'Tis the season to read and write
'Tis the season to read and writePublication date: December 5, 2007Like everyone, we're in for a busy couple of weeks. Our homework and storytime routines sometimes get pushed aside, and at first I was...
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Can Santa read this?
Can Santa read this?Publication date: December 19, 2007We're still reading and writing around our house, with Anna adding to her list each day. Because of this, I'll be busy right up until the last...
View ArticleSpelling made fun
Spelling made funPublication date: February 1, 2008Within Molly's first-grade class, there is a huge range of spelling and reading skills. Her teacher groups for reading and spelling; usually the kids...
View ArticleNo more Friday spelling tests!
No more Friday spelling tests!Publication date: October 13, 2008I think I'll open a can of worms this week and declare that teachers should abandon the age-old practice of Friday spelling tests. You...
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Using but confusing, with laundry
Using but confusing, with laundryPublication date: April 20, 2009I've written before about using a child's writing as a way to understand what she needs from her instruction. This weekend provided me...
View ArticleCareful watching and listening during those first few days of school
Careful watching and listening during those first few days of schoolPublication date: August 24, 2011First day jitters? First week jitters? Assessing kids those first few days and weeks of school...
View ArticleReading aloud with kids around the globe
Reading aloud with kids around the globePublication date: April 4, 2013What if your students could share a popular work of children's literature with other students around the world? Fourth-grade...
View ArticleThe buzz about the Spelling Bee
The buzz about the Spelling BeePublication date: April 18, 2013There are just 40 days until the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Our elementary school holds a local event, and classroom-winning...
View ArticleShould We Teach Spelling? Part 1
Should We Teach Spelling? Part 1Publication date: May 1, 2015I often hear concerns about our students' poor spelling abilities, and have been thinking about practical ways to address this issue....
View ArticleShould We Teach Spelling? Part 2
Should We Teach Spelling? Part 2Publication date: May 8, 2015My last blog entry was written in response to a fifth-grade teacher who wanted to know about spelling instruction. Although teachers at her...
View ArticleOf Carts and Horses: Where Fluency Teaching Fits in Learning to Read Process
Of Carts and Horses: Where Fluency Teaching Fits in Learning to Read ProcessPublication date: September 30, 2015Question from a teacher:Our preK-5 school has a number of struggling readers, and we were...
View ArticleLindamood Bell Reading: Effects Are Potentially Positive, Mixed, Says US DOE...
Lindamood Bell Reading: Effects Are Potentially Positive, Mixed, Says US DOE ClearinghousePublication date: November 12, 2015A new report from the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education...
View ArticleKids Need to Read Within Instruction
Kids Need to Read Within Instruction Publication date: January 5, 2016If you have ever had surgery, you probably have had the weird experience of signing off on a bunch of medical paperwork. The oddest...
View ArticleHow Many Times Should They Copy the Spelling Words?
How Many Times Should They Copy the Spelling Words?Publication date: March 7, 2016Two questions from teachers:I have a question that was posed to me be an elementary principal. Her question was, "How...
View ArticleHow Can Reading Coaches Raise Reading Achievement?
How Can Reading Coaches Raise Reading Achievement?Publication date: May 24, 2016Teacher question:I have just been hired as a reading coach in a school where I have been a third-grade teacher. My...
View ArticleHow Do You Make a Good Reader? Just the Basics
How Do You Make a Good Reader? Just the BasicsPublication date: May 28, 2017Teacher question:What makes good readers? What are kids lacking making them not so good readers?Shanahan's response:I love...
View ArticleIs Morphology Training Better Than Phonics Instruction?
Is Morphology Training Better Than Phonics Instruction?Publication date: September 14, 2017Man, sometimes when you publish a blog entry you’d wish you stayed in bed.You hope to write something that...
View ArticleWhat Should Morphology Instruction Look Like?
Publication date: August 20, 2018Teacher question:Are there any resources that provide a list of morphemes to teach at each K-5 grade level? I have been looking for a definitive list of morphemes that...
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Should We Teach Spelling? Part 1
Should We Teach Spelling? Part 1Publication date: May 1, 2015I often hear concerns about our students' poor spelling abilities, and have been thinking about practical ways to address this issue....
View ArticleShould We Teach Spelling? Part 2
Should We Teach Spelling? Part 2Publication date: May 8, 2015My last blog entry was written in response to a fifth-grade teacher who wanted to know about spelling instruction. Although teachers at her...
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