Have you signed up for The Educator’s Room Daily Newsletter? Click here and support independent journalism! The purpose of a read-aloud can be both entertainment and academic. From the academic perspective, read-alouds help build important foundational skills. Read-alouds provide a model of fluent and expressive reading, as well as an introduction to new and content-specific vocabulary. […]
reading comprehension
How Background Knowledge Supports Reading Comprehension
Essential Components In part 1 of my series on effective literacy, I discussed the Science of Reading, the role of the brain when learning to read, and the importance of explicit phonics instruction when teaching reading. Explicit phonics instruction is critical when learning to read, but word recognition is not the only component that creates […]
Building Reading Comprehension
Reading comprehension is the ability to read something, process what is saying, and understand what is saying. As an English teacher, I feel like teaching reading comprehension is one of the most important things that I teach my students. While students can be strong readers, sometimes they struggle with understanding the deeper meaning behind the […]
Teaching Math: Is There a Right or Wrong Way?
When I talk to math teachers I tend to forget that most math teachers see themselves as an “expert” in teaching mathematics. So, last night’s Twitter Chat was not any different. If you have ever participated in a Twitter chat you know that the chat is an hour long with about 5 to 6 questions […]
Turning Reluctant Readers into Life-Long Readers
Reading should not be presented to a child as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift. ~Katie DiCamillo One of my biggest challenges for the past thirteen years as an English teacher has been getting my students to read, and I know I am not alone in this frustration. Getting teenagers […]
Experience Life in Your Classroom
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Tonight Monkey (my three-year-old) and I made muffins and brownies. We sang and laughed and he was so excited when I decided to put “cookies” in the banana muffins. I was […]
Using Reading Journals For Reluctant Readers
I have several reluctant readers in my class. And when I say reluctant, I mean pulling-teeth-digging-in-heels-won’t-read-unless-they-are-required-to reluctant readers. And even then it’s still difficult for them. They understand the importance of reading for information and meaning, but more often than not comprehension is lost in translation due to several of them struggling with dyslexia. So […]
Tried and True Resources for Curriculum Reinforcement
Over the course of my 18 years of teaching, I’ve seen many trends in skills that aren’t mastered before kids move into the next grade level. I’ve also been in schools where funding is not adequate for curriculum and supplies that are needed. Most of my teaching experience has been with early childhood, Pre-K through […]