by Melinda | Apr 19, 2021 | Literacy
Systematic synthetic phonics is an incredibly effective way to teach kids to read. Teaching phonics means teaching kids to link sounds and symbols (connecting phonemes to graphemes or sounds to letters). We call it synthetic phonics because students learn to link the...
by Melinda | Mar 22, 2021 | Literacy
Simply put, orthographic mapping is a way of bonding sounds in spoken language with letters and spelling as a way to get words into permanent memory. Dr. David Kilpatrick, a leading researcher in this area describes it as, “The mental process we use to store...
by Melinda | Mar 1, 2021 | Literacy
Contributed by Guest Author: Teigan Margetts, Co-Founder, Ethicool Whether your little one is starting school for the very first time or simply settling into a new grade, the first few weeks and months of a term can be a little nerve-wracking. Do I like my teacher?...
by Melinda | Feb 22, 2021 | Literacy
Is your literacy teaching guided by the science of reading? Twenty years of research have shown what works and what doesn’t in reading intervention. Teachers who learned to read themselves using whole language, balanced literacy, or the 3-cue system or learned to...
by Melinda | Jan 11, 2021 | Literacy
Word work is just what it sounds like—students actively engage in working with words. It sounds simple, but word work activities encompass a lot: Working with phonics sounds or patterns Learning high-frequency words Practicing reading, writing, and spelling words...
by Melinda | Dec 7, 2020 | Literacy
Does your literacy center need a refresh? I know you’re always updating materials to match particular areas of learning and to make sure students have enough to do. Sometimes it’s helpful to step back and look at your materials with fresh eyes to see what you might...