Understanding the difference between letter names and letter sounds is one of the first steps of phonics instruction. People often use letter and sound interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing. Let’s explore why letters and sounds are different . We will also explore strategies to teach these concepts to our students in a simple and meaningful way. Would you…
Teaching phonics. If you’re an elementary school teacher, you are likely working hard to incorporate more phonics and structured literacy into your classroom. However, there’s a good chance that you didn’t actually learn this stuff in college. How are teachers supposed to use a structured, phonics based approach with their students if they don’t understand the rules themselves? The answer…
Most teachers love reading and learning. It’s a big reason why teachers become teachers. While students loving reading is awesome, it’s important to understand that reading is about a whole lot more than doing so for enjoyment. Here is why your students don’t have to love reading, but they do need to be able to read proficiently. Why do students…
Back to school time is hectic, and there’s a lot to think about. However, these 5 first grade resources for back to school make those first few weeks of school so much easier. Here are my top 5 favorite back to school resources and how I use them in my classroom. 1. Letter Sound, Name, and Formation Review and Student…
How do we talk about the people who take care of our students in an inclusive way? The default mode for most teachers to is refer to the adults who take care of students as parents. However, not every child lives with our is taken care of by a mom or a dad. So, a few years ago I made…