Phonological and phonemic awareness are not the same, yet I’ve heard many teachers use the terms interchangeably. It can be confusing because they sound very similar and after all, we’re talking about sounds, right? Yes and no. Both terms are referring to the ability to identify sounds, but phonemic awareness is a lot more specific than that. Phonological Awareness Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in words. Think of phonological awareness as if it were…
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ELA & Writing
Lots of people are under the impression that to check for reading fluency, one must whip out a timer and a passage and determine how many words are read in…
A language rich environment has been at the forefront of your mind all year long. You have a portable word wall, anchor charts, posters, etc… Now it’s almost Summer and…
Differentiation, Planning & Instruction, ELA & Writing
Student Led Activities to Improve Reading Fluency
Research has proven time and time again that students learn best when they are engaged and they can take ownership of the work they produce. As a teacher, I sometimes…
Word walls can be an amazing tool for readers and writers, but they are only useful when they’re referenced repeatedly. The portable word wall is a space saver and gets…
Drawing or coloring are often seen as fun activities that should be limited to pre-school and kindergarten. As students move up in grades, we tend to overlook the power of…
Writing can be one of the most challenging subjects to teach, but it really shouldn’t be. Writing is important; it allows for people to convey thoughts that they would otherwise be…
Earth Day is probably one of the social studies/science lessons we sometimes choose to skip; what with all the other things we need to teach and all the standards we…
ELA & Writing, Holidays & Seasons
Differentiated Letters to the North Pole Writing Unit to Get Students Engaged
I don’t know how it is for you, but getting my students to want to write, especially at the beginning of the year, can be quite a daunting task. During…
Differentiation, Planning & Instruction, ELA & Writing
3 Engaging Ways to Teach Vocabulary While Having Fun
Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a student(s) in your class that does not speak the language. Having one or in some cases up to 75% (dare I say…
