Columbus Tutoring Services, LLC

Interesting:

Rayna Gordon Weiner

Wading Into the Deep End: What Reading Actually Requires When the Text Gets Hard Explicit, text-driven modeling unlocks the rigor of complex texts. It's messy, and we should be doing far more of it.

Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) have delivered striking evidence that writing by hand engages the brain far more deeply than typing the same words on a keyboard.
In the study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, 36 university students wore high-density EEG caps with 256 electrodes while performing a simple task: copying words they saw on a screen. They did it once by hand with a digital pen and once by typing on a keyboard.
The results were dramatic. When participants wrote by hand, widespread brain connectivity patterns lit up — particularly in theta and alpha frequency bands linked to memory formation, sensory processing, attention, and learning. These connections spanned central and parietal regions. When they typed, those same areas went almost completely silent.
Lead researchers Audrey van der Meer and Ruud van der Weel emphasize that the fine motor movements, sensory feedback from the pen, and visual-motor coordination of handwriting create rich, elaborate neural networks that typing simply doesn’t replicate.
The findings have clear implications for education. As schools shift toward tablets and laptops, this research suggests preserving time for handwriting could give children a significant advantage in learning and memory. In an increasingly digital world, the humble pen may still be one of the best tools for building a stronger brain.
Rayna Gordon Weiner

Rayna Gordon Weiner

Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline’ The drops go beyond the pandemic and cut across income, geographic and racial divides, new data shows.

The nation's reading report card came out today:

Rayna Gordon Weiner

2026 Literacy Academy for Families!
Columbus Convention Center, June 3, 2026. Learn about strategies to support your child’s reading development and discover resources to help strengthen partnerships with your child’s school.
All parents and caregivers as well as individuals in roles who support families are encouraged to attend!

Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/38GL3LK
Gordon Weiner

There are still a few seats left in my Associate Level Orton Gillingham training this summer. Sign up today!
Gordon Weiner

for Reading Justice
Save the Date: Aug 2 | 3:30 PM EST | Virtual
We are hosting our FIRST EVER parent advocacy conference — and we’re bringing Louisa Moats AND Kareem Weaver as keynotes.
This isn’t just for parents. It’s for everyone ready to stand with them.
Rayna Gordon Weiner

‘Dyslexia and the Reading Wars’: Emily Hanford's Conversation with The New Yorker’s David Owen
Worth listening to!
Rayna Gordon Weiner

‘Dyslexia and the Reading Wars’: Emily Hanford's Conversation with The New Yorker’s David Owen Sold a Story (Podcast)‘Dyslexia and the Reading Wars’: Emily Hanford's Conversation with The New Yorker’s David OwenApril 28, 2026David Owen on stage at the Planet Word museum in Washington, D.C.Listen:'Dyslexia and the Reading Wars': Emily Hanford's Conversation with The New Yorker's David Ow...

An interesting read: Why do some people love reading while others don’t? Joe Pinsker investigated in 2019.

Why Some People Become Lifelong Readers A lot rides on how parents present the activity to their kids.