📚Reading Resources
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What Children Really Need to Learn: Reading Edition
What Children Really Need to Learn: Reading Edition If your heart rate spikes after a quick glance at your child’s “learning objectives,” you’re not alone. The list of “things to know” by first grade, second grade, and so on can strike fear in the hearts of parents, educators, and especially young readers. What does… Continue reading What Children Really Need to Learn: Reading Edition
What Are Early Literacy Skills
What Are Early Literacy Skills What counts as an early reader? If you’re pals with a preschooler, you probably know one! Early readers, also called early emergent readers, are in the earliest stage of their reading journeys. They’re learning about reading and writing before they’ve actually learned to read and write. Parents and educators… Continue reading What Are Early Literacy Skills
Fluency Practice Games
Fluency Practice Games Imagine a robot reading a classic children’s book: perhaps Where the Wild Things Are or The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. The robot’s voice sounds choppy, slow, and expressionless; and oddly enough, it reminds you of the way your first grader reads! Many early readers are stuck in the “robot stage.”… Continue reading Fluency Practice Games
Heart Word Mapping: A Magic Method to Teach Sight Words
Heart Word Mapping: A Magic Method to Teach Sight Words In every reading lesson, there’s always room for fun, creativity, and maybe even magic. If you’re planning to teach high-frequency or sight words, it’s time to add some heart word magic to your lesson plan. Let’s uncover the difference between sight and high-frequency… Continue reading Heart Word Mapping: A Magic Method to Teach Sight Words
When Do Emergent Literacy Skills Begin to Develop?
When Do Emergent Literacy Skills Begin to Develop? Ah, literacy lingo: it’s loved by researchers and tolerated (begrudgingly!) by parents and teachers. If you’re a teacher or parent of an emergent reader, you’ve likely encountered your fair share of reading-related lingo. While language evolves with our understanding of how young people learn to read,… Continue reading When Do Emergent Literacy Skills Begin to Develop?
What Age Should a Child Be Able to Read?
What Age Should a Child Be Able to Read? Certainly, it’s rare to see a baby reading. But by the time your Baby Einstein reaches first or second grade, should they be able to read? Whether you’re a parent, educator, or just a curious reader, this question is both incredibly common and highly contested.… Continue reading What Age Should a Child Be Able to Read?
What Is a Word Map?
What Is a Word Map? Who doesn’t love a treasure map? Even as adults, many of us can remember drafting up a map on looseleaf paper and excavating a neighbor’s yard, a local park, or maybe just a bedroom. With word mapping, parents and educators can utilize the magic of a treasure map.… Continue reading What Is a Word Map?
How to Develop Phonics Skills
How to Develop Phonics Skills At Reading Teacher, we love phonics: it’s the foundation of reading success. Of course, a student who’s just learning how to read may feel slightly less optimistic about phonics education. Looking for ways to make phonics lessons more exciting, enriching, and fun? With these research-backed reading strategies, it’s easy… Continue reading How to Develop Phonics Skills
How to Teach Phonics to Struggling Readers
How to Teach Phonics to Struggling Readers Phonics is the pathway to reading success – and for struggling readers, it can also be the biggest obstacle. If you’re the parent or educator of a struggling reader, you’ve likely done your research. You know that phonics instruction is crucial for early readers, but finding the… Continue reading How to Teach Phonics to Struggling Readers
7 Early Signs Your Child May Have a Reading Issue
7 Early Signs Your Child May Have a Reading Issue What counts as a “reading issue?” In a shift toward more inclusive language, some educators and researchers refer to reading issues – rather than reading disabilities or disorders – to describe the challenges faced by readers of all ages. Of course, a 7… Continue reading 7 Early Signs Your Child May Have a Reading Issue
How to Make Reading Fun for 1st Graders
How to Make Reading Fun for 1st Graders If you’ve ever announced “reading time!” and received an audible groan in response, you know that 1st graders can be a tough crowd. Even as they gain reading skills and discover new books, students may feel overwhelmed by reading expectations in 1st grade, which many experts agree… Continue reading How to Make Reading Fun for 1st Graders