Minutes a Day—Mastery for a Lifetime!
While the best way to teach reading is still debated, years of research support explicit, systematic phonics instruction as the foundation for reading success. In 2000, the National Reading Panel¹ recommended teaching phonics patterns by following a defined scope and sequence. “Learning to read is not natural or easy for most children. Reading is an […]
Writing Task Activity Story mapping is the ability to identify the components of a story—setting and characters, as well as the sequence of the story (beginning, middle, and end). Story mapping is an important skill that contributes to a student’s ability to comprehend what he/she has read. This skill is particularly important when reading narrative […]
A recent post introduced our new Reading Comprehension books for grades 7 and 8. Continuing the thread of reading’s preeminence for learning got us thinking about reading, literacy, and education around the country and around the world. Recently published books, such as World Literacy: How Countries Rank and Why It Matters, by Miller and McKenna […]
Reading is the fundamental building block of all learning. Statistics show that the reading habits and achievement levels of students at all levels is in decline.[1] The US ranks 7th in reading literacy among 60 nations in the world.[2] Although this number has improved, more needs to be done. The key to increasing proficient readers […]
What are your goals for teaching reading to 6th, 7th, or 8th graders, and how do you find the time to achieve these goals? One way to shore up reading skills is to make efficient use of independent study time – that includes homework, bell work, study period, or anytime students work on their own. […]
Get Students to Publish Their Writing I had the opportunity to attend OETC (Ohio Educational Technology Conference) in Columbus, Ohio, with my writing team from Simple Solutions. It was exciting to be around teachers who are passionate about their students and what they do every day. For every teacher I met, I know there are […]
There are many ways to define Information Literacy. It might best be viewed as the sum of some of its basic components: needing, gathering, evaluating, and using information. One dilemma facing teachers today is guiding students towards reputable, current, and authoritative sources with rich content. To label reporting “fake news” leaves students wondering how to know […]
The ability to read impacts all aspects of life, but above all, reading is essential for learning. That’s why schools and districts all over the country set rigorous reading proficiency goals for students in the primary grades. From preschool through third grade, children are learning to read; by fourth grade, they are reading to learn, […]
The ability to read impacts all aspects life, but above all, reading is essential for learning. That’s why schools and districts all over the country set rigorous reading proficiency goals for students in the primary grades. From preschool through third grade, children are learning to read; by fourth grade, they are reading to learn, and […]
The ability to read impacts all aspects of life, but above all, reading is essential for learning. That’s why schools and districts all over the country set rigorous reading proficiency goals for students in the primary grades. From preschool through third grade, children are learning to read; by fourth grade, they are reading to learn, […]