Benchmark Blog

Every student should be provided effective and fun classroom instruction that is differentiated for their intellectual ability and academic readiness. Learn 5 ways this can be accomplished in and out of the classroom while addressing the critical skills that underpin fluent reading and writing.

Research is clear - instruction that incorporates systematically designed and explicit instruction along with opportunities for implicit learning is most effective. Drs. Jan Hasbrouck and Nancy Young break down these terms and provide authentic examples of how to appropriately include them in literacy instruction to ensure optimal student outcomes.

Professional educators use sufficient, appropriate information derived from on-going assessments to plan and deliver instruction and intervention for each student. Learn from Dr. Jan Hasbrouck about the 4 categories of academic assessments, each of which is designed to answer simple but important questions.

Fluency is a fuel that helps multilingual learners (MLLs) leverage their superpower. Discover how instruction in reading fluency facilitates the development of essential English oral language skills like phrasing, intonation, and vocabulary among MLLs. Mastering these skills equips MLLs to comprehend English more proficiently, especially when they achieve fluency in decoding.

What comes to mind when you hear the term “reading fluency?” For many educators, one of the first connections is to automatic word recognition and reading speed. However, there is another essential component to reading fluency, that is often overlooked – prosody. Discover the power of prosody and explore effective methods for teaching it, balancing scientific principles with artistic approaches.

Hello, Educators and Knowledge Seekers! Have you found yourself caught up in the "reading wars" debate, wondering if there's a way to bridge the gaps among the various messages you’re receiving about reading instruction? Well, your literacy musings are about to be enriched, and your curiosity satiated, as we unveil to you Season 2 of our Teachers Talk Shop podcast series: "A 360° View of Literacy."

The Science of Reading conversation is changing how American schools approach reading instruction, especially in the primary grades. But “The Big Five” of phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension are not enough to foster success in reading.

Teaching metacognitive strategies in the classroom improves student outcomes. Learn what metacognition is, why it’s so important, and how to teach it.

Children are naturally curious. Engaging nonfiction books are a practical and fun way to celebrate curiosity with children. Nonfiction and informational books are no longer like an encyclopedia entry. Today’s nonfiction engages children with beautiful words, insightful information, and engaging images. Kids need—and love—nonfiction.

Research shows that using a combination of techniques to help students build both reading fluency and comprehension skills is ideal. In the second post of our Best Practices series, we’ll examine the six main types of comprehension strategies available for use in the classroom and how each provides its own unique set of benefits for various types of learners.