Have you ever felt like you were teaching on an island? I know I have. When I first started as a special education teacher, I struggled to find a teacher community that truly understood the challenges I faced. Regular education team meetings didn’t address my students’ needs, and when I
You know your students need help with reading, and without the guidance of the science of reading, it can feel like there’s a missing piece—and you can’t quite put your finger on it. I know that feeling, because I’ve been there too. I taught to the curriculum but was at
Part 1 Structured literacy is one of those approaches that just clicks once you see the impact it has on students, especially those who need a little extra support with reading. The UFLI Foundations program lays out the steps of a structured literacy lesson in a way that’s clear, practical,
As someone who has dyslexia, I understand the emotional toll it can take. Growing up, I faced struggles in school, from decoding words to keeping up with my peers in reading and writing. The frustration and anxiety were overwhelming at times, and I often felt different from everyone around me.
As the new school year begins, finding students who need reading support is crucial. You can use various reading assessments to pinpoint which students need help and develop a plan to support their reading development. I like to use the analogy of getting sick and going to the doctor. When
Surprisingly signs of dyslexia can be spotted in preschool even before a child learns to read. Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects how the brain processes information related to language. We often detect dyslexia in the primary grades as children learn to read, write, and spell, however, there are some
A review of skills is an essential component of Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy lessons. A review of previously taught skills and concepts is vital to strengthen knowledge of phonemes, graphemes, and their connections. This is also a great opportunity for the teacher to see how proficient students are at applying
Word chaining is a powerful way for students to develop their phonemic awareness and phonics skills at the same time! When students create word chains they are segmenting, blending, comparing, deleting, adding, or substituting sounds while connecting those sounds with letters for both decoding (reading) and encoding (spelling) in a
Incorporating games with reading lessons can provide a fun and effective way for students to master skills. My students love to play games and I love all the benefits games provide. Here are my top 5 reasons why you should be using games with reading instruction. # 1 Increase Engagement
In honor of dyslexia awareness month, I am sharing 31 facts about dyslexia in my quest to educate and support awareness of dyslexia. Fact 1 It is estimated that up to 20 percent of the population has some degree of dyslexia. This means in a classroom of 25 students, about 5
What are Vowels? A vowel is defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “one of a class of speech sounds in the articulation of which the oral part of the breath channel is not blocked and is not constricted enough to cause audible friction.” More simply stated, vowels are produced with an
Teaching students to count the number of syllables in words used to be all I really understood about syllables. I now understand the importance of syllable types and syllable division rules to reading instruction. Once children understand that larger words are made up of multiple syllables and that we can
Understanding and teaching speech sounds are beneficial to children’s development in learning to speak, read, and spell. I did not learn this in teacher preparation courses but rather within my own professional development of the best methods of teaching reading. Drawing students’ attention to the placement of articulation helps them
There is a myth that English is inconsistent, illogical, and has too many exceptions to the rules. In actuality, English is more reliable than you may think. Only about four percent of English words are truly irregular. Reading Problems Although English is predictable, children aren’t learning the rules and most
Dyslexia is personal. Sitting at the round table as my teacher flashed cards with random words on them that I was expected to read is one of the first memories I have of school. Learning words wasn’t easy for me. I was struggling to learn to read. I found out
Is reading a visual memory task? Through current research, scientists have discovered how we learn and store words. A misconception was that we store words through visual memory. Reading is not a visual memory task. This explains why a struggling reader would know a word one day and not the
Identifying signs of dyslexia in children is crucial to their future success. Dyslexia is a neurological difference that affects oral and written language. Dyslexia is the most common reading disability. It occurs along a spectrum of severity and looks a little different in every child. Here are the signs to look for…
What if I told you, in your class of 25, you would have five students with dyslexia? Well, it is estimated that up to 20 percent of the population has some degree of dyslexia. This means each year you will have students with dyslexia. Dyslexia can range from mild to
Introduction You may be asking, “What are word families?”. I’m here to answer your question as well as why teach word families and their importance to literacy success. I will also give suggestions on how to practice word families in your classroom. What are Word Families? Word families are a
I have been wanting to share my love of audiobooks for kids with you for a while. As many of us are home and children are learning from home, I thought no better time to tell you how great audiobooks can be for you and your child and share some
Learning Ally is a company the provides audiobooks for children. They have so many quality and current titles. Learning Ally helps provide equitable access to the curriculum. It is my favorite audiobook option for children with print-based disabilities. Learning Ally is also my daughter’s favorite way to listen to audiobooks.
Accommodations provide students with dyslexia or other learning differences an alternate way to access information and demonstrate their abilities and knowledge while not changing academic standards or expectations. Accommodations help to level the playing field by giving more equitable access to these students. Keep in mind, accommodations are not a
I am passionate about helping ALL students be successful. I want to find, create, and share resources. I continue to learn and educate so I can help teacher and parents support their students and children.