The Science of Reading Simplified
Do you know The Silent Signs of Reading Struggles? Get the Guide!
You know that moment when you’re listening to a student read and you just wish you could clone yourself to give every child more practice time? Trust me, I’ve been there! That’s exactly why I want to talk with you today about partner reading – it’s honestly one of my favorite strategies for building reading fluency, and I think you’re going to love it too.
Can we have a heart-to-heart about decodable texts? I know that moment when you’re sitting with your small group, decodable readers in hand, and you’re thinking, “Shouldn’t we be moving on to ‘real’ books by now?” Trust me, I’ve been there too. After twenty years of working with teachers to improve reading fluency, I’ve learned that these seemingly simple books are actually literacy gold for our beginning readers.
Let’s talk about decodable texts – those carefully crafted books that help our young readers practice their phonics skills. In my years as a literacy coach, I’ve seen how helpful these resources can be when used effectively. I know the questions that come up again and again in my coaching sessions: When should we use decodable text? How do we know when students are ready to move beyond them? And most importantly, how do we make sure we’re using them effectively?
You know that feeling when you find something that actually works for your struggling readers? That’s what we’re talking about today. After two decades of supporting teachers and students with reading challenges, I’ve learned that decodable texts are often the missing piece of the puzzle. Grab your favorite pen – you’re going to want to take notes on this one!
Teachers are asking whether they should move away from leveled books. And I totally get it! I remember when my own classroom library was organized with those familiar A-Z labels, and every student had their “just right” reading level. It felt so organized, so systematic. But here’s the thing – I’ve learned some pretty eye-opening stuff about leveled books that changed my whole approach to teaching reading, and I think you’ll find it interesting too.
As a literacy specialist who works with struggling readers every day, one of the most common questions I hear is “What are heart words?” It’s a great question and one that’s changing how we teach high-frequency words in our classrooms. Today, I’m going to share everything you need to know about heart words, drawing from both my intervention experience and the latest research.
Have you ever wondered why some of your students breeze through certain words while others seem to get stuck on even the most common ones? Or maybe you’ve noticed conflicting advice about whether to use flashcards for practicing high frequency words? You’re not alone – these terms often get used interchangeably, but understanding the difference can transform how we teach reading.
You know that moment when a kindergartner proudly sings the alphabet song, but then struggles to use those same letters to read a simple word? I was just talking about this with a group of teachers during our planning meeting, and it sparked such an interesting discussion about teaching letter names and sounds.
Hey there! Can I share something that happened in a third-grade classroom last week? I was sitting with a teacher during her planning time, and I could see the frustration in her eyes. “I feel like I’m spinning my wheels with vocabulary,” she confided. “We have our word wall, we practice definitions, we do the whole routine… but the words just aren’t sticking.”
The other day, a teacher in my building stopped me in the hallway with an interesting question. “My students keep asking about word origins, and I realize I’m not quite sure how to explain what is etymology in a way that makes sense to them.” It’s one of my favorite questions to answer, because understanding what is etymology can transform the way we teach vocabulary.
Grab your free lesson plan!