The Blog
Want to know how the Science of Reading applies to your classroom? Keep reading to discover what the research suggests, and how we should teach phonics and phonemic awareness to help all students learn to read.
- Book Reviews, Small Group, Teaching Tips
Have you ever started a book and it was so full of theory that you didn’t know how it would ever trickle down to authentic practice? The ones where your eyes go wobbly and you find yourself checking your phone 5 times each page? I can say, with complete and utter certainty, that this will not happen with my latest
- Phonics, Resources
How do we know which materials to trust when it comes to the Science of Reading? By now, I don’t know how to trust the big publishing companies, much less someone I don’t know on the internet. Teachers Pay Teachers is a marketplace where teachers can find affordable, easy-to-use materials for their classroom. Unfortunately, there’s no system in place
- Phonics
Raise your hand if you have ever given children the assignment to “sort and write” their words. (Me!)Raise your hand if you have ever asked children to write a word 3 times each. (Also me!)Last one friends. Raise your hand if you have ever had children sort and glue their words in at the end of the week. (I’m out
- Science of Reading
The final month of school, I’m so ready to be done. I’m mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. I put forth so much effort during the school year that by the time June comes around, I have nothing left. I literally can’t wait for that first week of summer when I have nothing to do and no alarm other than
- Phonics
I was 27 years old with 2 master’s degrees before I knew the 6 syllable types in English. If I made it that far without knowing them, you’d think it can’t actually matter, right? The reality is, though, that I was one of those children lucky enough that learning to read seemed effortless. Reading has never been a struggle for
- Book Reviews, Phonics, Science of Reading
I tend to talk too much, so let me get straight to the point. Every month or so, I’m going to do a book review for a book that I’ve found helpful on my journey towards the Science of Reading. I’ll keep it short, with minimal verbal floof on my part!How many times have you heard the words, “English doesn’t
- Small Group
You have perfectly planned your small group lessons. You know the skills, you’ve copied the materials, you’ve read the texts to help plan. You. Are. Ready. And then you remember that while you’re working with 5 kids, you have 18 other kids that will need meaningful work.Sounds familiar, right? Today, I want to talk to you about what the other
- Phonics, Small Group
I wish we could all take days to peek inside each other’s classrooms and learn from one another. I’ve actually taken a personal day to travel an hour to one of my favorite teacher’s school so I could see how she teaches. My goal anytime I go to a professional development or watch someone else teach is to try and
- Alphabet Knowledge, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Small Group
We need to start this post with a mantra, and I want you to hold on to this mantra as long as needed. Are you ready? It might be hard to say, but I promise it is important.Repeat after me: I do not have to rush kindergarteners into reading books.Seriously. Say it again, and this time I want you to
- Science of Reading, Teaching Tips
I broke up with Lucy Calkins this year. I fully severed the ties when I threw my Art of Teaching Reading book into the garbage. I threw it into the trash at school, so I couldn’t dig through the garbage and rescue it. All of my blog posts so far have been aimed at giving tips, spreading information, and helping