Archive - Minding the Gap

Beyond Reading Comprehension Strategies

We need to be clear on what we mean by “comprehension strategies”—and reevaluate the usefulness of the concept.

23 hrs ago •

Many Students Struggle to Read Beyond Third Grade

The science of reading movement has focused on improving phonics instruction for children in the early grades, but it has largely overlooked students at…

Sep 10 •

August 2024

New Reports Suggest Schools Can Boost Social Mobility

Class is more significant than race to academic achievement--and a big factor is the kind of knowledge schools could provide.

Aug 21 •

What's Washington, DC? Who's Thomas Jefferson? Tough Questions.

Evidence that Americans lack basic knowledge of the world is all around us, but most of us don’t talk about it—and some dismiss it as unimportant.

Aug 18 •

Uncovering the "Hidden Lives" of Learners

A book by the late New Zealand-based researcher Graham Nuthall provides a rare and important window into what and how students learn.

Aug 11 •

July 2024

"Luxury Beliefs" in Education Hold Many Students Back

Educators themselves are often insulated from the devastating consequences of prevailing educational approaches

Jul 30 •

To Boost Learning, Weave Writing Activities Into Regular Instruction

Teaching writing can be a way of teaching, period.

Jul 25 •

Clearing Up Misconceptions about "Building Knowledge"

Some science-of-reading advocates assume it means rejecting any comprehension strategy instruction

Jul 14 •

June 2024

Letting a Thousand Educational Flowers Bloom

A new book argues for a pluralistic approach that sounds appealing but could lead to even more problems than we have now

Jun 23 •

A Curriculum Tempest in a Texas-Sized Teapot

The state could avoid controversy and improve a proposed elementary curriculum by making some modest changes to its accounts of Bible stories.

Jun 16 •

The College Kids Are Not All Right

Reports from professors point to an alarming decline in cognitive capabilities, even at selective institutions

Jun 2 •

May 2024

Fordham Brief Calls for an End to Reading Comprehension Instruction

While it provides a useful primer on flaws in the standard approach, it overlooks a role for strategy instruction

May 22 •

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