“My Kids Don’t Listen To Me!” When I speak of my desire to teach parents to teach their young kids to read, even before they enter a classroom, that’s the response that I often hear from parents. So why would kids respond to their teachers or tutors more readily than they would their moms […]
Every parent in my school community knows about sight words. They may be called star words, snap words, or something else, but we know what they are. Early childhood classrooms feature from 25 to more than 100 words students must know on sight by the end of the school year. That\’s not a problem-the fluent […]
My husband and I had a flat tire, and both of our phones were dead. (Note to self: Next overnight camping excursion- Bring phone chargers!) And, we had no spare tire. When a police officer stopped to ask if we needed help, we could not recall a single phone number of someone who could lend […]
Are you working with your kids this summer to improve a skill? Maybe it\’s math facts (Try Tap Math. We love that app.!), or maybe it\’s spelling. Whatever the topic, here are some tips to make the practice both fun and effective: Schedule your activity time for when your children will receive it best. Make […]
After about 28 years of working with kids, striving to teach them to read and spell well, I’ve learned this: Our language is complicated . . . But it is teachable. We’ve all (if you’re reading this) learned to navigate the rough terrain of crazy word spellings, pronunciations, meanings, and usages. But, could you explain […]
Comprehension is understanding. If the boy in the picture above reads the word, making each sound, but has no idea that the sounds /s/, /a/, /p/, together, make the word sap and that sap is the often sticky liquid that is in trees and other plants, he’s not comprehending. However, if he doesn’t know the […]
Are you ready for a fun and productive summer with your kids? I’ll be posting fun-focused activities that both you AND your kids will enjoy! To get the summer started right, simply gather some tools and set a schedule for reading and writing. DO NOT read or write today! Put it off. Plan it for […]
Stone Fox By John Reynolds Gardiner No matter what grade I teach, I read this book aloud, and I usually begin on the first day of school. I love it that much. Reading Stone Fox is a great way to show kids a character with character. It inspires my students and me to become the […]
38% of our 80 survey participants believe that the parents of high achieving readers read to their children often. 34.2% believe that parents of high achieving readers impart a love for reading and value reading together. Those, admittedly, are very similar, and parents of high achieving readers DO both of those things, however, parents of […]
When I was six years old, I was going through a \”rough patch.\” I hated my first-grade life. My single mom had moved into an apartment building, and my bike was stolen during the first week we were there. I had a mean teacher who swatted me on the legs when I did something wrong, […]