The school year is quickly coming to an end, the weather is getting warmer and kids are getting restless!  For parents, the last few weeks before summer break can feel like a marathon trying to keep kids from completely checking out mentally.  In this blog, I will share a few tips that parents can do...Read More

Let’s face it, the life of a middle schooler is crazy busy between after school activities, homework, screentime  and friends.  The transition from preteen to teenage years is challenging and it may seem like getting your kids to do their homework is enough to put you over the edge.  But, maintaining a reading routine for...Read More

Spring is an exciting time of year.  The weather is warming up, and flowers are beginning to bud on the trees.  As I prepare to write this blog, I can hear the birds chirping and see the soft billowing of my curtains as the breeze gently pushes through my dining room windows.  But just as...Read More

Kindergarten is an exciting time for kids and brings many big changes!  For some kids, it’s their first time in a formal school setting.  For others, they are transitioning from a small preschool classroom to a big room with many more classmates.  The way that kids respond to these changes also vary.  Some kids embrace...Read More

Spring is getting closer…the days are getting longer…and standardized testing is right around the corner.  Yes, it’s THAT time of year again.  It’s standardized testing time!  This can be a very stressful time for our kids.  In this blog, I will share a few ways parents can help relieve test anxiety, stress and pressure.  So,...Read More

As a reading interventionist at my school, this is a really magical time of year.  My kindergarten students have been learning letter sounds all year so far and now, they are starting to put those sounds together to read actual WORDS!  This is called blending.  Blending is the fundamental skill that helps us read, especially...Read More

Our school recently hosted a Spelling Bee for our 4th through 8th grade students.  I sat in amazement watching these brave students stand in front of their peers and parents and spell words ranging in difficulty.  Some of the words the students had to spell I hadn’t even heard of…and I consider myself a proficient...Read More

There was a reading unit when I was teaching third grade where the vocabulary word, perseverance, was introduced.  I loved teaching my students about this word!  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, perseverance is “continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.”  The act of persevering is so important to instill in...Read More

The purpose of reading is comprehension.  Without comprehension, children gain no meaning from what they read; they are just word-calling. It is no exaggeration to say that comprehending what you read has a profound impact on everyday activities.  The earlier that kids develop this fundamental skill, the better off they will be in school, and...Read More

You may have heard teachers say that children in grades K-2 are “learning to read”, while children in grade 3 and above are “reading to learn”.  Although there is some debate as to whether this statement is accurate, when kids enter third grade, there is a definite shift in HOW they read and WHY they...Read More