teaching
-
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
-
Five Essential Steps to Comprehension
In a world full of information, understanding what you read is one of the most essential skills a person can have. Whether you’re enjoying a novel, perusing a news article, or tackling a technical manual, comprehension helps you grasp the meaning, connect to new ideas, and make informed decisions. So here are the five necessary… Continue reading
-
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
-
Countdown to Kickoff – Ten Touchdown Worthy Football Lesson Plans
Are you ready to bring the excitement of football season into your ELA classroom? To capitalize on the hype with your students, check out these ten football lesson plans designed to engage them while building critical reading, writing, and analytical skills. These football lesson plans are perfect for ELA teachers looking to tap into the… Continue reading
-
Six Ideas for Building Background Knowledge in your Secondary Classroom
Background knowledge is one of the components of Scarborough’s Reading Rope and a necessary part of reading comprehension. Without relevant background knowledge, students have nothing to spark that brain power necessary for understanding what they read. One of our go-to strategies for teaching comprehension is asking students to make connections to what they are reading.… Continue reading
-
Understanding Comprehension: A Key to Learning
What Does It Really Mean to Comprehend? To be completely honest, when I first started looking into how to help my older students comprehend, I don’t think I fully understood what it meant to comprehend. Read words.Understand what they say. The end. But it is actually way more complex than that. The amount of work… Continue reading
-
Utilizing Reading Diagnostic Data to Support Students’ Reading Progress
This post was originally posted on September 21, 2023 on my old blog. Reading is a fundamental skill that opens doors to almost everything else in life. For educators and parents, understanding a student’s reading level and progress is essential to provide effective support and ensure they reach their full potential. One valuable tool in… Continue reading
-
Planning a Science of Reading Aligned Unit for Secondary ELA
One question that I always asked when I was getting into SoR was “HOOOOOW do I incorporate these things in my SECONDARY classroom?” I promise that I asked it just like that every single time too. Because… like, this is all well and good but I’m not going to have my teenagers breaking down phonemes… Continue reading
