Teaching reading is a critical task for educators. Reading can be the gateway to new worlds for students and guide them on the path to success. Phyllis C. Hunter describes the skill as a new civil right. Hunter, a former classroom teacher and school administrator, shares her experiences and highlights the need for research-based reading programs in schools today. She also shares the importance for children to have solid reading skills by the third grade. Formore information about teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle, visit www.readingrockets.org. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the US

Teachers build on a child’s strengths to create situations where the child will experience success in early literacy learning.

Teachers explore ways that children learn about relationships between letters of written language and sounds of spoken language.

Teachers discover that close, systematic observation is a way to assess rapid changes in literacy learning of young children.

Teachers explore aspects of fluent reading, including the importance of phrased reading for young literacy learners.

Addressing the Challenges of Reading Informational Text” Explore some of the difficulties students may have with reading and understanding informational text as well as instructional strategies to support student success with informational text in the classroom and on the Ohio Achievement Test-Reading. Fostering Student Success on the OAT-Reading, Grades 57: Reading and Writing Informational Text webcast series provides classroom teachers, literacy and curriculum specialists, and other leaders in English language arts education with instructional strategies for supporting student success with informational texts in the classroom and on the Ohio Achievement Test-Reading. Go to the ORC site (ohiorc.org to watch webcasts that present 45-minute panel discussions exploring the teaching-learning implications sample OAT items, student responses, and ELA content standards suggest in relation to the reading and writing of informational text. Use the webcast viewing guides to initiate or continue professional dialogue and instructional planning on enhancing literacy in your school or district. In addition, take advantage of the webcasts’ mini-collections—small sets of ORC resources containing additional instructional examples, lesson ideas, and supplemental resource materials. Lastly, use the reference bibliographies provided for further information and reflection on effective teaching with informational texts.

An exploration of strategic reading activities initiated by children and actions teachers can take to encourage those behaviors.

Addressing the Challenges of Reading Informational Text” Explore some of the difficulties students may have with reading and understanding informational text as well as instructional strategies to support student success with informational text in the classroom and on the Ohio Achievement Test-Reading. Fostering Student Success on the OAT-Reading, Grades 57: Reading and Writing Informational Text webcast series provides classroom teachers, literacy and curriculum specialists, and other leaders in English language arts education with instructional strategies for supporting student success with informational texts in the classroom and on the Ohio Achievement Test-Reading. Go to the ORC site (ohiorc.org to watch webcasts that present 45-minute panel discussions exploring the teaching-learning implications sample OAT items, student responses, and ELA content standards suggest in relation to the reading and writing of informational text. Use the webcast viewing guides to initiate or continue professional dialogue and instructional planning on enhancing literacy in your school or district. In addition, take advantage of the webcasts’ mini-collections—small sets of ORC resources containing additional instructional examples, lesson ideas, and supplemental resource materials. Lastly, use the reference bibliographies provided for further information and reflection on effective teaching with informational texts.