Here’s something that trips up a lot of students – and honestly, a lot of teachers too. The /z/ sound can be spelled two different ways: with Z or with S. And both are correct. The key is knowing when to use which one. This is one of those phonics rules that seems almost too…
If you’ve ever felt frustrated watching students guess at heart words during reading, spell said as “sed,” or struggle with the same irregular words week after week, you’re not alone. For years, I assessed heart words the same way most teachers do: flash cards. A student either read the word correctly or they didn’t. If…
I had a fifth grader who wasn’t progressing in reading. She was brilliant. On the autism spectrum. Highly capable in so many ways. But no matter what I tried in her leveled reading group, nothing moved the needle. I kept thinking: more practice, more time, more exposure to text.I adjusted the books. I changed the…
You’ve planned the lessons. You’ve pulled the groups. Your students are working through activities, practicing their sounds, reading their decodables. And yet… progress feels slow. Or stuck. Or like you’re running in place. If you’ve ever sat with a small group thinking, “They’re doing the work. Why isn’t this clicking?”, you’re not alone. Here’s what…
You already know what struggling readers need. You’ve done the training. You’ve read the research. You know that effective intervention requires targeted practice, repeated exposure, and systematic instruction. The hard part isn’t the knowledge. The hard part is actually providing it, consistently, day after day, without burning yourself out. Because here’s the reality:Intervention isn’t just…
Small groups after winter break can feel… off. Students forget routines. Materials are scattered. The flow that worked in December suddenly feels chaotic in January. And it’s easy to think, Maybe I need to start over. Maybe I need a whole new system. But here’s the truth: January small groups feel messy for a lot…
What This Pattern Means In English, words do not end in the letters I, U, V, or J. That means: To make these spellings work, English often adds a silent final e or uses another spelling pattern that fits our writing system. What About the Sounds at the End of Words? Students often assume this…
The holiday season is a great time to read books that teach kids about winter holidays like Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanzaa. In my experience, students love when I read aloud chapter books with highly relatable plot lines that allow us to discuss the story and work on comprehension skills. And there are so many Christmas-themed…
Are you looking for some secular winter read alouds? If so, I have you covered from picture books to novels that are about winter or take place during the winter. I’ve rounded up several of my favorite winter read alouds that you can read to your kids. Remember that read alouds provide the perfect opportunity…