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ASCD Special Report -- Reading: The Core Skill (Part I)
Reading opens doors. Seeing a child learn to read is a wonder to behold, as words on a page become thoughts, concepts, images and destinations. Yet, learning to decode content is but one step toward success in our always-on, technologically sophisticated world of global competition.

Reading instruction was once centered firmly on helping new readers decode information. But an increase in the quantity of content now available to readers -- presented in many different formats and coming from many different sources -- and the mandates of the Common Core State Standards are changing that. The focus of reading instruction is shifting, with educators placing new emphasis on ensuring students can evaluate and analyze content and understand complex texts, especially in the higher grades.

Every child deserves the opportunity to develop strong reading skills, and achieving that goal requires we build into our practice instructional experiences that have been proven to work. This report looks at what can be done to help students become independent, thoughtful readers. After all, reading is the core skill, the one that leads to other skills.

Fiction -- think Harry Potter and Twilight -- and more complex nonfiction books are being used to draw students into the world of reading. Dare we say, reading has never been more popular.

These days, however, English class isn't the only place where students are being engaged with reading. Reading, like math, can be incorporated across the curriculum to not only reinforce the skill, but to also help students grasp challenging, subject-specific content matter. And books are just part of that equation. Despite gaps in achievement and technology, children as young as kindergarten are learning to read on e-readers and iPad tablet computers in schools all across the country.

Part I of this Special Report looks at the benefits of reading and writing with students, nonfiction texts, teaching early reading and whether holding back struggling readers works.

Part II of the report, to be published Thursday, explores challenging texts, reading aloud, technology and evaluating Common Core State Standard-mandated skills.

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