Teaching Tip: Accelerate, Not Remediate

Posted on

I eavesdropped on my granddaughter Mae’s remote first grade class this morning and felt awed by how comfortable the class seemed with participating and conversing online. Mae is doing great, and the best part of the situation is that my son and his family have been here in Florida with us for several weeks—because she […]

Teaching Tip: Beginner Steps Lessons Using the Digital Reader

Posted on

Some of you have asked about how to remotely teach the Literacy Footprints Beginner Steps lessons, or what Jan Richardson, in her book The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading, calls Pre-A lessons. These lessons are designed to help students who know very few letters and may have limited book experience and/or limited English. Adaptations […]

Getting Ready for ILA 2018 in Austin!

Posted on

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

Posted on

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 Teaching Tip: Using Sound Boxes During Guided Writing

Posted on

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

Posted on

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!