Download this guide which will provide you with Discussion Questions you can ask your child as you are reading with them at home.

Are you wondering how to successfully teach decoding strategies to your Early readers?  Despite funny names like Flippy Dolphin and Skippy Frog, these decoding strategies are so important! If you’re ready to teach the Skippy Frog decoding strategy to the students in your classroom, keep reading for some helpful tips and information. I’m glad you’re …

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What decoding strategies should you be teaching your Early readers? The students in your Early Readers leveled group are already familiar with Lips the Fish, but now they’re ready to meet her more adventurous big sister, Flippy Dolphin! The Flippy Dolphin strategy provides a great way for your students to solve words with long or …

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Which reading strategies should you introduce to your Emergent readers?  Of course, basic strategies like Eagle Eye and Lips the Fish will help new readers as they begin the process of learning to decode. But what about a strategy like Chunky Monkey? This one may be a little advanced for your Level A & B …

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Are you wondering about the best ways to teach reading strategies to your Emergent readers?  These students are at the beginning stages of reading; but that’s why it’s so important for them to grasp these important tools for reading and decoding. As Emergent readers start the adventure of learning to decode, the Stretchy Snake strategy …

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Are you wondering how to effectively teach reading strategies to your Emergent readers? Readers at the Emergent level are reading on levels A through C. Graphophonic or visual cues are so important for readers at this level. Once they can recognize and use these cues, they’ll begin to see how letter-sound relationships help them solve …

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Are you wondering how to tackle the task of teaching reading and decoding strategies to your Emergent readers? Readers at the Emergent level are reading on levels A through C. They rely heavily on the semantic cueing system, using the pictures they see to make meaning. There are some strategies that may be too advanced …

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What words come to mind when you think about doing Guided Reading lesson plans? Stress? Frustration? A late-night race against the clock? Planning lessons for your Guided Reading level groups takes some work. I’ve been there, and I feel your pain! Lesson planning is a huge part of our job as educators, and to be …

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We teachers live for long weekends. In warm weather, we head for sunshine and a sandy beach, but in winter we may choose a cozy cabin near the slopes. Either way, we’re prepared to chill. For the beach trip, we pack sunscreen, flipflops, a pair of cool shades and a fun romance novel. For the …

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“Why did the chicken cross the road?” That’s one of the first jokes children learn; and I love seeing the twinkle in a child’s eye as they tell it for the first time. And it’s not just the chicken joke; there are a thousand other knock-knock jokes based on the premise that some questions have …

Rigor in the Classroom – 7 Strategies for Success Read More »