November 28, 2022

LAUSD’s stunning reading score on NAEP: Illusion, real or something in between?

Was a quick computer distribution during Covid, a literacy initiative or a combination of factors, plus random error, behind a surprising 8th grade score in Los Angeles Unified?

John Fensterwald

November 16, 2022

Voters reelected Tony Thurmond; now he needs to keep his promises on literacy

California needs to be screening all K-2 students for dyslexia and should also mandate that districts use literacy curriculum based on the science of reading.

Megan Bacigalupi

November 14, 2022

'Just-right' books: Does leveled reading hurt the weakest readers?

Teachers become gatekeepers to books, a longstanding practice in many schools where the assigned reading level is treated as a sacred cow.

Karen D'Souza

November 2, 2022

LAUSD superintendent joins experts in supporting pursuit of science of reading

One key way to fight falling test scores, experts suggest, is to dig deep into the exhaustive body of research on how the brain learns to read.

Karen D'Souza

November 2, 2022

How badly did the pandemic deepen California's early reading crisis?

The scores may be grim, some say, but they're far from shocking. Some experts warn that cratering test scores warn of a system that was broken long before the pandemic.

Karen D'Souza

October 27, 2022

New literacy standards for teacher candidates could be pivotal to improving student reading scores

Accreditation of California teacher preparation programs will hinge on whether they follow new literacy standards that focus more intensely on foundational reading skills.

Diana Lambert

October 17, 2022

Q&A: Teaching kids how to read on Zoom

Doing nothing is not an option, experts say. Poor literacy can impact a person’s lifetime income potential by up to 42%.

Karen D'Souza

October 11, 2022

Coalition says 'science of reading-aligned' core curricula barely used in California

Most districts used the same three core reading programs from the State Board of Education’s 2015 list of pre-approved curricula

Ali Tadayon

October 10, 2022

College Corps, with California's first state-run tutoring initiative, is off and running

3,200 college students from 46 campuses will receive $10,000 stipend; half will tutor in 33 school districts, after-school programs in service programs modeled after AmeriCorps and Peace Corps.

John Fensterwald

October 6, 2022

How a California school is embracing the science of reading and phonics | Video

Watch how one school embraces the science of reading and phonics to teach children to read.

Jennifer Molina

October 4, 2022

Struggling early readers can catch up over time; let's figure out how

Tracking the same students over time reveals previously unseen improvements in reading after third grade.

David Wakelyn

September 29, 2022

The Right To Read: It took a lawsuit against California

California settled a lawsuit over literacy by giving 70 schools with the lowest 2019 test scores extra funding to teach children to read. Less than half of all third graders in the state scored at grade level in reading.

Karen D'Souza

September 29, 2022

Once again, McFarland city leaders lobby the county to turn its library into a police station

Kenny Williams, McFarland police chief and city manager, said the Police Department is in dire need of space and modernization: “There is no explanation that anyone can give me that providing library service is more important than providing basic public safety service to the community."

Emma Gallegos

September 20, 2022

Cities and towns across California only get the libraries they can afford

California public libraries depend on local funding, creating wide disparities among communities across the state.

Emma Gallegos

September 19, 2022

An island of reading for youth in the California juvenile justice system

A partnership between Alameda County's library, office of education, and probation department has led to a colorful, culturally inclusive library inside the county juvenile hall staffed with permanent staff who try to teach youth a love of reading and learning.

Betty Márquez Rosales