Education resources for parents and teachers
The science of reading is the body of research that has been conducted on how we learn to read and write. This research has been conducted over decades, but only recently has much of it been introduced to today's classroom teachers. It's important to note that as more research is conducted, we may need to revise our previous understandings. In addition, there is disagreement when it comes to translational ... Read More
Let's uncover the signs of dyslexia. So far we've addressed dyslexia myths and defined exactly what dyslexia is. Here's a quick refresher: Dyslexia is the most common learning disability. It is "characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of ... Read More
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, yet many people know very little about it - dyslexia myths abound! Today we're going to do some dyslexia myth busting! Myth #1: People with dyslexia see letters and words backward, and people with dyslexia always write letters and words backward. This misconception may be the most common, perhaps because it's been around for so long. Dyslexia is not a ... Read More
I've written about different ways to structure your phonics lessons and meet the needs of all your students. One question remains ... what are the rest of the students doing while you teach small groups? Today I'm sharing ideas for phonics centers! These days I am seeing a lot of criticism of small group teaching, because there is concern about what the rest of the class is doing. There is (legitimate) ... Read More
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 ... Read More
