Getting Ready for ILA 2018 in Austin!

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Jan Richardson and I are putting the final touches on our interactive session at ILA 2018—What to Do When Kids Just Don’t Get it: Prompting for Deeper Understanding during Guided Reading. A few days ago, Jan and I synced up on video chat and decided to share a bit about our session with you. Watch […]

Teaching Tip Video and Handout: Top Tips for Teaching Making Words During Word Study

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In my latest video blog, I’m diving deeper into the Word Study part of a guided reading lesson and sharing some tips about using Making Words. I’ve also created this helpful handout. It includes sample Making Words lessons for levels A through G. Want to see Making Words in the classroom? Check out this terrific free video on literacyfootprints.com to see literacy […]

Video: What is Literacy Footprints?

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Created by teachers for teachers, Literacy Footprints is a complete guided reading system cocreated by myself and fellow literacy expert, Jan Richardson. Hear directly from Jan and I as we detail the program’s components and successes. If you are interested in getting a sample of Literacy Footprints, please visit the Literacy Footprints website.

Video Teaching Tip: Using Sound Boxes During Guided Writing

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Sound boxes can be powerful tools for helping students learn how to hear and record sounds in words. Using them can lead to greater independence in writing and improve students’ ability to use phonics and decoding strategies when reading. In this Teaching Tip Video, I discuss using sound boxes during guided writing. You can also download […]

Video Teaching Tip: Using Sound Boxes During Word Study

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I hope you’ll check out my latest Teaching Tip Video below! This time, I’m sharing methods for using sound boxes to help students learn how words work. You’ll see me using useful tools like the ABC Chart/Sound Box Cards, Plastic Write-On Sleeves, and vowel strip bookmarks. All of these helpful tools and more can be found on the Pioneer Valley Books website!

Teaching Tip: Guided Reading with Deliberate Practice

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Do you have students in your classroom who are not easily discouraged and pick themselves up and try again even when something is hard? It’s great working with these students. But what about the other kind of students, the ones that can’t seem to stick with anything and are easily discouraged? I recently finished reading […]

New Springtime BookBuilder Stories

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Students love seeing their own names in print, and that’s one reason that I love creating stories for BookBuilder Online. It’s simple to add names, print out the book, and assemble the story for classroom or home use. To celebrate the beginning of spring (even if it’s still winter where you are), here are two great FREE seasonal […]