Because achievement gaps are often evident even before students enter school, McREL has developed early literacy measurement and teaching techniques built on 30 years of rigorous research.

Our early literacy experts provide training and consulting in scaffolding early literacy to help teachers improve students' early literacy skills.

Trying to manage kindergarteners is often an exercise in futility, much like trying to keep crickets in a basket. The difficulties lie in the lack of self-regulation in most kindergarten-aged children. In this article, McREL Researcher Elena Bodrova and Metro State University of Denver Professor Deborah Leong explain how self-regulation can be taught in the classroom. They point out that children who do not develop their self-regulating skills are unlikely to reach their full potential in school.