Have you ever read with a student who can segment the sound in a word but when they blend them…
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14 Picture Books for Building Classroom Community
The beginning of a new year is challenging regardless of how many years you’ve been teaching. We are preparing our…
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Understanding the Components of Structured Literacy
Structured literacy is an evidence-based approach to teaching literacy that supports all learners, including those with dyslexia. Structured literacy emphasizes…
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Fall Activities in the First Grade Classroom
Fall is here, and I am definitely ready for it. I love summer, but I am in definite need of…
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7 Ways to Help Struggling Readers in First Grade
Regardless of the skill level, first grade is a critical time for first graders to improve their reading skills and be building upon new ones.
Unlocking Literacy Success: Exploring the Significance of Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Research has shown that phonological and phonemic awareness are a great predictor of future reading success. Being phonologically aware…
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7 Mistakes I’ve Made When Planning Reading
Whether you are a first-year teacher or a veteran teacher, chances are you have made a few mistakes when it…
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Decodable Texts: Useful or Boring?
Teaching is ever-changing, research is evolving, and new methods come to the surface. And this often makes things challenging for…
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Tips for Teaching Nonfiction in First Grade
Teaching nonfiction in first grade can feel overwhelming, but it can be really fun for you and your students with…
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10 Easy Ways to Assess Students in Reading
Teachers are constantly assessing students, and it almost becomes second nature. When I refer to assessments, I’m not talking about…
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St. Patrick’s Day in the Elementary Classroom
March is filled with all things spring, rainbows, insects, and our favorite little green guys, leprechauns. March can be a…
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Using the Gingerbread Man to Teach Reading Comprehension
Happy December! And, what is December without talk of The Gingerbread Man? Raise your hand if your students love reading…
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9 Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension in First Grade
First grade is a really exciting part of a primary student’s reading journey. Improving reading comprehension is a significant aspect…
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How to Use Decodable Text in Your Classroom
I recently talked about decodable text and the importance of using them in your classroom. Be sure to check out…
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Reading Wars: The Science of Reading Vs. Balanced Literacy
The reading wars have been going on for as long as I have been teaching. They started well before I…
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Visualizing Activities for Deeper Reading Comprehension
First grade teachers really focus on reading comprehension in the spring. It’s that magical time of the year when our…
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Reading Comprehension Strategies in First Grade
In first grade, we not only get to teach students how to read but how to think about their reading,…
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Guided Reading Tools
Guided reading is important work in every grade, but especially first, where students must move through a lot of levels…
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Hosting a Reading Restaurant
The Reading Restaurant was open this week and it was a hit! I served up some fabulous books and my…
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Making the Most of Guided Reading Instruction – Part 3: What are the Other Kids Doing?
This is the third part of this blog series, Making the Most of Small Group Instruction. If you want to…
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Making the Most of Guided Reading Groups, Part 2
I have said it before, but I truly believe small group time is the most important time of our day….
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Making the Most of Guided Reading Groups Part 1
I believe that small group time is THE most important time of our day. Small groups are the backbone of…
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