Studies have repeatedly shown that drawing a concept improves memory of it by promoting visual, kinaesthetic and semantic processing of information all at the same time. Drawing has been proven to boost memory, sometimes by nearly double normal retention.
All Killer, No Filler (Words)
What to Do When Your Students Are Done
Sparking New Ideas for Writers (and Readers)
Fun English Activities for Every Classroom
Fake Words!
Dealing with New and Unfamiliar Words
Copywriting is Important – But Reading It Well is Even More So
Copywriting is an important skill for today’s writers and their audiences. Students who can think about texts in the way taught by CARS & STARS Online show a developed reading comprehension ability as well as a readiness to critically evaluate what they read that goes beyond simply what a text is about on the surface.
Reading for the Brain
Regular young readers are likely to be better at dealing with the thoughts and feelings of others than their peers, because in some ways they have the most practice with the concept of other people having their own inner worlds as well, and they’ve been introduced to this idea in a way that is both safe and fundamentally non-threatening.
Brainstorming for Comprehension
Brainstorming can help with reading comprehension in several ways. There are no wrong answers in brainstorming, and all participants should be encouraged to contribute without a fear of criticism. Open-ended questions elicit responses from everybody, giving all present a well-rounded and open insight into often very different ways of looking at a text.
The Best Readers Read Poems
Poetry is often hard to read, and less welcoming to the reader than text that uses a more literal, straightforward way of describing the world. This is largely because poetry relies on the reader’s ability to understand figurative language, which is more abstract and indirect. An ability to comprehend figurative language only comes from a mastery of more direct, concrete lower-order thinking and processing skills.
Tips for Improving Literacy Skills
Reading Can Improve Social Skills, Too
If Students Want to be Writers, the Key is Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is central to journalism, and it informs every skill required by a good journalist today just as it always has. The ability to undertake extensive research is pivotal to every form of journalism. A journalist works best when they can understand the needs of the reader and what they want, taking on information accordingly
Back-to-School Planning Guide for Principals and Administrators 2022–2023
As you begin to plan for the next academic year, you'll want to incorporate the best practices and lessons from the previous school year that promote and prioritise student reading comprehension success. To assist you during this planning process, we’ve compiled a list of our best resources and recommended solutions.
Behaviour Problems Can Impact Reading Skills
A child having serious difficulty in reading comprehension can easily get frustrated and start to behave in ways that don’t help anybody, least of all themselves. The negative effect of poor reading skills only increases over time, and because reading is so important these negative behaviours feed into other subject areas as well.
Review Lessons in the STARS Module of CARS & STARS Online
Pacing with CARS & STARS Online
CARS & STARS Online is designed to be flexible, but also offers teachers guidance when it comes to fitting in with class scheduling and planning. During instruction, Suggested Pacing Charts offer helpful guidance to teachers on how best to cover content in class. They break each lesson down into its components and give suggestions for how long to spend on each item.
Tips for Using STARS in the Classroom
The CARS & STARS Online Approach Improves Reading Comprehension
Recent studies and research projects have shown the effectiveness of the approach featured in CARS & STARS Online in improving student outcomes and allowing students to achieve advanced levels of reading comprehension. Further studies have also found the approach used in CARS & STARS Online is especially beneficial for disadvantaged students.