Classroom & Curricula

The significant decline in reading skills many students experience over the summer is no secret, but it’s particularly damaging for children in low-income neighborhoods. 'Summer Reading: Closing the Rich/Poor Reading Achievement Gap,' edited by Richard L. Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen, offers an in-depth look at this disparity and offers solutions that go beyond recommended reading lists.

How can we use the summer to provide kids with more opportunities to grow confident as nonfiction readers? The authors offer suggestions and recommend a few reading lists to share with students.

What lies ahead for teachers and librarians just embarking on the Common Core journey? Marc Aronson shares his thoughts and insights.

Published in SLJ’s October 2010 print issue, but still relevant today, the following article highlights resources that classroom teachers, librarians, and parents can use to broaden children’s worldview and prompt discussions about current events and news.

Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?

The focus on the close reading of texts suggests a new idea to SLJ's columnist—an idea that taps librarians' expertise and offers an exciting approach to inquiry.

Combining excellent texts and outstanding visuals, this month's group of new titles are must-have purchases for libraries and classrooms looking to expand their nonfiction collections.

Author and Common Core expert Kathleen Odean reveals great titles to tap as you work with the new standards.

Meg Medina knows firsthand about bullying—the topic of her young adult novel. In 'Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass,' the author explores its consequences when 15-year-old Piddy Sanchez becomes victimized at her new school.