In This Blog Post: Wondering what is the science of reading? Find out what it is, what structured literacy looks like in a classroom, and easy ideas you can implement today.
There has been a lot of buzz around the science of reading lately.
To many teachers, this is something they’ve never heard of before (I was one of them)! Some have only heard the buzz and they’re still wondering, what exactly is the science of reading?
But here’s the thing; once we start looking into it, we realize ...
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Popping Sounds Phonemic Awareness Activity for Manipulating Sounds
In This Post: Read about a hands on way to teach manipulating and changing sounds in words. Then grab a free phonemic awareness activity for manipulating sounds.
We know that daily phonemic awareness practice is a structured literacy must have, but there are some skills that are just plain difficult to teach!
In my opinion, manipulating and changing sounds in words is the most difficult of difficult phonemic awareness skills.
Not only do students have to segment and hold sounds for one ...
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Teachers’ Favorite Picture Books for February
In this blog post: Planning your February read alouds? Find the best picture books for February recommended by teachers!
Read alouds in the classroom are an amazing way to build comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. Whether you’re using them for an interactive read aloud or just for fun, daily read alouds should absolutely be a part of any elementary classroom.
I am always looking for new February picture books to add to my collection. You can never have enough books, right?
That’s ...
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SCIENCE OF READING What Does a Pre-Readers Lesson Plan Look Like?
More and more teachers are switching their small group reading instruction to align with the science of reading and that is an amazing thing!
But with this switch comes the need to change how we plan small group lesson plans.
I recently asked teachers what questions they had about using a science of reading approach in guided reading, and one question that came up repeatedly was, “What should a small group lesson plan look like? What do I need to include in my lessons?”
This is such a ...
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6 Fun and Free No Prep Alphabet Centers
If you teach preschool, Pre-k, or kindergarten then you know that the alphabet is kind of a big deal. We spend weeks teaching letters and letter sounds, singing alphabet songs, making alphabet crafts… basically living a real life version of chicka chicka boom boom.
When you’re spending that much time teaching and learning the alphabet, you want to make sure that you have enough practice activities to keep things from getting, well, stale.
These FREE alphabet centers are not only hands on ...
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6 Tips For Teaching CVC Words in Kindergarten
Teaching CVC words in Kindergarten is a HUGE part of our year! As a kindergarten teacher, you know that it’s an exciting time, too.
Everything we poured into learning letters and sounds and building a strong phonemic awareness foundation is starting to come together.
Our students are ready to read!
However, once you get to this point, it can be difficult to know exactly where to begin. How do we best teach CVC words in Kindergarten and make them stick?
This blog post will give you 6 ...
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January Center Ideas for Kindergarten
January in Kindergarten is a magical time! You come back from break and things just seem to start clicking.
It can also be a time when things start to feel a bit stale - especially your math and literacy centers! These January center ideas for kindergarten will help you stay in your routine while keeping your winter centers exciting.
What do centers look like in kindergarten?
How your kindergarten centers run will look different depending on your classroom management style and what ...
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Free Winter Math Crafts for Kindergarten
If you teach Kindergarten, you’re probably strongly for or against crafts in the classroom. There doesn’t seem to be much in between!
Personally, I am strongly FOR crafts, especially when they incorporate our core learning like these winter math crafts for Kindergarten. I think that crafts are so important to the kindergarten experience.
These free winter math crafts are the perfect way to combine fine motor practice, listening and following directions, are, and math after winter break! ...
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The Science of Reading: How To Align Your Instruction with Structured Literacy
You have probably been hearing a lot recently about the science of reading. You’ve heard that your instruction should align with structured literacy. But what does that even mean?
The good news is, while this might require a mindset shift, it doesn’t have to be overly complicated.
In this blog post, I am going to show you 5 ways you can align your instruction with the science of reading and structured literacy.
What is the science of reading?
The science of reading refers to a ...
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Free Activities for Comparing and Ordering Sets in Kindergarten
Building number sense is so important in Kindergarten math, and we spend a lot of time on comparing numbers. But what about when your students are ready to go beyond simply comparing?
Teaching comparing and ordering sets in Kindergarten takes those number sense skills to the next level.
This can be a difficult skill to practice though! These free kindergarten math center activities make comparing and ordering sets fun and meaningful.
Why is comparing and ordering sets ...
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