SKrashen: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Comprehension, and the Garan Effect

SKrashen: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Com...: An article in the Guardian announced that a new study confirmed the positive effect of intensive ...

SKrashen: Intensive Systematic Phonics, Tests of Reading Comprehension, and the Garan Effect

SKrashen: Why test writing?

SKrashen: Why test writing?

A suggestion: Drop the composition section of the Comprehensive Assessment Program

Sent to the Taipei Times, June 12.

The composition section is the most contentious part of the
Comprehensive Examination ("Blame game won’t solve exam problem:
minister," June 13).

I have a suggestion: Drop the composition section entirely.

Testing students on writing proficiency makes no sense: Studies show
that our ability to write using the accepted conventions of writing,
including organization and mechanics, is largely the result of reading,
which is why reading and writing scores are always so highly correlated:
those who read a great deal do better on both reading and writing
tests.

Essays are also the hardest part of language exams to
grade, requiring consultation among graders and a great deal of tedious
work.

Stephen Krashen

original article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2014/06/13/2003592660/1

SKrashen: Why test writing?

SKrashen: Invest in libraries and librarians

SKrashen: Invest in libraries and librarians: Sent to Los Angeles Times, Feb 24. Research and common sense tell us that we get better at reading (and writing, spelling, grammar and voc...

SKrashen: Invest in libraries and librarians

Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD Board Meeting

Dr. Krashen, Professor Emeritus of USC, and world renowned language acquisition expert speaks in support of more libraries and librarians in LAUSD. February 11, 2014.

This is such important information that doesn't get disseminated because corporations can't make big profits off of children going to libraries and reading books. The research is indisputable, we need to advocate for what works!

Dr. Stephen Krashen defends libraries at LAUSD Board Meeting

Deasy says depriving PSO and AAPL of profits violates LAUSD kids' civil rights. I say these things violate them

Deasy says depriving PSO and AAPL of profits violates #LAUSD kids' civil rights. I say these things violate them. pic.twitter.com/sVcaUtWZcw

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 16, 2014

ebooks comprise 0.5—7.8% of school library collections, so #LAUSD's iPad fiasco isn't just unethical, it's immoral. http://t.co/O3R9S48XnN

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 16, 2014

Deasy says depriving PSO and AAPL of profits violates LAUSD kids' civil rights. I say these things violate them

Monica Garcia's anti-intellectual, anti-library stance tantamount to book burning

FYI @monica4lausd your denying #LAUSD children access to books is not "leadership," it's educational injustice and cultural genocide!

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 12, 2014

Reactionary @Monica4LAUSD opposes libraries for #LAUSD kids, wants those funds to go to charter execs & tech profits. pic.twitter.com/QN19ctqPlx

— PESJA Los Angeles (@PESJA_LA) February 12, 2014

Scores of juried studies on benefits of school libraries, but ZERO research on Pearson's #CCSS apps for iPad. #LAUSD http://t.co/wOhxj2rgtL

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) February 8, 2014

Monica Garcia's anti-intellectual, anti-library stance tantamount to book burning

4LAKids - TUESDAY’S BOARD MEETING: Six votes in search of a consensus

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: TUESDAY’S BOARD MEETING: Six votes in search of a ...: I watched Tuesday’s festivities from the comfort of my couch and my fuzzy slippers, consuming mass quantities of NyQuil and drinking gl...



Best part of SMF's introduction commentary: "thought [sic] Ms. Garcia opposed it vigorously and continued in her vitriol toward boardmembers disinterested in her “leadership”."

4LAKids - TUESDAY’S BOARD MEETING: Six votes in search of a consensus

SKrashen: The Common Core and Voluntary Reading

SKrashen: The Common Core and Voluntary Reading: Sent to the New York Times, January 23, 2014 Charles Blow's inspirational testimonial ("Reading is fundamental," January 22)...

SKrashen: The Common Core and Voluntary Reading

Research proven: School Libraries and Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: CCSS and iPads

Research proven: School Libraries & Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: #CCSS & iPads. #LAUSD @skrashen pic.twitter.com/Cg2z5Z7uxM

— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) September 26, 2013

The former means engaged critical thinking, but the latter leads to more corporate profits and increased market share for PSO, AAPL, MHGE, NWSA, and others.

• The Power of Reading : Insights from the Research
• Common Core [sic] Standards (Susan Ohanian Speaks Out)

Research proven: School Libraries and Free Voluntary Reading. Unproven and expensive: CCSS and iPads

SKrashen: NO DROP IN READING FOR PLEASURE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

SKrashen: NO DROP IN READING FOR PLEASURE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE...:   Comment on Walt Gardner, "Reading for pleasure,"  Ed Week, June 28, posted at: http://blogs.edweek.org/...

SKrashen: NO DROP IN READING FOR PLEASURE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE

SKrashen: Sophia's Choice: Summer Reading (Lin, Shin & Krashen, 2007)

SKrashen: Sophia's Choice: Summer Reading (Lin, Shin & Krash...: Sophia’s Choice: Summer Reading Shu-Yuan Lin, Fay Shin, and Stephen Krashen Knowledge Quest, volume 4,  (March/...

SKrashen: Sophia's Choice: Summer Reading (Lin, Shin & Krashen, 2007)

Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing

First published on Robert D. Skeels for School Board on November 24, 2012.

---

It's difficult to explain exactly what being poor is all about, or why access to books and ideas might be as important as a free breakfast. — Walter Dean Myers

Hope Is an Open Book, an op-ed piece by author Walter Dean Myers, was tweeted this morning by educator Susan Ohanian. While written in 2005, Myers' message about access to books is profound and even more urgent today with canned corporate education solutions that narrow curriculum dominating policy. Sadly, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is run by a Superintendent who neither values books, nor libraries. This has to change, and change quickly. We need to shutdown LAUSD's testing-industrial-complex and reopen both our school and classroom libraries. Reopening libraries also means rehiring credentialed librarian-educators. We can pay for that by ditching discredited and expensive attempts to tie teacher evaluations to test scores (VAM/AGT) and use the millions of squandered dollars associated with them. Read with your children, read in front of your children, and let them choose their own reading materials. It's a proven formula for fostering authentic life-long learning.

Free Voluntary Reading (FVR) is a well researched methodology in which students are allowed to choose their own reading materials. Professor Stephen Krashen and his colleagues have found that "[r]ecreational reading or reading for pleasure is the major source of our reading competence, our vocabulary, and our ability to handle complex grammatical constructions." The Power of Reading, Second Edition: Insights from the Research is an excellent text to familiarize oneself with the concepts and research behind FVR.

Refocusing LAUSD on reading and learning instead of testing