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 […]
Learn what the differences are between a sound wall and a word wall to help boost your readers with stronger phonics and spelling skills. A teacher friend shared this story with me and it’s too good not to reshare as we are diving into why we need word walls. She recalled a specific instance when […]
When it comes to using manipulatives in the classroom, we often think of math manipulatives. What about using literacy manipulatives in the classroom? Yes, friends! Literacy manipulatives are a great way to help readers develop stronger phonics, fluency, and comprehension skills. Chances are that you are already using some literacy manipulatives in your own classroom. […]
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 […]
This year, the Winter Olympics begin on February 4th and run through February 20th. If your students are like mine have been in the past, I’m sure you’ll have lots of them watching some of the games on TV. By the end of January this year, with all the craziness going on, I’m sure a […]
Have you started something with really good intentions, only to realize that you had to make some changes to your plan? Or maybe you were moving and grooving with something that seemed to be working really well until someone pointed out a flaw in your system? We’ve all been there, friend! With all of the […]
We know things are changing in literacy instruction. I’ve learned so much about the importance of phonics instruction and see the value in it. I’ve been digging into the Science of Reading and how it fits with small group instruction. One popular topic right now is using decodable passages and books in your reading small […]
