More and more parents are choosing to homeschool their children rather than sending them to a traditional public or private school. There are many reasons why a family may choose to homeschool, some of which include dissatisfaction with the educational […]
Read More
Regardless of which program or approach to teaching phonics we use, teaching phonics systematically means we follow a particular scope and sequence with its own logic for introducing sound-symbol correspondences and spelling patterns. Many teachers are coming to recognize that […]
Read More
Older, struggling readers often have gaps in the their phonics knowledge. They find alternative spellings particularly confusing. Many suffer from low self-esteem so offering them decodable materials that are age-appropriate is vital. Vital because if the reading materials can engage […]
Read MoreMost teachers approach teaching in a child-centered way so dictation goes against the grain. It may seem old-fashioned and yes, a bit dictatorial. But actually, is it a really powerful tool which is particularly useful for struggling or emerging readers […]
Read More
Why we need to teach ‘structured and cumulative’ reading instruction In the bad old days before I learned how to teach kids to read, I taught kids to read in a structured way. That is, what I thought was structure: […]
Read More
Decodable books are books that a child can read once she/he has been taught the phonics in the book. It is really important to see decodable books as an experience that will be successful if enough preparation is made beforehand. […]
Read More
What are decodable books and how do I use them? Decodable books are controlled texts that beginner readers can read independently once they have been taught the spellings in the text. Children learning to read with phonics benefit from reading […]
Read More
