Category Archives: Uncategorized

I was excited to read this article today about the return of cursive writing instruction in my home state of Connecticut.  I’ve been lamenting the disappearance of cursive, and in some cases, handwriting in any form, as keyboarding has become the method of choice for written expression. For children with disabilities, the switch from writingContinue reading “Why we should teach handwriting”

Timothy Shanahan and Christopher Lonigan explore the connection between early oral language development and later reading comprehension success Supporting young children’s language and literacy development has long been considered a practice that yields strong readers and writers later in life. The results of the National Early Literacy Panel’s (NELP) six years of scientific research synthesisContinue reading “Great article on how oral language influences reading development”

This is a great blog post by Tim Shanahan on the role of a research-based Scope and Sequence in teaching phonics. We know from research that children with Down syndrome benefit from structured, systematic approaches to teaching in general. I have found this to be particularly true when it comes to reading instruction.

via Pediatrics Group to Recommend Reading Aloud to Children From Birth – NYTimes.com. Photo: Dr. Leora Mogilner, a pediatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital, gave a book to Kaylee Smith, 9 months, and guidance to her mother, Tameka Griffiths, 33. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times