You know that Brady Bunch episode where Jan gets upset because she’s not getting the attention? She cries, “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.” In my head, that’s what’s been happening the last few years in the world of literacy. Science of reading, or SOR, is on every reading...
Multisensory Phonics Activities
Phonics, phonics, phonics! It can't be stressed enough that a strong grasp of basic phonics is the building block that leads to higher literacy skills. Mastery takes practice, repeated exposure, and modeling. A great way to solidify learning is to use multisensory...
Phonological Awareness Intervention
Normally, the groundwork for phonological and phonemic awareness is laid in Kindergarten and 1st grade. (Although, advanced skills still have a place in regular instruction in 2nd and 3rd grades!) As we all know, the interruptions in learning caused by COVID have...
How to Identify Student Gaps in Phonological Awareness
Every teacher wants their students to grow as readers and writers. Imagine reading acquisition as a tower of blocks: each skill lays a foundation for the next. If there is a gap in the blocks, or one of the blocks is a little wobbly, the whole tower could fall!...
Literacy Screening is Done ~ Now What?!
So you’ve completed your beginning or middle of the year literacy screening, and the results are clear - some of your students are below grade level. But what should you do next? After all, time is limited and it's important to quickly help kids build their skills and...
Hands On Literacy Intervention Activities
Planning for intervention lessons is quick and easy when the materials you'll need are within reach! The activities from our Small Group and Intervention Literacy Kit are designed to be hands-on and engaging for kids, and exactly what teachers need to simplify the...
What to Do During Literacy Interventions
So you've pinpointed the literacy skill(s) your students need more help with, and you've carved out time for literacy interventions in your schedule. But what should you be doing with students to make the biggest impact on closing their gaps in literacy? Here are our...
Tips for Teaching Syllables
There's no doubt about it - teaching syllables is an important part of reading instruction. After all, this skill shows up in primary grade level standards - regardless of where you teach. But how do you get your students to understand what syllables are, and what are...
Let’s Talk About the Classroom Sound Wall
Read this post for all the answers to teachers' frequently asked questions about sound walls! What is a sound wall? How do you set up a sound wall? How is a sound wall different from a traditional word wall? How do you use a sound wall in a classroom setting?Where can...