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The 3 Skills Hiding Inside “They Know Their Letters”
You give the alphabet assessment. The student scores 90% or better. On paper, they know their letters. Then you think back to what actually happened during the test. The hesitations. The eyes drifting up and to the right while they search for the letter, the sound, the name. And you
When Should You Start Teaching Blending? Sooner Than You Think
It’s the fourth week of school, and you’re still wondering when to start teaching blending. Not because you don’t want to start, but because half your class can’t reliably name all 26 letters yet, and somewhere along the way you picked up the idea that decoding waits until the alphabet
Why Can’t My Students Blend Sounds Into Words?
Why can’t my students blend sounds into words? This was a question that I asked myself very often. You see, I had a student stuck in what I call the Blending Black Hole. Every. Single. Word. Took. An. Eternity. C… a… t… She’d look at me, eyes pleading, “Can I
Teaching CVC Words? Why Short Vowel Word Chains Work
If you’ve ever listened to a student carefully say each sound in a word, only to guess the word anyway, you already know the following information……decoding isn’t about exposure. It’s about structure. Short vowel word chains are one of the best ways to help students move from knowing sounds to
3 Ways to Improve Blending Skills
Blending is one of the most important early reading skills—and one that many young learners struggle to master. In this post, you’ll discover
research-backed strategies for teaching blending with confidence. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, interventionist, or parent, these tips will help your students move from choppy, sound-by-sound reading to fluent, confident decoding.
How to Start Literacy Centers in the Primary Classroom
One of the hallmarks of my teaching approach is my dedication to classroom centers and small group activities. These structured environments are important in promoting student engagement and individualized learning. My enthusiasm for center routines has become well-known at my school, often prompting fellow teachers to visit my classroom to