Does your child struggle with reading comprehension? SO many kids do. Mainly due to the fact that good reading comprehension requires so many skills all rolled into one! First, your child has to be able to accurately read and understand the words on the page. If they don't know a word, they have to figure … Continue reading Strategies for Building Reading Comprehension
Once your child knows all of their letters and sounds, the next step on their reading journey is to begin blending sounds together to create words. While some children catch onto this very quickly, others can struggle when faced with an entire word. It is a lot to remember. All of the letters, their sounds, … Continue reading The Ins and Outs of Word Families
Letter recognition... It is the foundation for all of literacy. It is no wonder then why letter recognition is vital to your child's early academic success! However, I want to stress that it is important to wait until your child is developmentally ready before you start introducing letters. Otherwise, the whole process will be overwhelming … Continue reading Teaching Letter Recognition
Practice Makes Perfect Most beginning math concepts all require at least some level of memorization. These concepts are the building blocks of mathematics, and as children get older, these skills will continue to build on each other. That is why it is so important for kids to learn the basics when they are young. And … Continue reading Improve Beginning Math Skills Through Games
In today's world filled with auto-correct, spell check, and classrooms with 1-to-1 computing, it's no wonder that spelling often gets overlooked. Teachers are overloaded with content to teach, and something as mundane as spelling can be easily pushed by the wayside. As a parent, it is easy to think... Oh [insert name here] doesn't need … Continue reading Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check – A Strategy for Struggling Spellers
The timed test. You all know what I am talking about. The teacher passes out a list of math problems, and says "Complete as many problems as you can in ___ minutes. Ready. Go." Timed tests are a very polarizing topic in education today. They have become a large part of many math curriculums in … Continue reading Three Tips For A Timed Test Transformation
So your child has mastered their letters and sounds? That is no easy feat! But you may be thinking, "What should we work on next?" Beginning Blending with Two and Three-Letter Words Once at least some of the letters and sounds are learned, the next step is teaching how to blend sounds together to make … Continue reading Practice CVC Words Using a Blending Board
What is reading fluency? According to Reading Rockets, "fluency is defined as the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression." By reading fluently, either in their head or out loud, children will be able to better understand what they read. Read on to learn more about each component of reading fluency. You will also … Continue reading Building Reading Fluency in Beginning Readers
Tricky little sight words Sight words, or high frequency words, are some of the most commonly used words in the English language. They make up approximately 50% of all written texts. Because these words are so frequently used, it is important for students to be able to recognize them automatically. Despite their importance, sight words … Continue reading Teaching Sight Words with Picture Cues
Does this homework scenario sound familiar? Your kids get home from school tired and hungry. They want a snack and time to play outside or watch TV. You agree, after all they have had a long day. When it comes time for homework, your kids whine and complain. You let them relax a little while … Continue reading Establish an Effective Homework Routine
Sign up for my newsletter to receive free teaching tips delivered straight to your inbox.