reading
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Teaching Like Normal (Even Though It’s Test Prep Season)
The Moment I Realized Teaching Was About to Stop I’ve never really done test prep. It’s not because I don’t care about the state exams. It’s just that my philosophy has always kind of been, if the students are doing hard work (reading challenging texts, analyzing syntax, wrestling with figurative language… you know things that… Continue reading
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10 Ways Wipebooks Transform Small-Group Work in Secondary ELA
The Wipebook Reusable Flipchart is one of the most used supplies in my classroom! If you’ve heard of them or seen them in action, you know how cool they are… if you don’t know them, well, they’re pretty amazing. Imagine one of your old-school paper flip charts but as a dry-erase. They are powerful tools… Continue reading
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The Reading & Writing Olympics: A 2-Week Secondary ELA Skills Training Unit
When students struggle with reading tasks, it’s easy for us as secondary ELA teachers to assume the issue is purely motivation. They just don’t want to read. But for many secondary students, the real barrier is that they are missing key foundational skills. They’re missing the reading and writing muscles they need in order to… Continue reading
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A Movie Marathon in ELA: Standards-Based Fun for the Weeks Before Break
The weeks before Thanksgiving (and again before winter break) can feel… well, a little chaotic. The students are buzzing, the schedule is off, and let’s be honest… you could use your own breather. But “just showing a movie” in any class is usually a no-go. That’s exactly why a group of secondary ELA teachers and… Continue reading
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What the Science of Reading Looks Like in a Secondary Classroom
When most people hear “Science of Reading,” they picture phonics charts, decodable readers, and first graders sounding out c-a-t and d-o-g. And while those things are absolutely part of reading development, they don’t reflect the full picture, especially for those of us who work with older students. What if I told you that…. The Science… Continue reading
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Writing to Boost Reading Comprehension
When we think about the Science of Reading, writing doesn’t always come to mind first. But the truth is, writing plays a powerful role in strengthening students’ comprehension—especially when aligned to the same levels we address in Scarborough’s Reading Rope: word recognition and language comprehension. Scarborough’s Reading Rope reminds us that reading comprehension is a… Continue reading
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Top Paragraph Activities for Engaging Students and Building Comprehension
We’re almost at the end of this blog series! We’ve discussed word level comprehension, sentence level decoding and now we’re looking at whole paragraphs. Understanding how paragraphs, or small parts of a text, work together is essential for reading comprehension. Strong topic sentences, logical paragraph order, and effective transition words guide readers through an author’s… Continue reading
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It seems too good to be true.
Or maybe it’s just too overwhelming. And I understand both of those sentiments. Just because something is on sale doesn’t mean it’s worth your time, your money, or your lesson plans. I also know that it is pretty much impossible to really preview what you’re getting when you are deciding which one to purchase. I’ve… Continue reading
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Effective Word-Level Interventions for the Secondary Setting
Decoding skills are foundational for reading proficiency, but many secondary students still struggle in this area. These students don’t just struggle academically. They often exhibit behavior problems, as well, as a way to mask their inability to read. Their difficulty with decoding makes it impossible to engage with and comprehend grade-level texts across all subjects.… Continue reading
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Transforming Test Preparation in the Classroom
Test prep season is an inevitable part of the school year, often met with a mix of stress and determination by both teachers and students. Standardized tests are designed to assess student progress and school performance, but they also bring added pressure for teachers, working to ensure students are prepared. While it’s tempting to shift… Continue reading
