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The Latest in Literacy: 5/19/26
A new report declares a "reading recession," as RAND and Fordham reports continue to reverberate, and new studies pack a punch.
 • Karen Vaites
The Latest in Literacy, 5/9/26
For Teacher Appreciation Week, let's embrace cell phone bans to make teaching more satisfying, pay our best teachers more, make more memes, and put…
 • Karen Vaites
The Latest in Literacy: 5/3/26
Cueing and Math Wars and Standards, oh my! You can't keep up with the Ed Tech backlash, but maybe you can get through the literacy reads.
 • Karen Vaites
The New Fordham Report is Exhibit #729 for 'Policy is Not Progress'
States need to get their act together on state lists, and other lessons from an important new progress report.
 • Karen Vaites and Curriculum Insight Project

April 2026

The Latest in Literacy: 4/25/26
The DC Board of Education holds hearings on books in curriculum, the British lens on "overteaching phonics," oral language in kindergarten, teachers…
 • Karen Vaites
The Latest in Literacy: 4/18/26
Sloppy education research, a state training that works, weak curriculum getting overlooked, Nordic countries bin devices. Is this the spiciest edition…
 • Karen Vaites
Understanding the Southern Surge
Looking to understand the Southern Surge? I got you.
 • Karen Vaites
Where Tennessee Tops All
It's time to put more respect on Tennessee's name—and listen to Commissioner Reynolds on ways to advance the Southern Surge.
 • Karen Vaites
The Latest in Literacy: 4/12/26
Mississippi is a hot topic (again), an excellent "explainer" on over-teaching phonics, and a cornucopia of superb reading.
 • Karen Vaites
Policy is Not Progress
We should be spooked by the rate of Implementation Failure for literacy policy.
 • Karen Vaites
The articles living rent-free in my head
Resurrecting a few must-reads.
 • Karen Vaites

March 2026

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