabulary instruction. Teachers need exposure to research, best-practice strategies, and fellow practitioners.”
—Charlene Cobb and Camille Blachowicz The way we’ve learned influences the way we teach, but the vocabulary instruction many of us received—looking up words and writing sentences or completing worksheets— just doesn’t... more

Cris Tovani, Elizabeth Birr Moje, Ellin Oliver Keene, Nell K Duke

Congratulations to Cris Tovani, recipient of ILA's Adolescent Literacy Thought Leader Award 2017! The truth is, when we rely on lecture in an effort to cover content, we’re doing students a disservice.  Although lecture can be engaging and even useful, lecture alone cannot give kids real opportunities to learn, retain, and transfer the disciplinary ideas, skills, and practices we’re trying to teach. Cris Tovani... more

Antero Garcia, Ernest Morrell, Nell K Duke, M. Colleen Cruz

Does your classroom ever feel stuck, or out-of-tune? Meaningful teaching is something educators strive for each day. Educators also know that there is no such thing as a perfect classroom. Despite our best intentions, our classrooms sometimes feel like they’re stuck, or out of tune. In Tuned-in Teaching, Antero Garcia and Ernest Morrell offer a road map for creating a classroom that is transformative for... more