Finally a study that debunks the idea that reading is a skill and that teaching reading strategies is enough to improve this skill. This is a much needed paradigm shift that views knowledge acquisition, discussion and writing as key players in reading development and improvement. Your description of the study and its context were clearly written and thoroughly done. I will share it widely.
"For example, all the schools in the study were charter schools, raising the possibility that the findings wouldn’t apply equally to other types of schools. But the researchers discount that possibility, observing that—outside of urban settings—charter schools don’t have a better track record than traditional public schools. All schools in the study were in suburban areas."
This is an impressive study, and I look forward to hearing more about it. In the past, I've read articles that contextualize charter school performance by showing the generally greater amount of parent involvement. Do you think this could also be a factor in the student success documented here that may not fully translate to the public school setting?
That’s possible, but as the researchers say, the track record for charters in the suburbs isn’t any better than for traditional public schools. So the level of parental involvement, if it’s greater, doesn’t seem to make much difference for those schools on average.
Sue Livingston
Finally a study that debunks the idea that reading is a skill and that teaching reading strategies is enough to improve this skill. This is a much needed paradigm shift that views knowledge acquisition, discussion and writing as key players in reading development and improvement. Your description of the study and its context were clearly written and thoroughly done. I will share it widely.
"For example, all the schools in the study were charter schools, raising the possibility that the findings wouldn’t apply equally to other types of schools. But the researchers discount that possibility, observing that—outside of urban settings—charter schools don’t have a better track record than traditional public schools. All schools in the study were in suburban areas."
This is an impressive study, and I look forward to hearing more about it. In the past, I've read articles that contextualize charter school performance by showing the generally greater amount of parent involvement. Do you think this could also be a factor in the student success documented here that may not fully translate to the public school setting?
That’s possible, but as the researchers say, the track record for charters in the suburbs isn’t any better than for traditional public schools. So the level of parental involvement, if it’s greater, doesn’t seem to make much difference for those schools on average.
Where can I find the list of knowledge- based curriculums?
On the website of the Knowledge Matters Campaign, here:
https://knowledgematterscampaign.org/explore-curricula/
I'm glad to see this study is finally out. I read about it in Hirsch's latest book and was looking forward to seeing the final results.