If you've taught in the classroom for long enough, you've probably heard of running records. Today, we're going to dive into running records just a bit to talk about what, when, where, and why you should use them with your readers. There will be more posts in this series on running records, so stay tuned! If you're a parent or homeschooler, you may enjoy my book, How to Choose "Just Right" Books, which explains all of this and more in easy to understand terms. *This post contains affiliate links. The process of reading is a complicated one for younger learners. It involves ... Continue Reading
Struggling Readers
Sounding Out Words Practice Pages
It's no secret that sounding out words is still a bit of a struggle for my now 2nd grader. Of course, I don't want this to be her go-to reading strategy for every word because that just wouldn't be appropriate. But truly decodable words, like track or stump, still often trip her up. Instead of reading through the word, she takes bits and pieces of the word to guess a random word. For example, she may take the ck, a, and t out of track and guess CAT. *This post contains affiliate links. **The free printables can be found at the END of this post. Look for the teal download ... Continue Reading
Teaching Vocabulary Without Dictionaries
Teaching vocabulary most definitely includes using the dictionary, right? Perhaps. But today, we're going to explore teaching vocabulary WITHOUT dictionaries! *This post contains affiliate links. So, can it be done? Can you really ditch the dictionary when it comes to vocabulary instruction? Well, maybe not completely. Today, I'm sharing 8 different ways you can explore and teach vocabulary without asking learners to open their dictionaries. Why Not the Dictionary? Here are just two quick reasons the dictionary shouldn't be your first "go-to" when teaching vocabulary ... Continue Reading
Using Nonsense Words with Readers
Mig. Nup. Clag. These are nonsense words. I've been using them with readers for 12+ years now. And I've been asked several times why I do. So today, I'm tackling the subject of using nonsense words {and defending them...to a degree} with readers. Be sure to click on the teal download button to grab a printable nonsense word list. Using Nonsense Words with Readers Yes. It's obvious. We don't use nonsense words {also known as pseudo words} when we read. So why in the world would I ever suggest we use them with readers? Let's take a look at decoding for a second. By the ... Continue Reading
Reading Phonics Patterns with Multiple Sounds Chart
Have you ever noticed that some phonics vowel patterns have several different ways you can pronounce them? That's one reason I created this simple phonics patterns with multiple sounds chart. You might also like all our 100+ Phonics Cards, great for helping kids with reading and spelling. *This post contains affiliate links. **The free download can be found at the END of this post. Click on the teal download button. Phonics Patterns with Multiple Sounds While working with my 1st grader this past week, we began to explore two other sounds for the ea vowel team. She had ... Continue Reading