Meet the Experts (Reading Rockets)

Ron Fairchild, Executive Director of the National Summer Learning Association, discusses the components and benefits of quality summer programs. To view the full version of this and other author interviews, visit us at www.readingrockets.org, a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Teachers have the difficult tasks of not only teaching a child how to read, but also determining how to help them if they are struggling. Dr. Louisa Moats gives examples of how teachers can be better prepared to enter the classroom and identify potential reading difficulties in their students. For instance, she discusses the importance of not only teaching children the alphabet, but also showing them how to associate sounds with letters. She also shares an inspirational story about one teacher who came to her distraught because his students were moving onto the next grade level without being able to read. After learning some effective methods for teaching children to read, he is now passing students with flying colors.Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Did you know that making up words for kids can help them gain phonemic awareness? Dr. Louisa Moats, an expert in the area of improving literacy and elementary education, discusses how nonsense words can help students learn word structure. She also talks about how a child's ability to spell and the speed at which they read can be good indicators of whether or not the child is having learning difficulties.Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

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.Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading is a constellation of complex processes, which can be tough to manage for a beginning reader. G. Reid Lyon identifies the processes involved in reading, and describes how each is crucial for reading success. Two commonly confused terms, phonics and phonemic awareness, are defined and exemplified. Lyon also emphasizes the emotion involved in success and failure for beginning readers. Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

There are many factors that can contribute to reading success. Not only is proper reading instruction necessary at school, but what parents do at home has a great influence as well. G. Reid Lyon describes reading as a crucial skill today, and emphasizes the factors needed for success. Reading is not a natural process, but when both parents and teachers take responsibility, success can be achieved. Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Chris Gabrieli, co-chair of the National Center on Time & Learning, talks about how the new, longer school day supports achievement in core subjects like reading and math, while providing a richer, broader, curriculum for all students. Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Dr. Guinevere Eden uses MRI scans to map brain activity and study the biological signs of dyslexia. Dr. Eden hopes that this will soon make it possible to diagnose dyslexia very early in children. Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Teaching a child to read can be challenging. It is important for teachers and parents to be enthusiastic about books in order to get children excited about reading. Dr. Maryanne Wolf discusses some of the behaviors all parents can employ to help their child become a successful reader. Wolf also emphasizes how important it is for parents to realize the positive impact they can have on their child at a young age, because they are their child's first teacher.Visit www.readingrockets.org for more information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help. Reading Rockets is a national education service of public television station WETA. Funding is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education.