Today’s Literacy Headlines

You probably know of, have read, or at least have heard of the children’s picture book classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. But did you know that it almost was not about a family going on a bear hunt and encountering many obstacles along the way? “I thought it could be a bit like Carnival,” says author Michael Rosen. “There could be all sorts of different characters — giants and monsters and kings and queens — and they’d all be walking after a guy in a bear suit.” At the end, Rosen imagined, the guy in the bear suit would take off his bear head and all the other characters would say, “Oh, it’s a guy in a bear suit,” and then run away. “It wasn’t a great idea, I confess,” says Rosen. Luckily, illustrator Helen Oxenbury didn’t pay any attention to it.

Siblings loom large in children’s literature, and for good reason. Despite the relationship’s infinite varieties, it’s always a story. If the essence of story is Desire meets Danger over Time, siblings are a built-in plot, particularly during childhood, when sharing a house guarantees that every Desire is common knowledge and therefore prey to Dangers large and small. Accordingly, children’s books contain some of the most intense and memorable sibling relationships in literature. For young readers, these depictions can serve as models, wish fulfillment or revenge fantasies. For parents, the drama on the page may offer an opportunity to talk about the drama in the dining room. Here are some of my favorites, starting with the ur-moment of siblinghood.

Natalie Babbitt’s “Tuck Everlasting” isn’t a long book. Its just-published 50th-anniversary edition runs well under 200 pages, and a dozen of these are devoted to an introduction by novelist Gabrielle Zevin, a short memoir by Babbitt’s daughter, Lucy, and an appendix reproducing some of the book’s working notes. Still, it has taken me almost a quarter-century to finish this wondrous story about a young girl’s encounter with a family of immortals. I began reading “Tuck Everlasting” in 2001 but only reached the last, heart-wrenching page this month. That almost seems like … forever. Let me explain why it took so long.

More than 3.6 million children born in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic who are walking into elementary schools across the country this fall. They’re children who came into a world full of masked adults dousing themselves in hand sanitizer. Many spent the first year of their lives either in isolation in lockdowns or with only a handful of trusted people in their bubbles. And the long-term impact on these “COVID kindergartners” remains unclear. Research shows that early childhood experiences can have lasting effects on development and growth, according to a 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics (JAMA Pediatrics). While nurturing experiences can increase cognitive capabilities and academic achievement, early life disadvantages can lead to a persistent deficit in skills to manage adversity, stress and self-esteem. It follows then, that parents, experts and educators are hypervigilant, tracking how the hardships of the pandemic may manifest in this generation.

At Barbara Morgan STEM Academy, an elementary school in Meridian, Idaho, students approach nearly every subject through a STEM lens. As fifth-grade teacher Jamie Schildknecht explains, “So many of the problems in the world—and [the ones] that we’re going to solve in the future—are going to be solved through scientific thinking. Even if the students are not becoming scientists, those ideas of collaboration, critical thinking, and communication are going to tie into anything they end up doing.” This perspective is particularly powerful for elementary students, whose natural curiosity drives them to learn about the world around them. Teachers at Barbara Morgan harness this curiosity and create meaningful projects for the students by pulling in real-world science challenges.

Researchers are rigorously studying large-scale tutoring efforts around the nation and testing whether effective tutoring can be done more cheaply. A dozen researchers studied more than 20,000 students in Miami; Chicago; Atlanta; Winston-Salem and Greensboro, North Carolina; Greenville, South Carolina; schools throughout New Mexico, and a California charter school network. Their preliminary results were “sobering,” according to a June report by the University of Chicago Education Lab and MDRC, a research organization. The researchers found that tutoring during the 2023-24 school year produced only one or two months’ worth of extra learning in reading or math — a tiny fraction of what the pre-pandemic research had produced.

Most kindergarten programs have become more academic-focused—leaning into instruction that emphasizes teaching students to read and gain basic math skills and moving away from activities like self-directed play (through centers like painting, blocks, and “dress up”). EdWeek asked readers to weigh in via a social media poll on the topic. Many respondents attributed early learners’ increasing lack of self-control to kindergarten programs whose expectations don’t necessary align with students’ abilities and readiness.It’s unlikely that kindergarten will ever revert completely to the play-centric introduction to formal education that it once was. But perhaps amid the vocal pushback—from both adults and kindergartners—kindergarten programs will examine more closely the dual goals of meeting academic standards for young learners with a propensity toward playfulness.

According to Manhattan Public Library children’s librarian, Hannah Atchison, one of the many benefits of wordless picture books is the groundwork they lay for interpretation: “Reading is an interpretation of symbols and the connection of those symbols to their meaning in the world…. The skills gained from reading a wordless picture book— interpretation of context clues, emotional intelligence, body language, and imagination—are just as valuable.”

When you teach vocabulary after students have experienced the concept, and reinforce it with total physical response, morphology, and interactive visuals, it doesn’t just help with definitions. It helps with retention, comprehension, and long-term academic success.

The Trump administration has quietly rescinded long-standing guidance that directed schools to accommodate students who are learning English, alarming advocates who fear that schools will stop offering assistance if the federal government quits enforcing the laws that require it. The rescission is one of several moves by the administration to scale back support for approximately 5 million schoolchildren not fluent in English, many of them born in the United States. It is also among the first steps in a broader push by the Trump administration to remove multilingual services from federal agencies across the board.

At first glance, play and explicit reading instruction can seem at odds. Under pressure to improve reading outcomes after years of falling or stagnant scores, schools might cut recess or limit imaginative activities to make time for instruction. But this is a false choice. Research shows that play is not only compatible with the science of reading — it’s a powerful way to build the very skills kids need to become strong readers in the first place. In fact, children learn best through hands-on, engaging activities that make new sounds and words stick.

I still remember the first time I took my class outside for a descriptive writing lesson. It was a crisp fall morning, and I handed each student a pine cone, asking them to describe it as if the reader had never seen one. I thought the outdoor setting would be a fun change of pace, but I wasn’t expecting how vividly their writing would come to life. “A pine cone smells like the forest,” one student wrote. “It’s sharp like a dragon’s tail,” said another. That day, I realized how powerful sensory observation can be in helping even reluctant writers find their voice. Since then, I’ve developed hands-on activities that help students engage their senses to notice details and write with greater clarity and confidence. Below are some of my favorites, many inspired by Montessori principles and rooted in real-world exploration.

A couple of years ago, Brian Floca was on an island off the coast of Maine when a storm rolled in. “There was this kind of electric charge in the air,” he remembers. It was hypnotic — “Just the sensory feeling of the storm coming. The wind, the waves, all of these elemental forces unloading themselves on the island.” But also the feeling of — “Is this safe? Should I really be doing this?” That memory stuck with Floca — and inspired him. His new children’s book, Island Storm, is about two kids who feel a storm coming, pull on their boots and head to the sea. As the waves crash and the rain starts to fall harder and harder, they ask each other, “Is this enough? Or do we try for more?” Of course, this being a story about kids and their escapades, they decide to go on. 

If you think there’s nothing new to say about World War II, these two works by children’s literature giants — and immigrants to America — will prove you wrong. The Caldecott medalist Uri Shulevitz’s final book, THE SKY WAS MY BLANKET: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe, following his death at age 89 in February, is a riveting companion to his award-winning memoir “Chance: Escape From the Holocaust” (2020), and a story that stands on its own. Shulevitz’s account is nonfiction dressed as a novel. Daniel Nayeri’s THE TEACHER OF NOMAD LAND: A World War II Story is a fictional story so utterly real the reader feels it must be true.

There are so many moving parts to education that it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle in your first few years, but there are three main ideas that you need to keep in mind as the school year starts: Create routines for your classroom ahead of time, get to truly know your students, and be prepared to learn alongside them. Remembering these can help keep you growing as an instructor and help you start your year on a positive note.

The students of Bethune Academy reflect the larger population of their Milwaukee, WI, community: The PreK–8 school is home to a large refugee population from countries such as Myanmar and Malaysia, and many students are raised in households that speak ­Burmese, Rohingya, or Karen. Around 40 percent of the school’s students are ­English Language Learners (ELLs), which is a key factor in how they engage with the school library. This past school year, Leigh Knapp became Bethune’s first full-time library media s­pecialist, targeting the specific needs of her students, including the ELL population. At times, traditional titles that seem age-appropriate for students might be above the actual reading levels of ELL students. To address this breach, Knapp has increased the library’s selection of graphic novels and manga, which are especially popular with elementary students and are an easy point of entry for students, who can follow a story without being overwhelmed by extensive ­vocabulary. 

A new meta-analysis examines the effect of dedicating more time and resources to science instruction in grades P-1 — and finds that introducing dedicated science curriculum and training for teachers improved students’ scores on both standardized assessments of science achievement in these grades and researcher-developed tests, when compared with students in business-as-usual classrooms. If schools want to build foundational science skills, they don’t develop incidentally — dedicating time for that is essential.

As an elementary teacher who also conducts independent research on the intersection of AI and education, and writes the ‘Algorithmic Mind’ column about it for Psychology Today, I live in the uncomfortable space between what technology promises and what children actually need. Yes, I use AI, but only for administrative work like drafting parent newsletters, organizing student data, and filling out required curriculum planning documents. It saves me hours on repetitive tasks that have nothing to do with teaching. I’m all for showing educators how to use AI to cut down on rote work. But I fear the AFT’s $23 million initiative isn’t about administrative efficiency. 

With federal funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting now wiped out, one of the few trusted, equity-driven sources of children’s media is seriously wounded. To meet the moment, policy leaders and educators must move beyond screen time limits and cell phone bans — and focus instead on a long-term vision rooted in shared public interest values, powered by human connection and guided by standards that prioritize children’s well-being from the start. The nation needs a strategy for children’s media that draws from the trusted legacy of public media and leverages today’s most promising tech tools. 

Chronic absenteeism, when students miss 10 percent or more of the school year, is 50 percent higher across the nation than before the pandemic. Researchers say it’s difficult for schools to address the problem because it is both so intense, with students missing huge chunks of the school year, and so extensive, affecting both rich and poor students and even high achievers. And the reasons vary widely, from asthma and bullying to transportation problems and the feeling that school is boring. Here are a few examples of how very different communities are tackling the problem.

Is nonfiction for children better now than ever? That’s a difficult question to answer. The genre has existed for years, but often occupying that gray area where fictional elements meld seamlessly with informational texts. The first Newbery and Caldecott winners (The Story of Mankind in 1922, by Hendrik Willem van Loon, and Animals of the Bible, in 1938, text by Helen Dean Fish, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop) are classified as nonfiction titles. As such, nonfiction has been deeply rooted in American children’s books from the very start. In the last 25 years, even more emphasis has been placed on what constitutes great nonfiction for young readers. In 2001 the ALA established the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal for the year’s “most distinguished informational book,” and ever since, the number of nonfiction books has grown, their subject matter increasingly addressing topics once thought too difficult for children.

In a study about the kinds of media kids consume that the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology published in June 2025, my colleagues and I surveyed the parents and other kinds of caregivers of 346 first graders. The study participants listed the TV shows, videos, apps and games the kids used the most. We found that only 12% of this content could be described as educational. PBS accounted for 45% of the educational TV or videos parents said their kids watched most often. This makes PBS the top source for children’s educational programming by far. Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. was in second place with 14%, and YouTube, at 9%, came in third.

Welcome to Literary Quotable Quotes, a quiz that challenges you to match a book’s memorable lines with its title. This week’s installment celebrates quotations from classic storybooks that you may have read as a child — or to your own children. In the five multiple-choice questions below, tap or click on the answer you think is correct. After the last question, you’ll find links to the books themselves if you want to get a copy and see that quotation in context.

Allowing elementary students to nominate and vote for their favorite books of the year can create a culture of celebration in the classroom. One teacher shares her experience: “I wanted my students to experience the excitement of recognizing books they thought were the best. And just like that, the Hallbery Awards were born and continued twice a year for over 15 years.”

I remember pretending to read. Holding open chapter books I couldn’t make sense of, flipping pages to keep up appearances. No one saw the panic behind my eyes when we went around the classroom reading aloud. I’d count ahead to figure out which paragraph would be mine and rehearse it in my head, praying the teacher didn’t ask a follow-up question. I wasn’t dumb. I just couldn’t read. That experience shaped my understanding of what’s at stake. It’s more than a reading issue; it challenges a child’s confidence and creates a silent barrier that too many face alone.

As the “science of reading” movement has grown, more districts are moving away from reading programs featuring practices that aren’t supported by research, and toward programs that are rated highly by external organizations, data show. But many school system leaders still report that they’re instructing educators to use multiple programs together, or supplementing their core offerings with add-ons—suggesting that even “high-quality” instructional materials aren’t meeting all of educators’ needs. The reports’ authors caution that using bits and pieces from different curricula without a clear strategy in place could lead to all of them being less effective.

Equipping students with transferrable skills such as innovative thinking and problem-solving can have a powerful effect on learning. Many teachers want to integrate STEM, but they feel overwhelmed or unsure if it is suitable for their grade level. STEM doesn’t mean you need expensive kits or extra class periods. It can start small, by using everyday items and creating quick STEM challenges that develop future-ready skills. 

Author Jeanne Birdsall didn’t know what direction to go in after she ended her beloved Penderwicks book series. Birdsall’s latest novel, The Library of Unruly Treasures, follows Gwen MacKinnon, another memorable young protagonist. When Gwen is sent to stay with her Uncle Matthew for the summer, her time away from home becomes anything but ordinary when she discovers a clan of winged creatures known as Lahdukan living in the local library.

Adopting a new curriculum is only a first step. Real change is like training for a marathon: buying the right gear doesn’t build endurance. Success comes from commitment, coaching, time and deliberate practice. Over time, I’ve come to recognize several warning signs that indicate a school needs Balanced Literacy Rehab. The first is that principals think the new program is being implemented but they don’t really know, because they often lack tools to verify what’s happening in classrooms. The second warning sign is that teachers are using both the new and the old programs. The third sign is that the science of reading is implemented in kindergarten through second grade, but that’s where the shift stops. In third grade and up, teachers continue to rely on outdated comprehension practices focused on “skills and strategies” rather than building the background knowledge that fuels true understanding.

The Science of Reading Implementation Briefs Series, co-authored by 11 educators and literacy leaders from across North Carolina, brings the classroom to the forefront. These eight briefs highlight the real-world insights, roadblocks, and breakthroughs experienced by teachers, coaches, and administrators as they implement structured literacy practices aligned with the Science of Reading (SoR). Each brief tackles a specific challenge from aligning instruction across staff and grade levels to building inclusive schedules and supporting paraprofessionals. Together, these lessons offer a roadmap for sustainable, school-wide change that supports every child’s journey to reading proficiency.

Emergent writing begins as early as age two or three, when children first start to explore the relationship between marks on a page and the world around them. This development doesn’t happen overnight; it unfolds over time and is shaped by many essential school-readiness skills: physical, language, cognitive, social, and perceptual abilities. By intentionally supporting this stage of development, educators and families can ‘plant the seeds’ for early writing success by focusing on three key areas: creating a rich environment for emergent writing, supporting children through developmentally appropriate writing stages, and fostering oral language skills through meaningful play.

With the aid of Calkins’ curriculum, my 4th graders were synthesizing across texts and making meaning across genres, time periods, and ideas. We read about the American Revolution, wrote cross-text research papers, compared authors’ perspectives, and learned how to hold more than one truth at a time. Calkins’ curriculum uses a workshop-style model that prioritizes student choice and independent learning. I taught her reading and writing units in 3rd and 4th grade, and across my 30-year career, they were among the most meaningful tools I used, not because they were easy, but because they came alive when taught with intention. They opened things up. And yet, Lucy Calkins has become a lightning rod for literacy criticism in the education world.

Giving students equitable access to high-quality instruction and resources for becoming proficient readers will help inspire a love of reading and give them ownership in their own literacy development, according to a report from EdTrust. The EdTrust report recommends these six principles for states to advance equity in literacy: (1) Ensure instruction and curricula are evidenced-based; (2) Have materials that connect to students’ identities and interests; (3) Tailor supports to students’ unique needs; (4) Begin literacy education at birth; (5) Put resources toward supporting teachers; and (6) Don’t sideline families.

Over five decades, he produced some 150 books, many of them illustrated by his wife, Janet Ahlberg, including classics like “Each Peach Pear Plum.” “Each Peach Pear Plum” (published in the United States in 1979) and “The Jolly Christmas Postman” (1991) were awarded the Kate Greenaway Medal by the British Library Association, recognizing distinguished illustrated books for children. In 2007, “Each Peach” was named one of the top 10 works published during the medal’s first 50 years. “The Jolly Postman” was inspired by the couple’s infant daughter, Jessica, who amused herself by playing with the mail while sitting in her high chair. The book included miniature envelopes containing letters to the Big Bad Wolf and other fairy-tale favorites, including one from Goldilocks apologizing to the Three Bears for intruding.

Five years after the start of the pandemic, one of the most surprising ways that school has profoundly, and perhaps permanently, changed is that students aren’t showing up. Here are some insights from a May symposium at the American Enterprise Institute where scholars shared research on the problem of widespread absenteeism. Chronic absenteeism has come down a lot from its peak in 2021-22, but it’s still 50 percent higher than it was before the pandemic.

Stories, songs, and rhymes are the bedrock of early language development. However, there are children who can sing, understand rhyming, and tell stories who are unable to detect sounds within words, struggle to match letters to sounds, and have challenges with reading and writing. Rhythm games, songs, and rhymes are not only a fun and engaging way to build pre-literacy skills. Music-making activities are also ideally suited to the early years of education because learners can participate at their own level and preference.

We can cite everything from No Child Left Behind to the advent of ChatGPT as a reason for insufficient writing time. But regardless of the catalyst, what’s important is that students at all levels keep writing. Here’s why. First, learning to write helps students learn to read. Writing also boosts students’ content knowledge and cognitive development. What’s more, a lack of classroom attention to writing tends may create extra harm to the most vulnerable students. So what can educators and policymakers do? First, keep students writing, from short tasks (e.g., sentence mechanics practice and concise summaries) to long-form writing (e.g., persuasive essays and personal narratives). They should be writing not only in ELA, but also in social studies, science, art, and music, to improve their writing skills while enhancing their knowledge and reasoning in those subject areas. 

A New Mexico school district has won the National Spanish Spelling Bee six times since the event began in 2011. Three of its students have won twice—each in back-to-back years. It’s “beyond reason,” according to the district’s bilingual specialist, José Reyes, who helped organize the first national bee over a decade ago, and continues to work with students in the Gadsden School District. The Gadsden district, headquartered in Santa Teresa, N.M., is a Title I district along the U.S.-Mexico border.

These back-to-school reads will help children tackle first-day nerves, new teachers, letters, numbers and more.

SLJasked school librarians what was on their minds as they embarked on the 2025–26 school year. While every school has its own unique issues, there were common threads in the responses. School librarians are grappling not only with the stress of local budget issues but also with the uncertainty of federal funds—those already allocated by Congress for 2025, which have been frozen by the Trump administration, as well as those in the federal budget for 2026. The IMLS cuts leave public library partners unable to step in and fill the gap. Censorship, restricted access to books, and soft censorship remain a concern for many, bringing added work hours, stress, and the responsibility of defending selections. In addition, public pressure and personal attacks have increased in number and vitriol over the last five years.

Three members of the Teach Like a Champion team explain why they are “unapologetic about the book.” We believe that even—perhaps especially—in a digital age, books create a critical experience that can be created through no other means. Ensuring that students read books—excellent books, whole books, together in groups, often aloud to maximize the sense of connection they create—will maximize the chances that they become better readers, more knowledgeable students, and that they come to love and value reading.

This June, on the cusp of California’s full expansion of TK, the Public Policy Institute of California published an in-depth report analyzing the program, enrollment patterns, and related observations. Laura Hill, a policy director and senior fellow at PPIC and lead author of the report, spoke with Education Week about her findings, which provide insights for administrators and policymakers considering launching or expanding a TK program in their own state or district. Hill says, “If you’re going to move TK into K-12, then I think as much attention as possible needs to be given to making sure that there are early childhood experts ready to help the system navigate the change: Making sure the teachers are prepared and the curriculum is ready, preparing the physical space, and helping districts’ senior leadership understand that TK children, 4-year-olds, are not just little kindergarteners—they’re really, really different.”

It’s been two years since Ohio policymakers, led by Governor DeWine, enacted sweeping early literacy reforms aligned to the science of reading, an evidence-based instructional approach that research has proven is an effective way to teach children how to read. Key elements of the statewide initiative include high-quality curriculum, teacher professional development, and stricter standards for teacher preparation programs, as well as roughly $170 million in state funds. How are things going? We don’t yet have test score data (that will come this fall), but a report given by Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) officials at a recent public meeting provides reasons for optimism. 

As the state rolls out a literacy strategy grounded in the approach, a survey shows high interest among educators in expanding their skills. To implement the science of reading practices, teachers require focused and thorough professional development, the report said. This professional learning, however, needs to go beyond teaching new curriculum and ensure that educators learn about certain practices like how to screen and assess student skills, determine specific needs and select proven instructional materials.

An Atlanta father’s library visit with his daughter sparked The Library Dads, a growing movement using books to bond fathers while boosting children’s literacy. The founder, Khari Arnold,  recommends countless resources for being a Library Dad, including regular library visits, audiobooks in the car, free apps like Hoopla and Libby, or playing YouTube channels with video read-alouds. 

American children and teens continue to be plagued by ongoing effects of the pandemic — and most students of color are bearing the brunt of worsening or stagnant indicators, a new report shows. The annual Kids Count report, released last month from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, found that while there’s some bright spots nationally compared to 2019 — including a growing number of children covered by health insurance and a decrease in teen pregnancies — many states are struggling to take care of children, whether it’s the number of children living in poverty, a growing number of teen deaths or older students who are not in school or working.

The 2025 Eisner Awards, one of the most prestigious awards given to comics, were presented at the San Diego Comic Con this weekend. They are given to comics published in the U.S. in the previous year. The award began in 1988, and it is named after comics pioneer Will Eisner. As of 2025, Eisners are given in 32 categories. There are also awards given to honor excellence in writing, newcomers to comics, best retailer, and more. Two comics took home multiple honors this year, including Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham in three categories and David Mazzucchelli’s Batman Year One Artist’s Edition in two categories.

In Austin, Texas, where the titans of technology have moved their companies and built mansions, some of their children are also subjects of a new innovation: schooling through artificial intelligence. And with ambitious expansion plans in the works, a pricey private A.I. school in Austin, called Alpha School, will be replicating itself across the country this fall. Supporters of Alpha School believe an A.I.-forward approach helps tailor an education to a student’s skills and interests. 

Gamifying literacy and phonics lessons teaches students valuable social-emotional skills, gives them regular movement breaks, and increases their engagement. Kathy-Ann St. Hill-St. Lawrence (or “Ms. Saint,” as she’s called by her students) is passionate about literacy. She knows that keeping it playful is critical for learning. In her second-grade class at Harford Heights Elementary in Baltimore, Maryland, she sprinkles in fun games to reinforce new concepts during direct reading instruction.

President Donald Trump has launched a comprehensive campaign to close off education to undocumented immigrants, undercutting, advocates say, the very reason many came to the United States: for a chance at a better life. Preschoolers without legal status are now banned from Head Start and older students and adults without papers are blocked from career, technical and adult education. Some states are rescinding in-state college tuition for those here illegally and K-12 schools are being targeted by the president’s sweeping immigration enforcement crackdown.

The Trump administration is releasing billions of dollars in grants to schools for adult literacy, English language instruction and other programs, the Education Department said Friday. The funding freeze had been challenged by several lawsuits as educators, Congress members from both parties and others called for the administration to release money schools rely on for a wide range of programs. Congress had appropriated the money in a bill signed this year by Trump.

The author of the Myth of Monsters series recommends works that tell, or retell, these strange and wonderful stories for virtually every age group. “Greek myths are having a moment — one that has lasted 2,700 years. Their rich and varied sources make them endlessly adaptable and relatable. Which means there’s a book out there that tells, or retells, these strange and wonderful stories for virtually every age group. Here are some of my favorites.”

A discipline known as cognitive science — born in the U.S. — relies on decades of research on how kids learn to guide teachers in the classroom, and is at the root of several effective reforms, including the Science of Reading. In nearly a dozen interviews, educators and policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic said that while it’s caught fire in England, from the classroom to the halls of government, the idea has made little traction in its home country. Benjamin Riley, founder of Deans for Impact, a Texas-based group that has pushed to make cognitive science more central to U.S. teacher training programs, jokingly refers to it as a “reverse Beatles” effect, with British educators pining for American insights.

The Nebraska Department of Education is moving ahead on priorities of literacy, chronic absenteeism and workforce development. The State Board of Education has selected three legislative priorities for the Education Department through 2027, focused on increasing reading proficiency among Nebraska third graders to 75%, halving the number of school staffing vacancies and halving chronic absenteeism. The State Board hopes to accomplish all three goals by 2030. The state Education Department has enacted the “Nebraska Literacy Plan,” which is supported through funds from the Legislature and the federal government. Legislative Bill 1284 appropriated a few million dollars to employ regional literacy coaches statewide and to mentor teachers in grades K-3 on how to better teach reading. The focus is on training prospective teachers and getting literacy coaches directly in the classroom.

Test scores [in Mississippi] have improved dramatically in the past 15 years, and the state is now ranked as a Top 20 state for public education. Scores exceed Michigan’s across the spectrum, from Black and white students to poorer and richer ones. Known as the Mississippi Miracle, the state’s improvement is a testament to tenacity, not originality. Over the past 20 years, Michigan adopted many of the same tools and accountability standards as Mississippi, only to abandon them for another plan. While Michigan leaders talked about fixing education, Mississippi did it starting in 2013, approving and sticking with sometimes unpopular ideas like grading schools and holding back third graders who couldn’t read, while investing big in teacher training and literacy coaches. 

Literacy is about critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to engage with complex ideas. When a major title drops [like this fall’s new Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dog Man titles], it’s not just a release date–it’s a shared experience. These books aren’t just for kids — they’re cultural touchstones. They bring generations together. Parents read them with their children. Teachers use them to spark classroom discussions. Librarians build displays around them. And kids? They devour them and talk about them with the kind of passion usually reserved for blockbuster movies or viral games.

With billions of federal dollars frozen by the Trump administration, 85% of school district leaders say they now have to find alternative sources to pay for contracts they have already entered into. Half those leaders say they will have to cut staff to make ends meet if the money doesn’t arrive, according to a new survey. The survey, from AASA, the School Superintendents Association, paints a picture of how the Trump administration’s choice not to distribute more than $5 billion in federal school funds Congress approved in March is affecting districts as they prepare for the upcoming school year. To close the resulting budget holes, nearly three-quarters of leaders with contracts covered by the frozen funds say they will likely have to cut academic supports for students—like literacy and math coaches—and 83% plan to cut professional development for staff

Family engagement is the key to creating a joyful school community and hitting academic goals. Research has long shown that when parents and caregivers are involved and engaged with their children’s education — whether that’s by attending parent-teacher conferences or participating in school events — student achievement, motivation and social-emotional well-being increase. Parent involvement with reading activities has a positive impact on reading achievement, language comprehension, expressive language skills and level of attention in the classroom, according to the National Literacy Trust.

Strong parent partnerships are essential to effective special education, as collaboration between families and educators provides students with disabilities with academic, social and emotional, and behavioral support. While laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act mandate involvement, genuine collaboration requires ongoing, intentional effort. Building trust can be challenging when families have felt unheard or excluded. Because of this, it’s crucial that educators adopt proactive, empathetic, and inclusive practices. The following six strategies offer evidence-based ways to strengthen trust and foster meaningful family partnerships.

Two new graphic novels for kids feature alien beings that aren’t what they seem. One is a monster disguised as a helper. The other is a monster that turns out not to be monstrous after all.