For years, researchers and educators have been debating the pros and cons of grade retention policies with respect to how holding back a student affects that student’s learning, behavior and motivation. New research in the American Journal of Education examines these policies from a new perspective: how holding back a student affects the student’s classmates. New research finds that having students in a class who have repeated a grade can lower the standardized test scores of the rest of the students.

There are many online teacher communities that can assist educators looking for lessons, the latest news in our fields or just a supportive ear.

You didn’t cause it, but one of the students sitting in front of you this year with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have already given up on learning.

Mentoring programs aim to provide children with a relationship with a caring adult beyond family, teachers or other adults outside of school. When mentoring programs are based in schools, they often seek to improve students’ academic performance, usually with mentors providing tutoring or homework help. New research finds that the academic help has less effect on a child’s school performance than the quality of the relationship between the mentor and student.

Students who struggle in reading and writing often become disengaged with traditional instructional methods. It’s crucial, therefore, to develop instructional techniques that promote engagement and move students along the academic continuum. 

Although there is an emphasis now on teaching informational texts, making space in the curriculum for poetry can benefit students. Poetry allows both thought and silence on the page and has myriad forms. Especially for students who are not always eager readers, the range of poetry presents a compelling entry point.

The adoption of the Common Core Learning Standards provides social studies teachers with an opportunity to rethink day-to-day practices that have the potential to dramatically transform how students read, write and think about the subject.