“Data driven instruction…” is something we have been hearing for a long time. But what does that really mean in the everyday life of a teacher and his/her classroom? In this age of testing, it is often difficult to keep the notion of using data to make decisions about what is being taught.
Tired of the same old routines for small group guided reading instruction? Look no further! Let’s explore a hands-on activity to motivate and engage your young readers. We all recognize that guided reading provides teachers with an opportunity for showing children how to read and for supporting them while they are reading (Fountas & Pinnell, 1996).
As educators, we all know that one of the most important ways that we can help children achieve academic and social success is to form strong and collaborative partnerships with their families. Taking the teacher/parent relationship beyond back to school nights and report card conferences can help build strong home-school connections for kids. Having a strong home-school connection leads children to see learning in a more positive light, which prompts them to work harder and actually enjoy school more.
Phonological awareness is a broad umbrella term for many oral language skills, all of which are essential to the growth of young children’s reading skills. In fact, at least 80 percent of all struggling readers are estimated to demonstrate a weakness in phonological awareness.
Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) professional developers are highly trained on the most effective literacy instruction practices, but they also constantly innovate ways to meet the needs of and build rapport with the teachers they coach.
Do you have a child who struggles to find the motivation to write, or do you have a child who relishes writing, who composes stories, and scribbles away in a journal? Understanding how your child learns about and masters the aspects of writing can help you assist them in building their writing skills.
Reading with individual students can seem like a luxury with all the demands placed upon your time so how can you ensure that your one-on-one time is used effectively? Here’s some useful tips for making sure that the reading conversations you have with your students – especially your struggling readers – are powerful ones.
An educator’s delivery of information that a student might have a reading difficulty can be unsettling to that student’s parents or guardians. They often don’t know what to do for their child next, as they might have heard or read a variety of conflicting advice.
Specific warning signs – varying by age and grade – can help teachers flag a student’s learning disabilities early, says Richard Selznick, a psychologist, nationally certified school psychologist and the director of Cooper Learning Center, a child-learning program affiliated with the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper University Health Care with pediatric offices throughout Southern New Jersey.
The holidays are fast approaching, and parents and teachers alike are already preparing kids for winter break. It’s important to make sure young readers keep practicing their skills, even when they’re not in school. One of the best ways parents can get children excited about reading is with new books!