Do your students suffer from “bouncing brain” syndrome when retelling a non-fiction text? This year, I discovered that SO many of my students struggle with retelling informational texts using any kind of sequence and order. During my winter assessments, students would just recall and retell facts in whatever order that popped into their heads, with no regard to chapters, sections,… View Post
Students around the country love learning about the legendary groundhog popping out of his hole to look for his shadow on Groundhog Day. This infamous groundhog gets a lot of attention on February 2nd, but put yourself in his shoes for a day. How do you think the groundhog feels on Groundhog Day? Better yet… How do you think he… View Post
Guess what?! Clothespins are not just for laundry! Clothespins are one of my go-to teaching tools for my reading groups! They’re cheap and have so many instructional possibilities. Plus, they’re easy for students to manipulate when used for literacy centers and word work. No matter what strategy or skill I’m teaching, you’ll always find clothespins at my reading table. Keep… View Post
“I’m not a good reader.” “I hate reading.” “I’ll never get better at reading.” I am a Reading Specialist in a Title I school, and too often, these are the words I hear from my students. The reality is… my students struggle, every single one of them. Working in a remedial reading program, it’s hard to convince my struggling readers… View Post
How do you plan for your small group instruction? Do you follow a program where all students receive the same strategies, or do you customize the interventions you teach to meet the needs of your students? As a Literacy Specialist, my students are placed into flexible, target-specific reading groups based on multiple assessments at the beginning of the year. Our… View Post
