An important component of reading comprehension is the ability to synthesize or draw from multiple sources to gain new information. If you teach reading strategies, chances are you’ve heard this term before, but what exactly does it mean for our young readers? And how can you help students learn this skill? Learning how to teach […]
October is always such a fun time in the classroom! It starts to feel like fall (for the Texans at least), and there are so many fun fall-themed activities I loved to bring out for my students. One great way to bring in the season and holidays is with read alouds. October read alouds can […]
When it comes to the science of reading, we’ve all been hearing about the need to support our students with research-backed instruction. But what about pre-readers? How do we support pre-readers with the science of reading? When you’re meeting with your reading small groups, how can we continue to support pre-readers and move them towards […]
Sound walls are one of the big changes that elementary teachers are making to their classrooms. This change is happening for very good reasons that are backed up by research, too. (If you want to read more about this change, you can check out this blog post all about word walls vs. sound walls.) One […]
Elevate your teaching practices on how to teach high-frequency words with the science of reading in mind. During my first few years of teaching, I remember preparing flashcards each Monday with that week’s high-frequency words on them. We introduced them on Mondays and practiced them the rest of the week. We would spell the words […]
Check out these four science of reading books to add to your list of professional reading so you can start making changes towards better reading instruction practices. Over the last few years, we have learned more and more about how kids learn to read. Because of this, we know change is needed in how we […]
I remember seeing the decoding gaps of some of my students during my first year of teaching. A lot of them didn’t know their letter sounds, so they definitely didn’t know the different types of syllables. Goodness, I think I barely knew the six different types of syllables! If they did know their letter sounds, […]
Okay so you’ve made the decision that you want need to start using decodable books with your kindergarten and first grade readers, but where do you start? How do you know which decodable books will help your students strengthen their reading skills? There are just so many options out there that it’s hard to know […]
I love reading books and finding new books that I think my kids will enjoy. I love that you can read a book for pleasure, but you can also read a book and have a great conversation after. When I first started teaching, I loved reading some of my favorite books to my class. If we […]
When it comes to reading small groups, one common question I get from teachers is “Now what?” You have assessed your students, now what? You have grouped your students based on skill need or reading level, now what? Knowing what to do with your students once you know where they are in their reading journey […]
Change. It can be tough. If you have spent a few years in a classroom, you know that change is inevitable. Year after year things change. We adopt new ways. We learn new things about teaching practices, new research like the science of reading, the way students learn, and we reexamine the way we have […]
One of my favorite memories is when my first grade teacher introduced me to poetry. She read one of Shel Silverstein’s books aloud to our class, and it captivated me. I loved that poems could be funny, serious, and written in so many different formats. I went to the library after school and checked out […]
When it comes to teacher hacks, I’m always on the hunt for new ones. Helper cards to remind students of directions? Yes! Treasure trash to motivate students to clean up? You bet. When I learned how to print on sticky notes, my life was changed. (I realize that’s a little dramatic, but I was so […]
When March rolls around in the classroom, most teachers feel one of two ways. Either very excited to be in the middle of the last semester of school or panicking that time is running out to teach all of the things. I always felt like there was never enough time to squeeze in everything to […]
When you teach kindergarten, first, and second grade, you have such a variety of readers in your classroom. Some can read on an advanced fourth grade level. Some students are nonreaders. Many students fall in between and need help with phonological awareness and phonics skills. When it comes to creating reading small groups, where do […]
Friends, we’ve learned a lot this past year about how to best teach reading with our students. It is so important to give our students a strong phonics foundation so that they are strong, confident decoders. But how do we make sure we are prompting them and teaching them with the science of reading in […]
Decodable readers have become pretty popular in the literacy community. Where are you at with using decodable readers? Do you know where to start? Maybe you’ve been hearing all about them, but you haven’t had a chance to sit down and dive in. Maybe you’re still not even sure why using decodable readers in your […]
For many of us, February can feel like a ‘blah’ month stuck in the middle of winter break and spring break. But I’m here to tell you that you can pack a ton of fun activities for your kindergarten, first, and second graders with all of the holidays in February. Think about it…Groundhog’s Day, President’s […]
