Is there a “middle way” for reading lessons?
Phonics should be included in a strong reading curriculum along with other approaches, according to Kathleen Mikulka, a teacher in Maine. In this commentary, she calls for an overhaul of the way teachers are trained and she suggests there is a “middle way” to teach reading.
Full Story: The Hechinger Report
Young marijuana users’ memory skills rebound after giving up drug
Teens and young adults who used marijuana saw their memory abilities improve after they stopped partaking of the drug, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests. “From these data, we think that at least some of that impairment is not permanent,” said researcher Randi Schuster.
Full Story: Science News
Calls for anti-bias education follow shooting
The shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh comes amid a 94% increase in anti-Semitic incidents in K-12 schools across the US, according to a 2017 Anti-Defamation League report. Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, is offering resources to encourage teachers and school leaders to be proactive in introducing anti-bias tools in schools.
Full Story: Chalkbeat
Competency-based education faces pushback
Dozens of states are moving toward competency-based education models, according to data from the nonprofit International Association for K-12 Online Learning. However, the movement is facing opposition in some areas, including in Maine, where officials are walking back the move to a proficiency-based approach after many parents criticized the change.
Full Story: The Hechinger Report
Calif. invests in teacher-residency programs
California is investing $75 million in teacher-residency programs, which many experts believe can improve teacher preparation although the programs often face funding challenges. State districts and charter schools can apply for financial support if they partner with residency programs in high-demand subject areas, such as science, math, bilingual education and special education.
Full Story: Chalkbeat
Audrey Altmann is an editorial assistant at SmartBrief.
____________________________________
This “most read” feature reflects the most read items in ASCD SmartBrief from the previous week. Sign up for ASCD SmartBrief to get news like this in your inbox, or check out all of SmartBrief’s education newsletters, covering career and technical education, educational leadership, math education and more.