How do you feel when you hear the words main idea or main topic? Do you cringe or do you get excited? If I’m being honest, I used to completely tense up when this unit was up next because it’s a HARD concept for students. Not only was it really difficult for students to understand at times, it often felt… Read More
Have you ever taught students a phonics skill that they totally rocked in isolation, but then dove into the text and couldn’t decode words that presented that same skill? It’s so frustrating right?! Well this is where the power of decodable readers comes in! Students will not only get great practice rocking those decoding skills in text, but they’ll also… Read More
Hula hoops, bean bags, and a room full of children. What does your mind go to? Is it teaching missing addends? Probably not! If you didn’t go to unknown addends, I want you to visualize teaching this complex concept to your students. What does it look like? What does it sound like? How many students master this skill by the… Read More
Have you ever thought about letting your student’s take over the classroom? I’m talking about giving them (almost) full reign and allowing them to be in charge of their learning. Do you think that sounds absolutely absurd? Well, before you go running for the hills, let me tell you why this idea is actually pretty impactful for student achievement AND… Read More
Teaching informative writing to students is one of the most important types of writing. Why you might ask? Think about the last thing you wrote. Was it a story to entertain? Was it trying to persuade someone of something? Or was it to teach about something? Most often when we write as we get older, it’s to share information. In… Read More
Does your guided reading table need a fun refresh? When students come to the table for small group time, they know they’re in for some super exciting learning going on! This is a serious time where students can make exponential growth because the instruction is specifically tailored to their needs. However, learning serious skills doesn’t have to be boring! I’m… Read More