A Book in Every Home, and Then Some

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/a-book-in-every-home-and-then-some

David Bornstein

The New York Times

16 May 2011

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Lack of reading material is not only a third-world problem – many poor families in the United States lack access to and funds for books. A program that helps get books to into the homes of low-income families can boost literacy, and help publishers, too.

A Boost for the World's Poorest Schools

https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/118675

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

19 January 2012

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How can rural African children learn to read when there are no books in their languages? Save the Children helps kids to create their own books, creating a homemade library for their village.

An Untapped Force in the Fight for Literacy

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/an-untapped-force-in-the-fight-for-literacy

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

11 September 2014

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Teaching reading skills to children early is crucial, especially with respect to their educational success later in life. School systems are switching reading programs to help underachieving students have one on one time with a tutor.

Lessons from under the coconut tree

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/09/12/one-boston-teacher-quest-connect-with-his-students/1sUlrC3fmsQTdpkQHXkbgM/story.html

James Vaznis

The Boston Globe

12 September 2015

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Boston professors visit countries and homes of foreign students to better understand their culture and gain insights about how to better teach them. The goal is to reach across cultural divides to help a big part of the student population — emigres from faraway lands — that is plagued with low standardized test scores and high dropout rates. Accompanying photojournalism: http://www.bostonglobe.com/news/bigpicture/2015/09/12/seeking-cultural-connections/L3mIQAQM3v9YT9A2K4JliL/story.html

High poverty, high test scores: Auburn school is a shouting success

https://www.seattletimes.com/education/high-poverty-high-test-scores-auburn-school-is-a-shouting-success

Linda Shaw

The Seattle Times

27 April 2014

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As school poverty rates goes up, learning and test scores fall. At Gildo Ray elementary school in Washington state uses a teaching method called director or explicit instruction, in which children learn from a structured approach to teaching with teacher-guided practice. Gildo Ray’s test scores in math and reading are among the highest in the state.

How Seattle Made Dark Alleys Safer—By Throwing Parties In Them

http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/how-seattle-made-dark-alleys-safer-by-throwing-parties-20150826

Araz Hachadourian

Yes! Magazine

26 August 2015

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Alleys in Seattle were once places of illicit, illegal, and unsanitary activity. The International Sustainability Institute in Seattle began organizing music and art events to bring in people, which, in turn, cleaned-up the crime and garbage. As an urban development strategy, adjacent vacant storefronts re-opened for business and beautification could be seen in new gardens.

MPS looks to Oakland model to work differently with African-American boys

http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2014/05/mps-looks-oakland-model-work-differently-african-american-boys

Beth Hawkins

MinnPost

5 May 2014

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African American boys were being treated less-than-equally by the Oakland Unified School District – a change of culture was implemented and the playing field leveled. Now, Minnesota is looking to adopt the same system that was started in Oakland by creating schools that are exclusively for African American males in hopes to help them reach higher standards of achievement.

Overcoming Poverty's Damage to Learning

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/17/overcoming-povertys-damage-to-learning

David Bornstein

The New York Times

17 April 2015

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Turnaround for Children, an organization founded to address mental health issues and their repercussions in the classroom, focuses on preparing teachers and schools to structure classroom environments in a constructive way. They create opportunities for learning in rigorous ways with high expectations so that children thrive and are well cared for, helping them to thrive both academically and emotionally.

In ‘Flipped' Classrooms, a Method for Mastery

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/in-flipped-classrooms-a-method-for-mastery

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

23 October 2013

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Students have challenges retaining information, staying motivated, and keeping up with the pace of their classes. In a flipped mastery class, teachers make video lectures for students to watch at home, and at school students work on projects and problem solving activities related to the topics for the day. Instead of struggling alone, the flipped mastery class enables students to creatively work together and set individual goals.

Publishers as Partners in Literacy

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/publishers-as-partners-in-literacy

David Bornstein

The New York Times

19 May 2011

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First Book Marketplace, which makes quality, new books affordable for children in low-income families, is providing not only improved access to engaging educational materials, but a sense of dignity and self worth that a hodgepodge of used, donated books cannot. Additionally, the books are often used by nonprofits to further create opportunities for family bonding and to stimulate children's development.