Latest in Literacy Blog
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12 Simple Tips for Helping Your Child Become a Better Reader
Read more: 12 Simple Tips for Helping Your Child Become a Better ReaderCheck out these 12 simple tips from Dr. Andrew Johnson to help your child become a better reader! Read to your child Expose your child to words Use pretend reading Expose to rhymes, rhyming books, nursery rhymes, poetry, music Reread the same book Read bedtime stories Have books laying around Make regular trips to the…
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Let’s Leverage The Fun To Connect Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing!
Read more: Let’s Leverage The Fun To Connect Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing!The young students frantically waved their hands high in the air. They couldn’t wait to run to the front of the gym and participate in a game I call, “5 in Ten!”. I recently spoke with hundreds of students in different settings (urban, rural, and suburban) and they all enjoyed “5 in 10’!”. The gist…
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Balanced Reading Instruction
Read more: Balanced Reading InstructionEveryone knows that balanced reading instruction is important. But what exactly is it? This short video from Dr. Andy Johnson describes the basic elements of balanced reading instruction.
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Reading to Reach the Stars
Read more: Reading to Reach the StarsWe want our kids to reach for the stars, dream big, think for themselves and grow up with a life and career that they happily built. But how when the winding path to achieve such goals involves so many variables and, sometimes, challenges that may be out of our control? Well, there is a way,…
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Incorporating Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Curriculum
Read more: Incorporating Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood CurriculumEarly Childhood Education is a vital foundation for children of tender age. Not only are they introduced to various experiences, but they are also taught how to form and maintain positive social relationships, a sense of belonging, and developing specific skills to reach their full potential. We see regular acts of racism, sexism, and prejudice…
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Literacy + STEM = A Perfect Pairing
Read more: Literacy + STEM = A Perfect PairingWhen it comes to STEM and literacy, one can’t exist without the other. STEM teachers emphasize the Engineering Design Process and computational thinking, as well as technology tools. But the work of engineers and scientists goes much further than the traditional STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering, and math. They are also communicators, collaborators, writers,…
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Promoting Classroom Conversation
Read more: Promoting Classroom ConversationEvery single day we are tasked with ensuring that our students are entering into our building safely, that they are to learn wholeheartedly, and that they get to experience a wide variety of knowledge along the way. In doing this, as educators one of the pivotal roles we play is to promote classroom conversations. These…
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Poetry: My Story
Read more: Poetry: My StoryIn 1994, my 6-year-old son Nicholas failed first grade. Testing revealed he could read ten words, showed no strengths, and had a low IQ. The prognosis was dire, his future bleak. Finally, the diagnostician called him: “The worst child I’ve seen in twenty years of teaching.” I had the option to remove my son from…
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Using Children’s Literature and Stories to Change Culture in Your School or Classroom
Read more: Using Children’s Literature and Stories to Change Culture in Your School or ClassroomUsing children’s stories to bolster a sense of community connectedness and improve the culture at your school Imagine this… You are a classroom teacher or a counselor or a principal. You see and feel the culture of your learning community and note the need for a change. It is 2021 and people from all walks…
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Background is Everything
Read more: Background is EverythingAlthough we don’t generally think about it, every experience we have adds to a repertoire of events that create “us” – our background. The stories we share with friends, the lessons we teach our kids, and the bank of knowledge we use to make decisions in the moment. Everything we encounter adds to this background,…