Literacy

Professional Development

From Sounds to Sentences: Fluency Activities for Early Readers

As teachers, one of our primary goals is to equip our young learners with the foundational skills they need to become proficient readers. As we dig into the Science of Reading research more and more, we see this in Scarborough’s Reading Rope through the word recognition strands. Fluency, the ability to read smoothly and accurately […]

Supporting Kids Struggling in Reading: 10 Practical Tips and Interventions

Teaching reading is truly a science. As we learn more about the Science of Reading research that is rising to the top, schools are beginning to adopt best teaching practices for teaching reading. We are better equipped to support kids in reading. But even with our knowledge base growing, one thing still remains–we still have […]

Using A Personal Sound Wall for Students FREE

Sound walls are a great change that many teachers are making in their literacy classrooms. Why? Sound walls are a great visual for students of how phonemes and letters or letter patterns are used to write words. Giving each student a copy of their own sound wall is a valuable tool in the classroom. Let’s […]

Science of Reading Small Group Lesson Template

Planning a reading small group can feel like a big task. It is incredibly important, and there are many pieces to consider, but it doesn’t have to be hard! Having a science of reading small group lesson template at your fingertips makes everything easier! I have been there–the end of a long day, cleaning up […]

Kindergarten Reading Small Groups

A Kindergarten schedule is always jam-packed. I know it felt this way in first grade, too, but it was just a different level of “jam-packed” in Kindergarten. Not only are you constantly teaching them how to do school, but you also have so many core curriculum pieces to squeeze in. Among them were kindergarten reading […]

8 Top Holiday Literacy Resources Your Students Will Love + Freebies

December is often a busy time not just in the classroom, but in our personal lives as well. That coupled with the holiday excitement that the students bring to school each day, it can feel overwhelming to manage everyone and everything. I found over the years that when I bring the holiday fun into the […]

Reading Comprehension Passages with Questions: An Easy to Use FREEBIE You’ll Love

There are so many different tools and resources to use in your reading small groups that help your students with their reading skills. One of my favorite tools is using reading comprehension passages to help my students work on their comprehension skills. Let’s chat about reading comprehension passages with questions and how to use them […]

The Ultimate Guide to Teaching Open and Closed Syllables: A How To

Recently, my friend’s daughter was reading on the couch as she was prepping dinner in the kitchen. She came and asked, “Mommy, what does the word “cat er” mean?” I didn’t understand what she was asking so I asked her to repeat the word. She said, “cat er”. “In my book it says, “My mom […]

Alphabet Arcs: How to Use Them and Activities to Try

Alphabet arcs…you’ve probably seen them if you are a primary teacher. But do you know how to use them? Do you know why so many people think they are a valuable tool? I remember during my first year of teaching, a had a small group set of alphabet arcs. But I really didn’t know how […]

The Must-Have Word Work Tool for Primary Teachers {Freebie}

When it comes to work work, how prepared do you feel? I don’t know about you, but I felt like when my students and I had everything we needed for word work time (whether it was a whole group lesson, small group lesson, or literacy center), I was way less stressed. You’d probably feel the […]

FREE Math Games with Cards for Summer Fun

Are you looking for an exciting and engaging way to introduce math concepts to your Kindergarten, first grade, or second grade class? Look no further than math games with cards! Not only are these games fun and entertaining, but they also help children develop essential math skills. Number recognition, counting, and basic operations are easily […]

10 Books to Teach Social Skills to Kids + a FREEBIE

No matter what grade you teach in elementary, helping students develop strong social-emotional skills is always a part of your unspoken curriculum. Helping our young students grow into confident, kind adults can be done in so many different ways. One of my favorite ways to do this is to use books to teach social skills. […]

Reading Comprehension Passages & Decodable Passages: Why You Need Both

When it comes to teaching students to learn how to read, there are so many different resources and tools for teachers. One of my favorite tools is a reading passage. You can pack so much teaching and practice into such a short amount of text with reading passages. But which kind should you use – […]

FREE Making Predictions Activities & Read Aloud Lesson Plan to Engage Readers

Use these making predictions activities and lesson plan ideas to help your students develop stronger reading comprehension. When you’re sitting and reading a book aloud to your students, how do you know they’re engaged and listening? How can you tell students are listening to learn and comprehend? One easy way is to find out if […]

9 Back-to-School Freebies for Kinder and First Grade

When you think of the back-to-school season, you probably think of decorating your classroom, labeling everything with students’ names, participating in professional development, contacting parents, and prepping for Meet the Teacher Night. There is so much to do! To help make this school year a bit easier, I put together a list of my favorite […]

FREE Phonics Scope and Sequence for Reading Small Groups

Learn all about why a phonics scope and sequence is critical to teaching and grab a free one to use in your reading small groups. My district gave us blueprints at the beginning of each school year for each subject area. It showed us the units we would teach and what the objectives and outcomes […]

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