Are you counting down the days till summer break? Who’s not, right? With over-testing, kids’ spring fever, students who are not progressing as we hoped, and the arrival of warm, blue skies, we may be a tad less effective in our teaching in the last few weeks and days. I know I’ve gotten too worn-down […]
“He’s already decided he wants to fail 1st grade” “Whaaaat????” you may be thinking to yourself. What a crazy statement! But I actually heard these words from a 1st grade teacher in my first job as an instructional coach. True story. [But one with a happy ending. Stay tuned.] And….I heard it in October of […]
Wondering what happened to our star Kindergarten student by the end of the 5-day challenge?
Catch up in less than 5 minutes with this day-by-day tour his accomplishments during our special event, Level Up Your Struggling Readers’ Accomplishments in Just 5 Days. Recall that he began the 5-day challenge knowing 6 consonants and no short vowels. He also couldn’t segment CVC words, initially.
In just 12 minutes a day, he was able to skyrocket through what other programs would have taken months to accomplish. You, too, can save instructional time AND boost student achievement when you participate in our Reading Simplified Academy membership.
Have you tried Switch It with your students? What have you found?
Please join us in our 2nd challenge! Starting Sunday, January 22nd at 8 pm (EST) on Facebook Live you’ll learn how to use the simple Switch It activity. You’ll also get free resources–pretty much all you’ll need for the activity. AND, you can watch me live work with a new 1st grade student. See how much progress she can make in a 5 days as compared to the K boy above!
Just enter your name and email below to enter the FREE training now!
If not, what seems different about Switch It that might help your students? (I’d love to hear your thoughts!)
When I was a new teacher, I came home tired. Dead tired. My husband wanted to support me, to treat me, so he would offer to take me out to eat for dinner. How sweet! He would innocently ask, “Where would you like to go?” Then I would despair. Yes, dear readers, the thought […]
(In Which a Mother Rouses Her Child) The trouble began one evening in the after-dinner slump. As my then 1st grade daughter rolled around on the floor, she whined, “I don’t want to go to school. Can I please stay home from school tomorrow?” We commenced a discussion on the unlikelihood of that. Having gone round […]
Have you had a student like Anthony? Anthony’s finishing 1st grade and he seems to be making strides in his reading. He generally aims to make meaning and his knowledge of high frequency words is growing steadily. He likes books, especially Star Wars books, and he can write a logical short paragraph…..However, you wonder whether […]
Several months ago I was visiting a preschool classroom and the teacher asked me a question based on her bi-annual PALS assessment. The assessment includes phonological (sound-based language) awareness, letter name, and letter sound knowledge. She and her co-teacher both observed some quirky responses but didn’t understand the root. She wondered: “Why do several children say, […]
While hundreds of apps have been created for the teaching of reading, most of them are instructionally so poor, that after testing them, I simply delete them from my phone or iPad. Not even worth 5 minute’s of a child’s time. Harsh! So, when I encounter an app that’s effective, fun, and easy-to-use, I get […]
How can one not start at the beginning, you may be wondering. “Start” and “beginning” kinda mean the same thing, right? In keeping with our mission here at Reading Simplified—streamlined instruction, accelerated achievement—I propose you skip the beginning stage of traditional reading instruction: teaching letter sounds in isolation. Instead, jump to teaching letter sounds in […]
How long does it take to catch a reader who is struggling back up to her peers? Some reading research reports explain that almost all students with reading difficulties can catch up after 70 or more hours of 1-on-1 instruction. 70 hours! Know any classroom teachers with that kinda time? For 1 student? And, while […]
