A lovely aphorism holds that education isn’t the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire. But too often, neither are pails filled nor fires lit. One of the most bearish statistics for the future ...

Editor's note: With low reading proficiency scores across the state, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is exploring the causes and consequences of low literacy. This article is part of the By the Book ...

New York's youngest students may soon see a renewed focus on phonics, as the pendulum in the age-old debate over how to teach reading swings toward the so-called "science of reading." Gov. Kathy ...

Even though it’s the dog days of summer vacation, many schools across the country are getting ready to bring students back into the classroom — and that means giving serious thought to the best ways ...

For decades, two schools of thought have clashed on how to best teach children to read, with passionate backers on each side of the so-called reading wars. Michael Crowder, 11, reads during an ...

Lawrence Public Library, pictured Aug. 20, 2015. Phonics is the key to unlocking literacy skills among Lawrence K-12 students, according to educator Barbara Mullen, and the use of other methods to ...

If you have high expectations a child will rise to the challenge.

Kindergarten students Gabby Kim, left, and Ellie Such answer questions on a literacy lesson during Julie Celestial's kindergarten class at Mark Twain Elementary School in Long Beach. For the record: 4 ...