Know Better, Do Better -David & Meredith Liben A couple of school years ago, as I started my journey as an Instructional Specialist for...

Reading Above the Fray -Julia B. Lindsey Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills To be...

PHONICS When you see the word “phonics” I bet you think of reading instruction in kindergarten.  Maybe first grade.  As a former upper...

HINK PINK HINKY PINKY HINKETY PINKETY I feel like I am about to cast a spell in a Harry Potter movie! But NO, It’s just a fun rhyming...

Administering a Universal Screener to all students in your classroom to identify progress (or holes and gaps) in foundational reading...

I have come to the realization that nonsense words are misunderstood and do not get the respect they deserve. This is very unfortunate....

A variety of different models have been created in the last couple of decades on what processes work together when learning to read. The...

Introduction to The Science of Reading Maryanne Wolf, in her book Proust and the Squid, references an incident from China in the 1930s...

As elementary school teachers, one of our BIGGEST jobs is to ensure that all students can read proficiently. For students that struggle...

Universal Instruction is what all students receive in the form of academic and social emotional instruction and support. Universal...

This book, part of a 3-book series, contains sensible, evidence-based instructional practices that have been thoroughly researched and...

According to the book by Archer and Hughes, explicit instruction is defined as the following: EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION: a structured,...

Personally, I think teaching is the BEST. JOB. EVER. We get to build relationships with an exponential number of students. We sing,...

Looking for a fun, engaging way to have students practice their writing? Look no further! A favorite activity in my classroom is BUBBLE...

Have you heard of Classroomscreen? If you haven’t, I highly recommend you give it a try. Classroomscreen is an incredibly useful and...

How do you know if you are an effective teacher? I would imagine if you ask most teachers if they believe they are doing a good job, they...

Find the right work-life balance as a teacher can be difficult. I grade papers at home and work on the weekends - and it’s OKAY if you do...

When a new school year begins our rooms are sparkly clean, filled with fresh new supplies, brand new workbooks, neat piles of prepped...

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EFFORT! If you want to get the very best out of your students in both academics and behaviors, having high...

We learn something new EVERYDAY! Until recently, I had NEVER heard of “Smelly Spots” as a classroom management strategy. So I jumped on...