I am always amazed that the Round Robin reading still exists. The empirical evidence has shown that it is an ineffective teaching method. Just being an observant teacher would make you realize the kids are bored and off task. Worst of all, it brings humiliation to students who struggle with reading or English. So how […]
Literacy
Posted inFeatured, Literacy, Special Education
5 Strategies to Help the Struggling Readers in the Special Education Setting
Everywhere you look, it seems a new program has sprung up to help the struggling reader in the classroom. More and more children, it seems, get referred for special education services because of reading deficits. So what can you do in the classroom to help? You could ask your RTI specialist, your special education teacher, […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Literacy
The Communication Crisis: Teacher to Teacher Part II
When it comes to communication, teachers are the experts, but as many workshops as teachers attend out there in the vast world of professional development, many seldom (if ever) help teachers communicate more effectively with each other. It seems to be the one missing link, so to speak, in the ideology of education. So, how do we become […]
Posted inInstruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Literacy
Bringing Writing Back: The SRSD Technique
A common grumble among my colleagues is teaching writing. We are well aware that American students score dismally on writing assessments, mostly because most teachers are scrambling to teach everything else on the menu. Consequently, writing has been neglected. Now that assessments are beginning to move from multiple choice to short answer and essay writing […]
Posted inElementary School, Featured, How to Fix Education, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching to New Rules:Phonics for Upper Elementary
From the day children are born, the race is on here in America. Boy or girl? Weight? Length? And so it begins; how does your child measure up with “average” child their age? We watch for those important milestones. Rolls over, check! Sits up, check! Babbles, check! Crawls, check! Walks, check! The list goes on […]
Posted inFeatured, High School, Literacy
The Communication Crisis – Teacher to Teacher Part I
Few people would disagree that communication is essential in sharing concepts and ideas, however, effective communication often seems to elude the masses. Many books and motivational speakers have touched on the subject in one way or another, yet properly passing along information and having it received as intended is not an easy task; miscommunication is. So, how could […]
Posted inEnglish Language Learners, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Technology
Wait for it… Esther Earle's Star
I saw the book cover on the nonfiction shelf at the library and was immediately hooked. This Star Won’t Go Out promised to fulfill the real world answers to questions swirling amongst YA followers of Fault in our Stars. The wonder and hopes that fans carry for the character heroes with terminal cancer will appreciate […]
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy
Teaching Creative Writing to Younger Kids
I love to teach writing to my first and second graders. These kids can spin stories like no others. The challenge lies in their fine motor skills and being able to write down all of the wonderful ideas they come up with. I have three methods that I use which I have found helps out […]