Education resources for parents and teachers
So ... how do you feel about decodable books? I admit it. I avoided them for a long time. I felt that decodable books were boring, stilted, and would kill a love of reading. I preferred to use leveled books with beginning readers. I thought that if I taught them multiple ways to solve words, their fluency and comprehension would be better than if they learned to read using decodable text. But I changed ... Read More
I receive many emails from teachers and parents asking me how to teach sight words. Are you here to learn how to teach high frequency words? You're in the right place! 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 ... Read More
In the past I was a strong proponent of running records. I used them every day as a first and second grade classroom teacher, and as an online educator I've often promoted their use. I felt that a running record - a visual representation of a child's reading - was a wonderful tool to see exactly where readers were struggling and to know where to take them next. But now that I've adopted a more structured ... Read More
Are you teaching young children to read using fiction and nonfiction readers? If so, it's imperative that your learners get lots of practice with decodable text ... text with words they can sound out and not guess using the pictures. In the past, I really resisted decodable readers. I was sure they made no sense, would kill a love for reading, and got in the way of comprehension. The fact is that ... Read More
We're in the golden years of parenting. Right now, in 2021, our family is between diapers and dating. And I love it. Things are still wild and crazy (and LOUD), but that's to be expected with six kids ages 5-13. I admit that I don't miss the Exhausted Years ... the years I had a preschooler, baby, and toddler all at once. I can't count how many times I pushed a shopping cart with a baby seat in the cart, ... Read More
Are you teaching sight words to young readers? You're in the right place! In this post I'll show you exactly how to teach sight words using hands-on lessons and free printable sight word books. But first things first ... What ARE sight words, anyway? It depends whom you ask. When reading researchers use the term sight words, they're referring to the words that a reader recognizes instantly, ... Read More
So. These days I've been doing a lot of research into how our brains learn to read. In doing that, I've made a shift in how approach beginning reading. I used to ascribe to the three-cueing-systems model. It's the idea that kids solve unfamiliar words by using three cues: what looks right (phonics), what sounds right (syntax) and what makes sense (semantics). Here's the problem with the three-cueing ... Read More
Today I'm sharing a huge list of our favorite black history books for kids! Black history books for kids We have many of Adler's books, and even my preschoolers enjoy them - despite their length. If you like this book, you'll also like other titles by Adler: A Picture Book of Rosa Parks, A Picture Book of Frederick Douglass, A ... Read More
I have a problem. I'm a clip art addict. Sometimes I buy clip art without any idea what I'm going to create ... because it's Just. So. Perfect. That's how I felt about this Christmas sweater clip art. How could I resist? Thankfully, I thought of the perfect use for these adorable sweaters ... problem solving! I created a set of task cards. Each card has a set of clues to help kids determine the ... Read More
Today I'm sharing over forty free printable Christmas games! Are you in charge of a classroom Christmas party this year? Maybe you're looking for something to entertain the kids during a family Christmas gathering. Either way, I've got you covered! Today I'm sharing over forty free and fabulous Christmas printable games for kids. Christmas Matching Games Get Christmas matching game from Kids Activities ... Read More
