In the early elementary school years, early literacy is a strong focus. Our goal as educators is to build strong, fluent, confident decoders and readers. We want students to build stamina and engage with books for much of the literacy block. You can do this with first graders starting on the very first day of school! Independent reading is seen by some educators as a waste of time, just page flipping. I even had an administrator tell me that half the students in any given class would likely have their books upside down during this time. With an organized and […]
21 Basic Literacy Terms Every Teacher Needs to Know : Free Printable Guide
With the rise of the Science of Reading and the increased testing in many states for new teachers, reading terminology is as important as ever. These important words are like a vocabulary bank for teachers and the knowledge and use of them can help you to: *Communicate effectively with colleagues about students and programs *Identify components of your literacy instruction *Report on student progress and goals on reports, 504s & IEPs *Understand the research surrounding early literacy *Help you to pass tests for educators Here are 21 Literacy Based Terms You Should Know If you want a handy dandy printable […]
How to Plan for Small Group Reading Instruction : An Easy to Follow Formula
At the start of the school year there seem to be so many assessments. It feels like a relief when your students are ready for small group instruction. I remember my very first year teaching wondering what in the world I was supposed to do during that time. My school district used a guided reading approach, but I noticed that many teachers spent an entire session doing picture walks and guessing about what was happening in the story. I also noticed that there was very little phonics instruction during the reading process. I had a feeling I could organize my […]