Unique Solutions for Unique Learners
A comprehensive balanced literacy approach addresses reading, writing, and word work. Successful implementation requires careful planning using a backward design model to ensure that teaching matches desired learning outcomes. There is a plethora of research, including the National Reading Panel’s findings and recommendations, supporting that a strong reading program provides explicit instruction and practice within read more…
Phonics? Phoneme? Phonemic Awareness? These are words that are constantly thrown around almost interchangeably in the education world, but many parents do not know the difference between these words or even their true meaning. So what is “phonics” and why is it important? More importantly, why do parents need to know more than just the read more…
Written by, Fran Nieporent, Reading, Writing and Math Reading fluency is the ability to read accurately, smoothly and with expression. Fluent readers recognize words automatically, without struggling over decoding issues. They sound natural, as if they’re speaking. Non-fluent readers read slowly and sound choppy. Fluency is important because it bridges between word recognition and comprehension. read more…
Written by Amy Shapiro and Laurie Gross As parents, we need to put down all our electronic devices and look at our children and talk to and with them. With frequency and intent, these conversations are the foundations for strong intellectual development and academic progress. These conversations need to begin in infancy and continue throughout read more…
So now you know your child’s reading level! Your student’s teachers have assessed using running records, you’ve had your last parent-teacher meeting, and you have a good idea as to the level that is “Just Right” for your child. So what exactly do the different levels represent? Here is a general guide to the Levels, read more…
Richard Byrne, a blogger my colleagues and I like to follow, hosts a website called Free Technology for Teachers. In today’s blog, he shared a website for visually representing related words as a web, GraphWords.com. Students simply enter a word and click draw. It’s a pretty cool site, but it would be improved with an read more…
Reading comprehension doesn’t just occur overnight; a multitude of factors contribute to a student becoming an engaged and active reader; one who understands what he/she is reading. Becoming a good reader begins during infancy when a parent talks to his or her child. Strong oral language is the most basic foundational skill needed to become read more…
To iPad, or not to iPad, that is the question: While some educators believe that these recent developments in technology act as distractions or take students further from social interaction, I disagree. Using technology is an effective way to engage students and presents another medium for learning. Isn’t the purpose of education to make sure read more…
Wordly Wise is a wonderful vocabulary development program, but it lacks a heart. Think of it as the Tin Man of vocabulary building. The program has a list of about 15-17 words per lesson and then five different activities that test and strengthen the students’ ability to use the words. These workbook activities include: multiple read more…
My thoughts about teaching and learning have come a long way since I first thought about being a teacher. I used to think that it was most important for me to know what I wanted to teach and how to deliver that instruction. While I believe that’s still important, I also know that it is read more…
In her highly regarded book Speech to Print, Loisa Cook Moats defines decoding as, “The ability to translate a word from print to speech, usually by employing knowledge of sound-symbol correspondence; also, the act of deciphering a new word by sounding it out.” Decoding combined with comprehension results in reading fluency. Unfortunately, comprehension can rarely occur read more…
Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds, and students need explicit instruction and guided practice to master it. ALL reading programs should contain a phonics component, and there is a plethora of reading research over the last hundred years supporting that students who learn phonics early do better in reading than those who do read more…
