A weak foundation in phonics will affect a student’s ability to read with appropriate fluency and comprehension. Students must be able to automatically identify common words and recognize phonics patterns within words to read with proficiency. With struggling readers, especially, it’s important to dig deeper with assessments to determine if phonics is an area that needs targeting. If it is,… View Post
Do you have students who have difficulty decoding multisyllabic words? Words that contain multiple syllables can be difficult for students to read, especially if they don’t have strategies in their literacy toolbox to figure them out. These students often look at the word as a whole, or will focus on just the first syllable and guess at the rest. By… View Post
Are you looking for some new poems for your next poetry unit or to celebrate poetry month? Every April, in honor of National Poetry Month, I like to do a poetry unit that dives into different types of poems. One of my favorite poetry structures to spotlight is partner poems, also known as “poems for two voices.” Introducing Poems for… View Post
Whisper phones are a powerful tool! Also known as “Toobaloos” or auditory feedback phones, these plastic “phones” are used while students are reading aloud and help students self-monitor for accuracy and focus on their reading fluency. The Power of Whisper Phones Not only are whisper phones fun to use, but they help students monitor their own reading and identify any… View Post
If you are looking for a fun way to motivate your struggling readers or to increase engagement during your fluency interventions, consider using reading trackers and reading pointers! Trackers and pointers are fluency tools that I always keep in my literacy toolbox. Not only do they help students get excited about practicing reading fluency, but they are helpful for students… View Post
