‘2/3 Of Students Are Testing Below Proficiency In Reading’: Why Are Literacy Rates So Low?
Education expert Natalie Wexler joins us to share important insights and what parents can also do at home to bolster these skills.
Why Is English So Hard To Learn? (2020)
We all know the rule: “I before E, except after C,” but it’s not applicable in “weird” or “science” or many other words. The English language has many exceptions to its rules and these irregularities make it a difficult language to learn. Two language experts join Viewpoints this week to share the many frustrations of English and the rules at play today.
Breaking Down the Pesky English Language (2018)
The English language can be hard to spell since it often follows conflicting rules. We trace the origins of this tricky language, and explain how these difficulties came to be.
American Illiteracy
America is facing a literacy problem: according to surveys, fewer than 50% of American schoolchildren are highly proficient readers. We talk to several experts who suggest that we may simply be teaching the skill incorrectly.
The Value of Our Public Libraries
Public libraries have existed for generations and have long been one of our most cherished community services. But with budget cuts has come a pinch on library staff and technology centers. Our guests discuss the value libraries still bring and why we should support these institutions of our citizenry.
The Complications of Spelling English (2017)
The rules of the English language always seem to have an exception or ten. We explored how the language got so complicated.
The Trouble with Teaching Reading: Why so many children struggle with literacy
America is facing a literacy problem. We talk to several experts who suggest that we may simply be teaching the skill incorrectly.
The Stories Behind Nursery Rhymes
We talk to a librarian and author about where nursery rhymes came from and how they were used before they ended up in Mother Goose books.
Teaching Kids to Read by Expanding Their World
Our guest offers suggestions to parents, educators and policymakers about how expanding our children’s knowledge base in school will help make them read better.
Teaching Kids to Read: It Starts Before They Even Begin to Speak! (2015)
Every parent wants their child to excel in school, and a big part of succeeding is learning to read well. Some parents try to teach their children to read when they’re toddlers, but is that too early? When should children be taught to read and how? Our two guests, one a professor specializing in early childhood, the other an author of children’s books, share …
