My Top Five Articles From This School Year

Newsletter

As noted last week, I get a sense that educators are overwhelmed right now. I know the feeling! With that, I am posting a round up of my most read articles from this school year. If you do have some mental bandwidth, I’d love your feedback (here).

Take care,

Matt

In this post, I question the use of oral reading fluency as an effective measurement for assessing readers. While Regie Routman notes in the comments that “the research is clear that oral fluency in the early grades aligns highly with comprehension”, there is concern that we are reducing what it means to be a reader down to a single score.

In the same vein as the previous post, I shared my concerns that all of these state literacy mandates may have a negative effect on student reading outcomes. Teachers and leaders now have more added to their plates. These additional responsibilities take away time to properly prepare for effective literacy instruction.

Here, I share a personal story. Due to a medical event, I was homebound for recovery. Worried about how the school would operate without me being there as the principal, I was reminded by a friend that my absence would be a true test of leadership.

Amidst the worries due to the instability of the federal government, I make a case for reading in challenging times. Reading can be an act of resistance. It helps focus our attention, expand our knowledge base and perspective, and bring people together.

Reflecting on the November presidential election results and the complex media landscape that shapes voter perspectives, I'm reminded of our fundamental responsibility: we must empower students not just to decode text, but to think critically as readers who can evaluate information, recognize bias, and form well-reasoned conclusions about the world around them.