In this Leading Voices podcast episode, Misty Sailors, Literacy Research Director, shares how school leaders build a literacy culture that students and teachers can feel the moment they walk in, from the student work on the walls to the way adults talk about reading.
Our new suite of services supports districts in building coherent, sustainable literacy systems that integrate foundational skills, language development, and comprehension.
Explore K–5 reading comprehension, from the role of academic language and writing to the importance of background knowledge and advanced literacy development.
At Fitchburg State University, one professor is helping faculty teach practical strategies for making complex reading less intimidating. Through Reading Apprenticeship, students strengthen their comprehension, build confidence, and learn approaches they can use across courses and disciplines.
When a student wrote “I want to learn how to write a poem” in their notebook, their teacher reached for Sylvia Plath instead of a worksheet. Jenell Krishnan and Menya Cole share that moment and describe seven other kinds of instructional shifts that can help middle and high school students write with purpose.
The Regional Educational Laboratory West (REL West) at WestEd developed a toolkit based on the What Works Clearinghouse Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Practice Guide. It includes professional learning resources for teachers, student handouts, family and caregiver activities, classroom videos, and facilitator guidance.
Reading to Learn breaks comprehension into seven concrete steps, from setting a purpose before reading to knowing what to do with what you’ve learned. In this new book, Kevin Perks and Melissa Strand offer classroom-ready tools for teachers across all content areas.
Reading for Understanding, a landmark book in the field of adolescent literacy, has earned a place on Education Week’s 2026 Ultimate PD Reading List. Educators can explore the latest edition, which features updated research and a stronger connection to disciplinary literacy across content areas.
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