A more accurate headline: Little evidence that nonfiction curriculum enhances reading skills
Sent to the New York Times, March 12
The headline “Nonfiction curriculum enhanced reading skills” (March 11) is contradicted by information provided in the article: Children in grades K through three in New York City who read nonfiction did better than those in comparison classes only on a “brief reading test,” and differences between the groups were smallest in grade three, the highest grade tested. We are also told that on a standardized test of reading, there was no difference between the groups in oral reading comprehension and vocabulary.
The headline should have said “Little evidence that nonfiction curriculum enhances reading skills.”
Stephen Krashen
original article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/nyregion/nonfiction-curriculum-enhanced-reading-skills-in-new-york-city-schools.html?_r=1
Do me a favor and check out my blog sometime; I'm adamantly opposed to standardized testing, a 33-year veteran (equal to 11 Rhees??), now retired.
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I teach in IL and at our most recent district meeting we were told that our students are now going to have to complete extended response questions about three non-fiction writing samples, where previously they only had one non-fiction. Where is the research supporting students doing better when decoding non-fiction works? What are others' thoughts in this area?
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