The Science of Reading Simplified
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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.
You know that moment when a student gets stuck on a long word and their whole body tenses up? I see it all the time in the classrooms I support, and honestly, it breaks my heart a little. But here’s the thing – I’ve got something in my teaching toolkit that’s been a total confidence-builder for my struggling readers, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Hey there! I was just working with a first-grade teacher last week who asked me, “Am I supposed to keep letters completely separate when I teach phonemic awareness? I feel like my kids are ready for more, but my curriculum guide says to wait.” Maybe you’ve wondered about teaching letters and sounds too?
Can we talk about vocabulary instruction for a minute? After spending fifteen years supporting teachers with vocabulary strategies (and learning plenty of lessons the hard way!), I’ve noticed something interesting: we all know vocabulary matters, but finding strategies that actually work can feel overwhelming.
When teachers ask me how to increase reading fluency for these students, I completely understand their frustration.
Let me share something that transformed how I approach helping these readers. Jan Hasbrouck says, “We don’t want to help them read fast… we want them to help them read well.” That stopped me in my tracks. Because yes – while we want to increase reading fluency, pushing for speed alone misses the point entirely.
Can we talk about teaching phonemic awareness for a minute? You know those moments when a struggling reader suddenly gets it – when they hear those individual sounds clicking into place? Those moments are pure magic. But honestly, getting there can feel like quite the journey, can’t it? Let’s chat about what actually works.
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