Education resources for parents and teachers
We're nearing the end of our phonics series, and it's time to get down to the nuts and bolts. What exactly should phonics lessons look like in your classroom? Today we'll look at how to meet the needs of all your students using small group instruction. My first year of teaching first grade, I was required to use a very explicit, scripted phonics program. It was a fail. Full disclosure: At the time I ... Read More
Are you looking for a phonics assessment to help you determine your students' phonics knowledge? I'm sharing a free assessment in today's blog post! Today I'm sharing what I wish I had in my early teaching years ... a phonics assessment! While most of my teaching career was with first and second grade, the first few years I taught a combination class of third, fourth, and fifth graders. Looking back, I ... Read More
For decades I considered myself a balanced literacy teacher. Of course I believed in phonics instruction. Of course I taught phonics. Or did I? Looking back, I made some pretty big mistakes when it came to phonics instruction. I'm sharing them here in the hopes that I can help you avoid my own mistakes! Phonics Instruction Mistake #1: Not following a strong scope and sequence As a balanced ... Read More
What are decodable readers? Who should be reading them? When can students move on to a different type of text? We'll answer these questions and more in today's post! I've been upfront about this before, but I'll say it again. I wasn't always a fan of decodable readers. Decodable readers (also called decodable books) can be stilted, boring, and nonsensical. The good news is that times are ... Read More
Are you looking for free decodable books to use with your learners in the classroom or at home? You're in the right spot! My experience with decodable books I admit it. As a first grade teacher, I was in the anti-decodable books camp. A big reason for that had to do with my misunderstanding of how children learn to read. I thought kids should use three-cueing as they read leveled books. Now, ... Read More
Spelling dictation allows children to apply the sound-spellings you've taught in your phonics lessons. Keep reading to learn best practices for this important activity! When you hear the word dictation, you might visualize an old-school boss dictating a letter to his efficient secretary, who is madly typing on a typewriter. But today I'm talking about spelling dictation. What is spelling dictation? This ... Read More
Today we're going to talk about blending lines - a powerful, easy-to-use tool that will help your students become masters at decoding! It's the fourth post in our 10-part series about teaching phonics. Blending is the stringing of letter sounds to read a word. There are two main types of blending: Successive blendingFinal blending *Weird but important note: Some phonics experts use the terms ... Read More
I'm sure you heard the buzz about sound walls. Most literacy experts are telling us to replace our word walls with sound walls. And I agree. :) But what exactly IS a sound wall, and how do you use it? We've got the answers in today's post! What is a sound wall? A sound wall is a visual reference to help students when they are reading and spelling. Unlike a word wall, where words are ... Read More
We can all agree that teaching phonics is important. But there are SO many skills. Which ones should we teach? And in what order? Today we'll look at my recommended order for teaching phonics skills. Before we get into my recommended order, I want to be clear about a few things. There is no perfect order for teaching phonics skills. When choosing your own scope and sequence (mine or someone ... Read More
The reading wars are alive and well. Should you pay attention or stay out of the debate? Here's what every teacher should know about the reading wars. As a mom of six, I've refereed countless arguments. It wasn't much different in the classroom. I loved my years as a classroom teacher, but I remember how incessant student squabbles can be. The truth is ... I've heard enough bickering to last the ... Read More
