Research on Reading and Writing Archives - Waldorf Research Institute

Kids Understand More From Books Than Screens, But That’s Not Always the Case

Staff — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 15:17:08 +0000

Photo Credit: Annie Spratt – UnSplash

Research demonstrates that children (adults, too!) comprehend and retain more when reading a printed page than when reading online. Yet the incessant urge continues to push to make both the means for teaching children. In this article, this is demonstrated emphatically. God bless the teachers, like those interviewed for this article, who work to follow the government mandates on the purchase and use of technology as they work to bring to children what they truly need to learn and to learn to read!

This District Made Writing an Integral Part of Its Teaching, and It’s Paying Off

Staff — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 12:34:25 +0000

Photo: Yogesh Rahamatkar

Another example of the “new discovery of writing as an aid to learning how to read — not new to Waldorf Teachers, rather 100 years of deliberate practice of this effective approach to reading. Good to see others catching up!

Recent research has caught up to the approach used in Waldorf Schools

Staff — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 12:31:44 +0000

image: Drew Perales https://unsplash.com/@drewpera

For 100 years, following the original indications of Rudolf Steiner, Waldorf teachers trust the teaching of writing before teaching reading directly. From learning letters, to words, to sounds of phonics, to sentences and paragraphs, children are taught to write, and only then read their own handwriting, and then to reading printed words, printed pages. Recent research has caught up at last to the approach used in Waldorf Schools, worldwide. Take a look!

“As Revised Lucy Caulkins Curriculum Launches, educators Debate If Changes Are Sufficient”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/as-revised-lucy-calkins-curriculum-launches-educators-debate-if-changes-are-sufficient/2022/10

“How Does Writing Fit into the Science of Reading?”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-does-writing-fit-into-the-science-of-reading/2023/01

“4 Ways Reading and Writing Interlock: What the Research Says”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/4-ways-reading-and-writing-interlock-what-the-research-says/2023/01

“‘Encoding’ Explained: What It Is and Why It’s Essential to Literacy”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/encoding-explained-what-it-is-and-why-its-essential-to-literacy/2023/01

“Young Writers Need Structure to Learn the Craft. How Much Is Enough?”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/young-writers-need-structure-to-learn-the-craft-how-much-is-enough/2023/01

“Why Putting the ‘Science of Reading’ Into Practice Is So Challenging”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-putting-the-science-of-reading-into-practice-is-so-challenging/2022/07

“The ‘Science of Reading’ and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says”
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/the-science-of-reading-and-english-language-learners-what-the-research-says/2022/04

Reading on Screen vs. Print: New Analysis Thickens the Plot on Promoting Comprehension

Staff — Fri, 23 Jul 2021 20:18:22 +0000

“The pandemic has increased the amount of reading young children do in digital formats, and a new research analysis suggests parent and teacher behavior can mean the difference in whether e-books help or hinder reading skills in the long run.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Literacy — growing up in a house full of books helps!

Staff — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 13:29:44 +0000

Research on the impact on a child’s literacy by being surrounded by books is just out — read here!

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/oct/10/growing-up-in-a-house-full-of-books-is-major-boost-to-literacy-and-numeracy-study-finds

Teaching Kids Handwriting to Help Them Read

Staff — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 13:13:52 +0000

Recent research from Indiana University’s Karin James insists that writing makes reading and comprehension in reading possible. Read about it here:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-apes/201803/teaching-kids-handwriting-help-them-read

Traditional toys beat gadgets in language development

Staff — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:53:13 +0000

Language development starts with natural objects, not with toys!

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/traditional-toys-beat-gadgets-in-language-development-20160205-gmn4ii.html#ixzz3zc3IGowL

Little to Gain and Much to Lose

Staff — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 17:05:45 +0000

In case you thought there’s something to be gained by starting a child reading in Kindergarten or before, think again! Here’s a report from the Alliance for Childhood that explains the reason that much might be lost and little gained by starting too soon on reading with little ones:

Read the pdf here.

What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades

Staff — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:23:59 +0000

“New evidence suggests that the links between handwriting and broader educational development run deep.”

Read the entire article here.

Digital Reading Poses Learning Challenges for Students

Staff — Sun, 18 May 2014 17:11:39 +0000

“When reading on screens, for example, people seem to reflexively skim the surface of texts in search of specific information, rather than dive in deeply in order to draw inferences, construct complex arguments, or make connections to their own experiences. Research has also found that students, when reading digitally, tend to discard familiar print-based strategies for boosting comprehension.”

Read the full article here.