Context clues instruction is something that should be taught all year. Kids need lots of practice not only identifying the different types of context clues but knowing how to figure out word meanings within a…
Let's talk about starting the school year by teaching multisyllabic words in the upper grades. When I say upper grades, I'm including third grade, because sometimes it's that weird year where it's not primary, but…
What do the rest of the kids do while you teach reading in small groups or one-on-one? Today I'm sharing 3 activities your students can do independently. Let them choose their books. One activity for…
The schwa sound in words is one of the most common in the English language and yet it’s the trickiest to teach. The schwa sound is a weak unstressed sound that occurs in many words.…
You have limited time to teach ALL the things each day. But there are ways to sneak in decoding lessons, even in 3rd-grade. In this post I'm sharing 3 ideas for how to teach multisyllabic…
You listen to a child read but they can't tell you what an unknown word means. You're frustrated because you've taught them the word before. But have you taught them these 3 vocabulary strategies? If…
Do you still use worksheets as part of your vocabulary instruction? Ditch them! Ok, I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. But really are they bringing you joy? If they are, and your students are…
What’s the #1 way to improve reading comprehension? Well, it’s super complicated and I almost don’t want to tell you for fear of scaring you off. Just kidding. It’s not complicated at all! The best…
Your student reads a book, filled with tier 2 words, accurately and with great fluency. But when you ask them to tell you what happened in the story they can't. How is that possible? It…
You have a lot of lessons that need to fit into the school day but you also need to fit in classroom vocabulary activities. You look at your schedule but not sure where you could…