by Melinda | Oct 12, 2020 | Literacy
Sound walls, word walls … do you use them and what’s the difference? You may be more familiar with word walls, but sound walls are gaining attention as a useful teaching tool. If you don’t have either, we have tips for setting up sound walls. We also have ideas for...
by Melinda | Oct 5, 2020 | Literacy
Phonics word sorts are a great practice activity to use in the classroom or for students to use at home. Word sorts can give students practice spelling, noting spelling patterns, writing, reading, and more. There are different kinds of phonics word sorts—and multiple...
by Melinda | Sep 28, 2020 | Literacy
We talk about fun and games together, and sometimes games get a bad rap in the classroom. They’re seen as fillers, time-wasters, or a break from learning. Yes, sometimes games can be just for fun or used as a brain break, but games, like classroom spelling games or...
by Melinda | Sep 21, 2020 | Literacy
Is it time to teach CVC words again? Consonant-vowel-consonant words are some of the first words new readers and spellers learn, because they are relatively easy to segment and blend. These skills are critical for reading and spelling, and there are lots of ways to...
by Melinda | Sep 14, 2020 | Literacy
CVC words get a lot of attention — after all, these are the first words our students learn. But as students move on to more advanced spelling words, they still need practice — and you still want to keep them having fun while they master more advanced spelling...
by Melinda | Sep 7, 2020 | Literacy
Do you have students (or a whole class) that groans when it’s time for spelling? Spelling gets a bad rap. Students think of it as a lot of rules and memorization. They often associate it with spelling tests. What if you got them to associate spelling with fun? ...