“Do as I say, not as I do” is a colloquialism that has been around for centuries.  The idea behind this phrase is that simply telling our children the behavior we want to see is enough to inspire them to make positive choices.   How does this relate to reading and writing?  Simple.  If we...Read More

As summer approaches, a list of fun activities race through the minds of students:   vacations, making smores, participating in summer sports, hanging out with friends until the street lights come on, and most importantly, NO SCHOOL for almost two months!  But what about reading?  Can reading be part of what kids consider “summer fun”? ...Read More

Segmenting ….. Blending….. What is that?  Aren’t these things the same?  Early literacy skills are so important for academic success, but many times parents just expect their child to read or write a word.  They often times forget that there is a lot of groundwork that needs to be laid before a child can pick...Read More

Are you looking for some Valentine’s Day activities to do at home?  Check out some simple activities you can do at home as well as a free math printable for your child to complete! Write Notes of Kindness Valentine’s Day is about being kind to one another and spending time with the people you love. ...Read More

Decodables… you may ask… what are those?  Decodable books are short and simple books that focus on a particular phonetic pattern or word family.   Each book uses these sounds with different words to give students practice with a new sound.  For example, a beginner decodable book may focus on long A words that are...Read More

Growing up as a kid, one of my fondest memories was sitting down with my mom or dad and reading a good book.  This was a time for us to connect and step into a different world.  What made it even better was the funny voices my dad would make for different characters.  That really...Read More

When beginning readers first start on their literacy journey, phonemic awareness is the first step towards this goal.  A strong understanding of phonemic awareness will ultimately lead towards reading acquisition.  You may be asking yourself, what about phonics?  By definition, phonics is the way we use symbols to represent sounds.  In the English language, some...Read More

There are many components that are addressed under the umbrella of reading.  Phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension are usually the main components that are rigorously addressed in school.  There is one area, fluency, that usually gets overlooked.  Many times, teachers and parents are so focused on word recognition and comprehension, that fluency is not...Read More

Independent learning is a skill that means something different for everyone, depending on their age and experiences.  This kind of unassisted learning is something that happens with infants all the way up through the elderly population.  Every year, your child starts fresh by entering a new grade and a new environment for learning.  Classroom education...Read More

We all know that most kids are fans of games – as well as many adults!  When our kids go through preschool, we probably hear how they use play-based learning.  This is how kids learn turn-taking, basic math skills, sentence structure, etc.  However, for some reason, once children reach school age, the idea of “learning...Read More