Education resources for parents and teachers
Looking for tips for teaching phonemic awareness? In this post I'll share do's and don'ts for teaching phonemic awareness ... sharing mistakes I've made in the past and new insights I've gained through my study of the science of reading. As we consider do's and don'ts for teaching phonemic awareness skills, let's start with the basics. I admit it ... I didn't understand the difference between phonological and ... Read More
What is syntax within structured literacy? Syntax is the set of principles that dictate the sequence and function of words in a sentence in order to convey meaning. This includes grammar, sentence variation, and the mechanics of language. The International Dyslexia Association on readingrockets.org You likely have a grammar program that you follow. But syntax isn't just about identifying whether a word is a ... Read More
It's time for another post in my structured literacy series! Today we'll look at teaching sound-symbol association. What is sound-symbol association? We're teaching kids to associate sounds (phonemes) with symbols (graphemes). In other words? Phonics. Like it or not, phonics has been a hot button topic for decades. Let's tackle the "why" first. Why do we need to teach phonics? Don't some people learn ... Read More
Balanced and structured literacy are two different approaches to teaching reading. They have things in common, but when they're referenced in the same breath they're usually pitted against each other. I considered myself a "balanced literacy" teacher for many years. It's the approach I learned in graduate school, the approach I used as a classroom teacher, and the approach I (used to) teach on my website and in my ... Read More
Are you here to get the details about structured literacy? Let's dive in! For years I considered myself a balanced literacy teacher. And it's not really a surprise. I was in college when balanced literacy came into existence (1996). I entered the classroom during its heyday (1999). And all the coursework I did for my master's degree in Curriculum & Instruction (with a focus on reading) revolved ... Read More
So ... how do you feel about decodable books? I admit it. I avoided them for a long time. I felt that decodable books were boring, stilted, and would kill a love of reading. I preferred to use leveled books with beginning readers. I thought that if I taught them multiple ways to solve words, their fluency and comprehension would be better than if they learned to read using decodable text. But I changed ... Read More
I receive many emails from teachers and parents asking me how to teach sight words. Are you here to learn how to teach high frequency words? You're in the right place! What are sight words? Traditionally, when teachers say "sight words," they are referring to high frequency words that children should know by sight. We often define sight words as words that kids can't sound out - words like the, for ... Read More
In the past I was a strong proponent of running records. I used them every day as a first and second grade classroom teacher, and as an online educator I've often promoted their use. I felt that a running record - a visual representation of a child's reading - was a wonderful tool to see exactly where readers were struggling and to know where to take them next. But now that I've adopted a more structured ... Read More
Are you wondering how to teach a child to read? This short blog post and free ebook will get you started! I get many emails from parents wanting the answer to this question: How can I teach my child to read? It often takes me weeks before I reply to their message, because the answer is such a big one. For that reason, I decided to write this ebook. In it, you will learn the following: The essential components of ... Read More
Are you teaching young children to read using fiction and nonfiction readers? If so, it's imperative that your learners get lots of practice with decodable text ... text with words they can sound out and not guess using the pictures. In the past, I really resisted decodable readers. I was sure they made no sense, would kill a love for reading, and got in the way of comprehension. The fact is that ... Read More
