Education resources for parents and teachers
Sight words vs. high frequency words. What's the difference? This is the beginning of our blog series all about sight words. 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 example. But this definition is not ... Read More
Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and their meanings. For many decades, researchers have noted that there is a strong correlation between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. And yet ... Researchers tell us that, traditionally, vocabulary instruction has not been strong ... in far too many classrooms. Believe me, I get it. As I planned my daily classroom schedule each school year, I ... Read More
Are you teaching reading in K-2? Then you've probably heard this advice: "Focus on phonics. Get those foundational skills solid. Comprehension can wait." I understand the pressure to prioritize decoding skills - and I fully support an initial focus on phonemic awareness and phonics. After all, if students can't read the words, how can they understand them? But here's the thing ... comprehension isn't something ... Read More
Have you been following along with our series about the Big 5? So far we've tackled phonemic awareness and phonics. Now it's time to discuss the do's and dont's for teaching reading fluency. As I look back on my years as a balanced literacy teacher, I realize that I misunderstood fluency and its place in the big picture. I was opposed to decodable books because I thought that leveled books, with their ... Read More
In today's post, the second in our 5-part series, we'll dive into do's and don'ts for teaching phonics. Another name for this post could be "Mistakes I've Made When Teaching Phonics ..." because I've made a lot. (Psst... I'm sharing a free phonics scope and sequence at the end of the post!) Let's start with a little backstory. When I first started teaching first grade, I had to use a very rigid ... Read More
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 ... 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 ... 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 ... Read More
