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How does using diverse texts in the classroom build a strong classroom community? Find two texts you would use with your students to build a classroom community and share them with others. For each book, provide the title, author, date of publication, publisher, summary of the book, and a description of how you would use the book in your classroom.

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How does using diverse texts in the classroom build a strong classroom community? Find two texts you would use with your students to build a classroom community and share them with others. For each book, provide the title, author, date of publication, publisher, summary of the book, and a description of how you would use the book in your classroom.

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Using diverse texts in the classroom promotes inclusivity and empathy by exposing students to a variety of perspectives, fostering a deeper understanding of each other's experiences. This encourages respectful dialogue, critical thinking, and a sense of belonging, helping to build a stronger, more connected classroom community. Two texts I love are The Rain Came Down, written in 2000 by David Shannon and Sofia Valdez, Future Prez written in 2109 by Andrea Beaty. We all know that bad weather can make the happiest people change moods rather quickly. This book explores how easily moods can change and be altered by the arrival of one thing- rain clouds. I was drawn to this book because I have enjoyed David Shannon's other books and illustrations. The Rain Came Down offers the same realistic yet cheery pictures that really make the story pop. The interlocking chain of events begins because the animals are startled by the commotion of the rain. This sets off a series of issues that affect all of the people in the community. But when the sun comes out, attitudes begin to shift, and amends are made. What I like best about this story is the message that it sends to young readers- that amends can be made, and people can forgive each other and move on from their issues. This book would appeal to many young readers. Sophia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty is an inspiring picture book that follows the story of Sophia Valdez, a young girl who dreams of making a big difference in her community. When she notices that a local park has become a dangerous eyesore, Sophia decides to take action by campaigning to have it revitalized. With determination, creativity, and a passion for helping others, she rallies the community to support her cause, showing young readers the power of leadership, problem-solving, and civic engagement. The book encourages kids to believe in their ability to create change, no matter how small they may be.

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Bridge2Read provides modules for specific grade levels to help teachers with lessons.

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Get started with Bridge2Read - ServeMinnesota

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Bridge2Read is a series of ~160 daily scripted lessons that help teach students how to read.

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A part of phonological awareness in which listeners can hear, identify, and manipulate phonemes, the smallest mental units of sound that help to differentiate units of meaning.

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The ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in spoken language.

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5 Tips for Teaching Phonemic Awareness // Science of Reading Phonemic Awareness Ideas!

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Practice mapping phonemes and move into Elkonin boxes with a peer or family member. Use the sample lessons on D2L to guide your practice. 

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Practice mapping phonemes and move into Elkonin boxes with a peer or family member. Use the sample lessons on D2L to guide your practice. 

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I used the same mapping practice that the teacher in the Elkonin Boxes Demonstration video used but instead of a whiteboard, I used my Ipad because I didn't have anything else around. I practiced with my boyfriend who was very patient and a good sport lol. I really liked this method and think it is very useful. At first, I thought to break up the "a" and "r" sounds in the word dark but I learned that that is actually just one sound. I can see this helping my students in the future.

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Multisensory techniques involve using more than one senses like sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell—when learning or teaching something. This approach helps people understand and remember information better because it engages different brain parts. For example, if you learn about a fruit by seeing it, touching it, and tasting it, you're more likely to remember what it is. These techniques are especially important for students with different learning styles or difficulties, as they make learning more engaging and effective.

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How does phonological and phonemic awareness affect students’ oral language and reading development? How does this impact reading achievement? 

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How does phonological and phonemic awareness affect students’ oral language and reading development? How does this impact reading achievement? 

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Phonological awareness allows students to break down words into smaller parts. Phonemic awareness will enable students to "play" with sounds. It also helps in the process of forming new words. This allows them to understand the structure of words. It can help them to decode words, recognize words, and understand rhyming words and syllables.

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Conduct three phonemic awareness activities from our Kilpatrick text 

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Conduct three phonemic awareness activities from our Kilpatrick text 

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I conducted each of the three activities with my boyfriend. We did the substitution, segmentation, and deletion. I actually copied Abby and used the word sandwich and broke it up into two words for segmentation, which were both of our favorites. We also agreed that we can see these activities help students to get a grasp on phonemic awareness.

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Comparing and contrasting phonics and phonemic awareness, using Pi.

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Comparing and contrasting phonics and phonemic awareness, using Pi.

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Phonics and phonemic awareness are both essential components of literacy instruction, yet they are distinct concepts that work together to help students become proficient readers and writers.

Phonics:

Phonics refers to the relationship between letters and sounds in a language. It involves teaching students how to connect the written letters (graphemes) with their corresponding spoken sounds (phonemes). The focus is on understanding how letters and letter combinations represent specific sounds and how these sounds combine to form words.

Phonemic Awareness:

Phonemic awareness is the ability to recognize and manipulate individual speech sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. It involves identifying, blending, segmenting, and changing sounds within words without involving print. Phonemic awareness is a critical precursor to reading and writing and lays the foundation for phonics instruction.

Similarities and Connections:

Phonics and phonemic awareness are both concerned with the sounds of language. While phonemic awareness focuses on the manipulation of sounds in spoken words, phonics connects these sounds to their corresponding written representations. Phonemic awareness serves as a foundation for phonics instruction, as students must be able to identify and manipulate individual sounds before they can learn to associate these sounds with specific letters or letter combinations.

Structured Approach to Teaching Phonics:

A structured approach to teaching phonics involves the following steps:

1. Introduction to the letter or letter combination: Show and name the letter or letter combination (e.g., "This is the letter 'a'.").

2. Sound-letter correspondence: Introduce the sound associated with the letter or letter combination (e.g., "The letter 'a' makes the /a/ sound, as in 'apple'.").

3. Modeling: Demonstrate how to form the letter or letter combination and how it sounds when combined with other letters or words (e.g., "Let's write the letter 'a' and create words like 'bat,' 'cat,' and 'hat'.").

4. Blending: Guide students to combine individual sounds into words (e.g., "What word do we get when we put together the sounds /b/ /a/ /t/?").

5. Segmenting: Teach students to break words into their individual sounds (e.g., "Let's separate the word 'bat' into its sounds: /b/ /a/ /t/.").

6. Decoding and encoding practice: Provide opportunities for students to read and write words containing the targeted letter or letter combination (e.g., "Read these words: 'cat,' 'hat,' 'bat.' Now write your own words with the 'a' sound.").

7. Review and assessment: Continuously review previously taught phonics concepts and assess students' understanding and progress.

A structured phonics approach is essential for providing students with the necessary skills to decode and encode words effectively, leading to improved reading and writing abilities.

This section was generated by using [Pi] (2024)

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“ Research clearly indicates that students make the most progress when they are grouped according to their developmental level (Juel & Min-den-Cupp, 2000)”

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“ Research clearly indicates that students make the most progress when they are grouped according to their developmental level (Juel & Min-den-Cupp, 2000)”

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Excerpt From Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students, 10th Edition Thomas G. Gunning.

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Scope and Sequence for Word Study, Reading and Spelliing LETRS

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Scope and Sequence for Word Study, Reading and Spelliing LETRS

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Experienced teachers know that true literacy is much more than just being able to sound out the letters on the page. Skilled readers need to be able to master both what the words are and what they mean. To do this successfully, they bring together various skills like vocabulary, language structure, and verbal reasoning. The Scarborough's Reading Rope model can help educators better understand what it truly takes to create skilled readers.

What is Scarborough's Reading Rope?

Source: Brainspring

Dr. Hollis Scarborough invented the concept of the Reading Rope in the early 1990s. She used it to help parents understand the various skills their children needed to master to become proficient readers. Originally, she twisted together a model made of pipe cleaners to demonstrate her point.

In 2001, the model was published in the Handbook of Early Literacy Research (Neuman/Dickinson). Reading teachers immediately saw how useful it was, and it became a staple for educating new teachers and parents alike.

Scarborough's Reading Rope contains two main sections: Word Recognition and Language Comprehension. Each of these comprises several smaller strands. Woven together, these strands become the rope that represents complete skilled reading. All the components are interconnected and interdependent. If just one strand is weak, it affects the rope (and the reader) as a whole.

Lower Section: Word Recognition

Source: Payne STEAM Academy on Twitter

The lower section of Scarborough's Reading Rope focuses on word recognition skills. These are the skills we tend to think of most when we talk about teaching kids how to read. Imagine a kid sounding out the letters on a page or putting together phonics sounds and syllables. These are the basics of word recognition.

Phonological Awareness

Put simply, phonological awareness is about understanding that words are made up of sounds. Kids learn to speak without ever needing to see a written word. But when they learn reading, they need to recognize that the sounds they make with their mouths correspond with the words they see on the page. This is a very early skill that sets the stage for what follows.

Learn more: Phonological Awareness/Massachusetts Department of Education

Decoding

Decoding is what we picture when we see beginning readers: kids sounding out the words letter by letter. It includes things like phonics, letter blends, silent letters, and more. Kids proficient at decoding can sound out all the words they see on a page, even if they don't know what the words mean.

Try it: Effective Decoding Strategies and Activities for Emerging Readers

Sight Words

Some words are used so frequently that it makes more sense to teach kids to recognize them on sight. This is an extremely common method used in pretty much every early elementary classroom today. Learn more about sight words here.

Try it: Fun Sight Word Activities That Work

Upper Section: Language Comprehension

Source: @teachloveread

Word recognition on its own doesn't create fluent readers. If kids don't know what the words themselves mean, they're not really reading. Furthermore, understanding the meaning of words on their own isn't really useful. Fluent readers understand the text they're reading as a whole, drawing meaningful conclusions and finding important takeaways. The upper strands of Scarborough's Reading Rope are incredibly key in creating strong readers.

Background Knowledge

This strand of the rope is where cross-curriculum learning can really come into play. Kids reading a novel set in World War II Germany will get a lot more out of it when they understand more about WWII in general. For teachers, this means placing reading choices in context. Use reading (at any age) as part of a larger lesson on any topic. Kids will develop a deeper understanding and improve literacy skills at the same time.

Try it: Ways To Build Background Knowledge-and Make Reading Skills Soar

Vocabulary

Building a rich vocabulary means kids can enjoy reading a wider variety of books. When you have to stop every few sentences to look up a word, you're likely to give up on reading a lot faster. Even worse is when kids don't stop to find out the meaning of a word, since they'll have "read" something without understanding it fully-or at all.

Try it: Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade

Language Structure

When we talk about language structure, we generally mean syntax (the order of words) and semantics (the meaning of the text). English has a lot of rules for the patterns and order of words, known as syntax. Semantics delves deep into how words and phrases combine to create meaning and how an author's word choice affects that meaning. It's a complicated topic, which good readers continue to consider throughout their lives.

Learn more: Language Structures: Reading Comprehension/Surrey Schools ONE

Verbal Reasoning

When it comes to Scarborough's Reading Rope, verbal reasoning refers to understanding when and how words are being figurative and literal. It includes things like metaphors, analogies, idioms, and figurative language. Kids pick up some of these things as they grow, but classroom instruction can be helpful too.

Try it: Figurative Language Anchor Charts That You Literally Need Right Now

Literacy Knowledge

Kids gain literacy knowledge by exposure to a wide array of genres and styles. This is why a strong curriculum covers fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in all their forms. Generally speaking, the more types of reading a child encounters, the more advanced their literacy knowledge becomes.

Learn more: Literary Genres/California Department of Education

How can teachers use Scarborough's Rope?

Source: Brainspring

Many teachers find Scarborough's Reading Rope useful in two main ways. First, it helps teachers themselves identify where struggling readers may need more help. For instance, a student may be very good at sounding out the words on the page but lack the vocabulary or verbal reasoning to make sense of what they're reading. Once they identify the weak strands, a teacher can make adjustments or offer enrichment to help that student succeed.

Second, teachers can (and should) share this model with parents. It can help them understand why their child is struggling or why teachers use such a variety of methods in the classroom. It's a good tool to reinforce that reading at home is essential to building the literacy skills kids need in school and throughout their lives.

Scarborough's Reading Rope Resources

Try these free resources to learn more about this valuable literacy model.

How has Scarborough's Reading Rope enhanced your teaching of reading? Come share your thoughts in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE on Facebook.

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What Is Scarborough's Reading Rope and How Do Teachers Use It?

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Scarborough's Reading Rope is a model of the many strands of language comprehension and word recognition that weave into proficient reading.

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Aouad, J. and Savage, R. (2009). The component structure of preliteracy skills: Further evidence for the simple view of reading. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 24 (2), 183-200.

Catts, H., Adlof, S., and Weismer, S. (2006). Language deficits in poor comprehenders: A case for the simple view of reading. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49, 278-293.

Gough, P., Hoover, W., and Patterson, C. (1996). Some observations on a simple view of reading. In C. Cornoldi and J. Oakhill (eds.), Reading comprehension difficulties: Processes and intervention (pp. 1-13). Mahway, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

*Gough, P. and Tunmer, W. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and Special Education, 7, 6-10.

Hoover, W. and Gough, P. (1990). The simple view of reading. Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 2, 127-160.

*Kamhi, A. (2007). Knowledge deficits: the true crisis in education. ASHA Leader, 12 (7), 28-29.

*These articles are short and easy to read.

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The Simple View of Reading is a formula demonstrating the widely accepted view that reading has two basic components: word recognition (decoding) and language comprehension. Research studies show that a student's reading comprehension score can be predicted if decoding skills and language comprehension abilities are known.

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Volume 9, Issue 1
February 2020
With a nod to Hollis Scarborough's famous "Reading Rope," Joan Sedita has created the "Writing Rope." In Sedita's words, " ... significant attention is paid to the multi-component nature of skilled reading, while writing tends to be referred to as a single, monolithic skill. I'd like to suggest a model that identifies the multiple components that are necessary for skilled writing-a similar 'rope' metaphor can be used to depict the many strands that contribute to fluent, skilled writing. It should be noted that instruction for many skills that support writing also support reading comprehension."

For a deeper dive, see Sedita's explanation.
Copyright © 2020 International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Opinions expressed in the Examiner and/or via links do not necessarily reflect those of IDA. We encourage sharing of Examiner articles. If portions are cited, please make appropriate reference. Articles may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. Permission to republish this article is available from info@dyslexiaIDA.org

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Joan Sedita's "Writing Rope" - International Dyslexia Association

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Scarborough's Reading Rope is a visual tool that shows all the different skills needed to become a good reader. It looks like a rope made of many strands, with one side representing language comprehension (like vocabulary and understanding stories) and the other side representing word recognition (like phonics and sight words). Each strand is important, and when they all come together, they help a child read well. This concept is important because it helps teachers understand that reading isn’t just one skill; it’s a mix of many, and they can focus on improving each part to help kids become better readers.

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The writing rope is a way to visualize all the different skills that come together to help someone write well, like handwriting, spelling, grammar, and ideas. You can think of it like a rope made up of many strands, where each strand represents a skill. This concept is important because it shows that good writing isn’t just about one thing; it involves many skills working together. By understanding the writing rope, teachers and students can focus on improving each part, making the writing process easier and more effective.

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will admit, even as a nineteen-year-old, I think it is easier to have neater handwriting with the traditional dotted and lined paper. I also think it is easiest for kids to learn to write when they use one stroke, if possible. For example, an "M" may be easier to write because it is one stroke. If you can make the letter "G" one stroke, it will make learning to write that letter easier. I have found it helpful to also dot letters with a colored marker to encourage tracing and help with learning to write letters. I also watched a video that mentioned using clear glue to act as a "bump" so that students know not to go past the "bump" and they can also feel it.

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I enjoyed using the Bridge2Read site and the sound awareness module in particular. It was easy to follow along and interactive. I learned a lot of new vocabulary from this module. I was unaware of the meaning of onset/rime. I also like that it gives tricks like using sticky notes to identify three or more phoneme words.

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Phonics is a way of teaching reading that helps kids understand the sounds that letters and groups of letters make. Phonics is important because it gives kids the tools to sound out words on their own, making it easier for them to read and write. It builds a strong foundation for literacy, helping them become confident readers as they grow.

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A, E, I, O, and U. Sometimes, the letter Y is also considered a vowel when it sounds like one, as in words like "my" or "gym."

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B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, and Z.

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1. Consonant-Vowel-Consonant (CVC)

Example: cat, dog, man

2. Blends

Initial Blends: Two or more consonants at the beginning of a word.

Example: br (brick), cl (clay), st (stop)

Final Blends: Two or more consonants at the end of a word.

Example: mp (lamp), nd (hand), lt (belt)

3. Digraphs

Consonant Digraphs: Two consonants that make one sound.

Example: sh (ship), ch (chat), th (that), ph (phone)

Vowel Digraphs: Two vowels that make one sound.

Example: ai (rain), ea (sea), oo (food), ou (cloud)

4. Diphthongs

Vowel combinations that make a gliding sound.

Example: oi (coin), oy (boy), ou (out), ow (cow)

5. R-Controlled Vowels (Bossy R)

A vowel followed by r that changes the sound of the vowel.

Example: ar (car), or (fork), er (her), ir (bird), ur (fur)

6. Vowel Teams

Two vowels that together make a single sound, but not necessarily a digraph.

Example: ea (bread), ai (train), ee (tree), ea (tea)

7. Silent Letters

Letters that are not pronounced.

Example: kn (knight), wr (wrist), mb (thumb)

8. CVCe (Silent E or Magic E)

A silent e at the end of the word that makes the vowel say its name (long vowel sound).

Example: cake, bike, rope

9. Vowel-Consonant-E (VCE)

Similar to CVCe, where the vowel sound is long due to the silent e.

Example: dice, tape

10. Schwa Sound

The unstressed vowel sound, often represented by a, e, i, o, or u.

Example: sofa, about, banana

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Syllabic analysis is the practice of breaking words down into their syllables, which are the parts of a word that have a vowel sound. This technique is important because it helps people understand how words are structured, making it easier to read and spell them. By recognizing syllables, learners can improve their pronunciation and decoding skills, which are crucial for becoming confident readers and writers.

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Examine the explicit phonics lesson Bridge 2Read Phonics Lesson short u.

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Examine the explicit phonics lesson Bridge 2Read Phonics Lesson short u.

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In the video, the teacher started with letter cards. She had her class read the letter and a word that began with the letter. She also had them raise their hands if the letter was a vowel. Next, she showed a slide that showed them how to make a short U sound physically. For example, they had their mouths wide open, tongues flat, and felt for their "voice box." The next slide had them blending words that had the short U sound (fun and sun). After working at the board and going through the slides they moved to their tables and began writing with the short U sound. Seeing this teacher use the Bridge2Read slides in her classroom shows how accessible and convenient they are to use. It saves a lot of time for the teacher not having to make their own lesson plan and seemed like a great way to learn the short U sound. I like how they gradually worked through learning the sound. They started by just repeating the sound to finally being able to write it in just under twenty minutes.

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How is phonics different from phonemic awareness? How are they similar and/or connected? Describe the structured approach to teaching phonics. 

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How is phonics different from phonemic awareness? How are they similar and/or connected? Describe the structured approach to teaching phonics. 

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Phonics is about connecting letters (or groups of letters) to sounds and using that knowledge to read and write words. Phonemic awareness, on the other hand, is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words, but it doesn't involve letters. They are connected because phonemic awareness helps kids understand sounds, and phonics teaches them how those sounds are linked to letters. Phonics is taught in a structured way, starting with simple sounds and letters and gradually moving to more complex ones, helping kids decode and spell words step-by-step.

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Heart words are words that kids need to recognize quickly because they don’t follow regular spelling rules or can’t be easily sounded out using phonics. For example, words like "said" or "was" are heart words. They are important because knowing these words by heart helps children read more smoothly and understand sentences better. When kids can recognize heart words without having to sound them out each time, it makes reading easier and more enjoyable!

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Sight words are common words that kids are encouraged to recognize instantly without needing to sound them out, like "the," "and," or "is." They are important because many of these words appear often in texts, and knowing them helps kids read more fluently and with better understanding. When children can quickly recognize sight words, they can focus more on understanding the story rather than getting stuck on each word, making reading a smoother and more enjoyable experience.

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High-frequency words are words that appear very often in written text, like "the," "is," "it," and "you." They are important because knowing these words helps kids read more easily and quickly since they show up so frequently in books and other materials. When children can recognize high-frequency words right away, they can read more smoothly and focus on understanding the story instead of struggling with the same words over and over. This builds their confidence and love for reading!

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Decodable text is writing that uses words that can be sounded out using phonics rules, making it easier for new readers to practice their reading skills. These texts are important because they help children build confidence and develop their reading skills without getting frustrated by tricky words. By practicing with decodable text, kids can become more fluent readers and enjoy the process of learning to read!

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Orthographic mapping is the process of connecting the sounds of spoken words to the letters that make them up, helping kids understand how to spell and read words. This is important because it helps children build a mental picture of how words are written, making it easier for them to recognize and remember words when they see them. Good orthographic mapping skills lead to better reading and writing abilities

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Simulation-Model teaching a Heart Word “from” Teaching Heart Words Directions Students practice the scaffolded spelling for the word “of” Scaffolded Spelling. Students dissect the word “could” Dissecting a Word. How is ‘heart word’ instruction different from ‘sight word memorization’ from the past? Describe the process of decoding decodable word parts and reading irregular sight words. How does the explicit teaching of sight words support students’ reading development?

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Simulation-Model teaching a Heart Word “from” Teaching Heart Words Directions Students practice the scaffolded spelling for the word “of” Scaffolded Spelling. Students dissect the word “could” Dissecting a Word. How is ‘heart word’ instruction different from ‘sight word memorization’ from the past? Describe the process of decoding decodable word parts and reading irregular sight words. How does the explicit teaching of sight words support students’ reading development?

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Before modeling the word from, I watch the videos on heart words. After watching the videos, I asked my boyfriend the sounds and what letter we had to know by heart. Neither of us had heard of heart words or the scaffolding method before. We both thought it was funny that they used crumb drum as rhyming words for from because a lot of the time when you explain rhyming words to kids, you tell them that the end letters are the same, but in this case, they are not.

Heart words focus on the "hear" letter that we need to remember, in from, it was the letter O. Whereas with decodables, you break the word down by phonemes.

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Scope and Sequence for Word Study, Reading and Spelliing LETRS.pdf

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Heart Word Magic - Help Students Learn to Read and Spell High-Frequency and Sight Words

Heart Word Magic is a complimentary teaching tool designed to help students learn to read and spell high-frequency words and sight words, particularly those that aren't very decodable. Show your students the animations, then try these fun, hands-on free Student Practice Activities

What Is a Heart Word?

Show your students this video to introduce them to Heart Word Magic! We use animations and practice techniques to clearly show students that the alphabetic principle doesn't completely disappear in Tricky Heart Words. The same skills students use for decoding are also helpful in learning to read and spell these less-decodable words. Heart Word Magic helps them to "make the tricky sticky."

What is Phonics Suite?

How can you give your students the skills they need to become strong decoders and accurate and fluent readers? Really Great Reading has a solution. It's called Phonics Suite, a comprehensive set of tools to diagnose, group, and teach students with weaknesses in their foundational reading skills. There are even tools to monitor progress, report, and adjust. Click here to read more>>

Explore Our Library of Heart Word Magic Animations

After showing your students the Heart Word Magic animations, try these fun, hands-on activities with your kids.

Highlight the Tricky to Make It Sticky

One easy way to help students focus on and remember the parts of Tricky Heart Words they need to remember by heart is to simply have students highlight the part of the word that is "tricky" (the phonologically irregular part), such as the letter a in what. Check out our activities below.

Heart Word Magic Spelling Activity Sheet

This activity allows students to practice spelling Heart Words (high-frequency words) with irregular letter-sound relationships by filling in a heart above the irregular part of the word that must be learned "by heart." Below are some suggested directions and sample scripts to use with the words said, have, from, and the.
Click here to download Heart Word Magic Spelling Student Activity>>

Heart Word Magic Scaffolded Spelling Activity Sheet

This activity allows students to practice spelling Heart Words (high-frequency words) with irregular letter-sound relationships by listening to the individual phonemes in a word and then writing down the corresponding spellings. The teacher can give students the spelling for the irregular part of the word that must be learned "by heart." Below are some suggested directions and sample scripts to use with the words said, from, his, and of.
Click here to download Heart Word Magic Scaffolded Spelling Activity>>

Heart Word Magic Dissect a Word Activity Sheet

This activity allows students to practice dissecting Heart Words (high-frequency words) with irregular letter-sound relationships by listening to the individual phonemes in a word and then filling in the corresponding spellings. They fill in a heart above the irregular part of the word that must be learned "by heart" and write that tricky part again. Below are some suggested directions and sample scripts to use with the words said, from, his, of, and could.
Click here to download the Heart Word Magic Dissect a Word Student Activity>>

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Heart Word Magic - Read and Spell High Frequency Words

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Heart Word Magic - Help Students Learn to Read and Spell High-Frequency and Sight WordsHeart Word Magic is a complimentary teaching tool designed to help students learn to read and spell high-frequency words and sight words, particularly those that aren't very decodable.

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The Reading League has compiled a list of options, not recommendations, of frequently requested decodable texts.

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1. Every word has at least one vowel.

2. Every syllable has at least one vowel.

3. C can say /k/ or /s/. C says /s/ before an e, i, or y (cent, city, cycle). It says /k/ before everything else (cat, clip).

4. G can say /g/ or /j/. G may say /j/ before an e, i, or y (gem, giant, gym). It says /g/ before everything else (garden, glad).

5. Q is always followed by a u (queen).

6. Double the consonants f, l, and s at the end of a one-syllable word that has just one vowel (stiff, spell, pass).

7. To spell the sound of /k/ at the end of a word, we use ck or k. Use ck after a short vowel (sick). After everything else, use a k (milk).

8. Capitalize names.

9. "i" before "e", except after "c" (ex. Believe, Chief)

10. most words ending in "shun" are spelt "tion" (ex. creation)

11. add an "es" to words ending in s, sh, ch, x (ex. box, boxes)

12. change "f" to "v" and add "es" (ex. leaf, leaves)

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1. Transitional Stage

2. Semiphonetic Stage

3. Phonetic Stage,

4. Precommunicative Stage

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Simulation-Model teaching a Heart Word “from” Teaching Heart Words Directions Students practice the scaffolded spelling for the word “of” Scaffolded Spelling. Students dissect the word “could” Dissecting a Word. How is ‘heart word’ instruction different from ‘sight word memorization’ from the past? Describe the process of decoding decodable word parts and reading irregular sight words. How does the explicit teaching of sight words support students’ reading development?

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Simulation-Model teaching a Heart Word “from” Teaching Heart Words Directions Students practice the scaffolded spelling for the word “of” Scaffolded Spelling. Students dissect the word “could” Dissecting a Word. How is ‘heart word’ instruction different from ‘sight word memorization’ from the past? Describe the process of decoding decodable word parts and reading irregular sight words. How does the explicit teaching of sight words support students’ reading development?

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Before modeling the word from, I watch the videos on heart words. After watching the videos, I asked my boyfriend the sounds and what letter we had to know by heart. Neither of us had heard of heart words or the scaffolding method before. We both thought it was funny that they used crumb drum as rhyming words for from because a lot of the time when you explain rhyming words to kids, you tell them that the end letters are the same, but in this case, they are not.

Heart words focus on the "hear" letter that we need to remember, in from, it was the letter O. Whereas with decodables, you break the word down by phonemes.

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Orthography refers to the system of writing, including the rules and conventions for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word formation in a language. It is important because it provides a standardized way of writing, ensuring that written language is consistent and understandable. Mastering orthography helps students improve their reading and writing skills, communicate clearly, and develop a deeper understanding of how words are formed and structured. It also supports literacy development by allowing students to recognize patterns in language, making it easier to decode and spell words accurately.

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Morphology is the study of the structure of words, including how they are formed from smaller units called morphemes, which are the smallest meaningful units of language. These can include root words, prefixes, and suffixes. Understanding morphology is important because it helps students recognize patterns in words, making it easier to decode unfamiliar words, understand word meanings, and improve spelling and vocabulary. By learning how words are built, students can gain a deeper understanding of language, which supports both reading comprehension and writing skills.

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The study of the origin and history of words, including how their meanings and forms have changed over time. It is important because it helps students understand the deeper meanings of words, including their roots in different languages, such as Latin, Greek, or Old English. This knowledge enhances vocabulary, making it easier to decode complex words, grasp nuanced meanings, and recognize word relationships. Etymology also supports better spelling and comprehension skills, as students learn to identify familiar parts of words, even when encountering unfamiliar terms.

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The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language, including the order of words and phrases to create meaning. It is important because it helps students construct clear, grammatically correct sentences and understand the relationships between words. Mastering syntax enables effective communication, as it allows for the expression of ideas in a way that others can easily understand. Additionally, a solid understanding of syntax improves reading comprehension and writing skills by helping students make sense of sentence structure in both written and spoken language.

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Semantics is the study of meaning in language, including how words, phrases, and sentences convey meaning. It is important because it helps students understand the meanings of words and how those meanings can change depending on context. A strong grasp of semantics enables students to expand their vocabulary, improve reading comprehension, and use language more effectively. By understanding the nuances of meaning, students can better interpret texts, communicate clearly, and express their ideas with precision.

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How does knowledge of etymology and morphology support students’ reading of unfamiliar words?

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How does knowledge of etymology and morphology support students’ reading of unfamiliar words?

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The knowledge helps students to break down unfamiliar words by understanding their roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Etymology helps students understand the origin of the word, helping them to relate terms in different languages. Morphology helps students identify meaningful components of words. With both of these, students can easily infer the meaning of words.

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How does reading fluency develop and how can we (teachers) support that? How is reading fluency supported?

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How does reading fluency develop and how can we (teachers) support that? How is reading fluency supported?

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Reading fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. It develops through a combination of several factors, including phonemic awareness, decoding skills, and vocabulary knowledge. As students progress, they become more automatic in their reading, allowing them to focus on comprehension. There are several ways teachers can support the development of reading fluency:
1. Model Fluent Reading
Teachers should regularly read aloud to their students, demonstrating fluent reading with appropriate pacing, intonation, and expression. This helps students understand how a fluent reader sounds and gives them a model to emulate.
2. Repeated Reading
Encourage students to read and re-read familiar texts. This repetition builds confidence, improves reading speed, and increases overall fluency.
3. Guided Reading
Teachers can support fluency development by engaging students in guided reading activities. This allows students to practice their reading skills with teacher support and feedback. Teachers can offer immediate guidance to correct mistakes and improve reading techniques.
4. Independent Reading
Provide students with ample opportunities for independent reading at their level. This allows them to practice reading and develop fluency at their own pace. Make sure to provide a variety of engaging, age-appropriate books that will interest students.
5. Word Recognition and Decoding Instruction
Explicit instruction in phonics, sight words, and decoding strategies can improve fluency by helping students recognize words more quickly and accurately.
6. Vocabulary Development
Teaching vocabulary through direct instruction and exposure to new words can improve reading fluency. When students know the meaning of words, they are more likely to read them fluently.
7. Regular Assessment
Regularly assess students' fluency through one-on-one reading conferences, reading aloud in small groups, or administering informal assessments. This can help teachers identify areas where students need additional support.
By implementing these strategies, teachers can create a supportive learning environment that promotes reading fluency and overall literacy development. This section was generated by using [Pi] (2024)

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The Simple View of Reading is a concept that explains reading as a combination of two main skills: understanding spoken language (like vocabulary and listening) and being able to decode written words (sounding them out). Basically, to be a good reader, you need to know how to read the words and also understand what they mean. This view is important because it helps teachers and parents see that both skills are necessary for successful reading. By focusing on both parts, they can support kids in becoming better readers overall!

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Part 1: Review student writing samples on D2L using the provided rubrics and checklists. Based on your evaluation, plan how to support the student's writing improvement.Part 2: Submit the student text to Pi AI for evaluation and instructional strategies.Part 3: Ask Pi how to develop children’s writing skills with confidence, accuracy, and imagination. Also, inquire how teachers can support language communication (written, spoken, and visual) in the classroom. 

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Part 1: Review student writing samples on D2L using the provided rubrics and checklists. Based on your evaluation, plan how to support the student's writing improvement.Part 2: Submit the student text to Pi AI for evaluation and instructional strategies.Part 3: Ask Pi how to develop children’s writing skills with confidence, accuracy, and imagination. Also, inquire how teachers can support language communication (written, spoken, and visual) in the classroom. 

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I used the Grade 1 sample.&nbsp;

Part 1: I would encourage students to use a graphic organizer for their ideas. This would let them keep their ideas organized while also helping their writing flow. I would also teach them to use descriptive words to make their writing more interesting. Lastly, I would let them share with a partner to receive feedback.&nbsp;

Part 2: Pi Ai gave me so much information. This is what it said:

The student writing sample demonstrates an understanding of informative writing, with several strengths and areas for growth. Here’s an evaluation and some instructional strategies to support their writing development:

Evaluation:

Content Knowledge: The student demonstrates basic knowledge about Spain, mentioning its location, cultural aspects like fiestas and bullfighting, and neighboring countries.

Organization: The writing shows an attempt at organization, starting with an introduction about Spain’s location, followed by cultural aspects, and concluding with future aspirations related to the topic.

Sentence Structure and Grammar: The student uses simple sentences but shows limited variety. There are some errors in grammar and spelling (e.g., “a lot” instead of “alot”), which slightly affect readability.

Voice and Purpose: The writing has a clear informative purpose, and the student expresses personal interest in the topic.

Instructional Strategies:

Expanding Vocabulary:

Introduce vocabulary-building activities that focus on descriptive words and topic-specific terms. This could help the student include richer details about Spain’s culture, geography, and history.

Organizing Information:

Teach the use of graphic organizers (e.g., main idea and supporting details) to help the students structure their thoughts logically. This can also support smoother transitions between ideas.

Improving Sentence Structure:

Work on combining sentences to add variety and complexity. Mini-lessons on using conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “because”) could improve sentence fluency.

Editing for Conventions:

Provide a checklist for self-editing that includes common spelling and grammar checks. Practice activities targeting common mistakes (like “a lot” vs. “alot”) could strengthen their writing conventions.

Incorporating Personal Voice:

Encourage the student to add more of their thoughts or reactions to facts (e.g., “I think Spain is fascinating because…”). This helps engage the reader and builds a stronger, more authentic voice in their writing.

These strategies can help the student build stronger informative writing skills and deepen their engagement with their topic.

Part 3: Pi Ai said this:

To help children develop confidence, accuracy, and creativity in writing, teachers can introduce a structured writing process. This process typically involves stages like brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. By guiding students through each stage and allowing them time to explore ideas without fear of immediate correction, students learn to refine their thoughts and language skills. Teachers can encourage children to see writing as a journey, where each stage is an opportunity to improve and express themselves more effectively.

In the classroom, teachers can support this growth by creating a language-rich environment that promotes diverse communication methods, including spoken and visual language. Activities like group discussions, storytelling, and using graphic organizers allow students to experiment with language and express their ideas visually or orally before they write. Using visual aids, such as anchor charts and word walls, reinforces vocabulary and structure, helping students internalize language patterns and build confidence in their writing.

To further support communication skills, teachers should encourage peer feedback and collaborative writing. When students share and discuss their work, they gain new perspectives and ideas, which fosters a sense of audience awareness. Engaging in regular practice across spoken, written, and visual forms of language prepares students to adapt their communication based on the purpose and audience, enhancing their overall literacy and confidence.

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Create a one-page informational sheet you may provide to families to support their struggling reader at home. Post this informational sheet in your Literacy Portfolio and on the Discussion Board.

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Create a one-page informational sheet you may provide to families to support their struggling reader at home. Post this informational sheet in your Literacy Portfolio and on the Discussion Board.

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What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects reading, spelling, writing, and sometimes speaking. Children with dyslexia have difficulty connecting sounds to letters (phonological awareness), recognizing words, and reading fluently. However, with support and practice, children with dyslexia can learn to read successfully.

Signs of dyslesxia: Difficulty learning to read and spell, despite adequate instruction
Struggles with reading fluency (reading slowly or with errors)
Difficulty rhyming or breaking words into sounds
Trouble remembering sight words (e.g., “the,” “was”)
Confusion with letter or number reversals (e.g., b/d, 6/9)
Avoiding reading activities due to frustration

Ways to support a struggling reader at home: Be patient and encouraging              Provide distraction-free space for the reader

Use flashcards to reinforce words          Read aloud together

Have the child trace letters with their fingers, use blocks or sandpaper letters to feel shapes, or write on a dry erase board to practice spelling.

When to Seek Additional Support: If your child’s reading struggles persist, it may be helpful to consult a learning specialist or seek a formal assessment to identify specific areas of difficulty. A tutor or intervention program focused on dyslexia can provide targeted strategies for improvement.

Remember: Every child with dyslexia is unique. With patience, understanding, and tailored support, your child can develop strong reading skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

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The writing rope is a way to visualize all the different skills that come together to help someone write well, like handwriting, spelling, grammar, and ideas. You can think of it like a rope made up of many strands, where each strand represents a skill. This concept is important because it shows that good writing isn’t just about one thing; it involves many skills working together. By understanding the writing rope, teachers and students can focus on improving each part, making the writing process easier and more effective.

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will admit, even as a nineteen-year-old, I think it is easier to have neater handwriting with the traditional dotted and lined paper. I also think it is easiest for kids to learn to write when they use one stroke, if possible. For example, an "M" may be easier to write because it is one stroke. If you can make the letter "G" one stroke, it will make learning to write that letter easier. I have found it helpful to also dot letters with a colored marker to encourage tracing and help with learning to write letters. I also watched a video that mentioned using clear glue to act as a "bump" so that students know not to go past the "bump" and they can also feel it.

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How are phonological and phonemic awareness connected to the science of reading?

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How are phonological and phonemic awareness connected to the science of reading?

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Phonological and phonemic awareness are important skills for learning to read. Phonological awareness helps kids recognize sounds in words, like syllables, while phonemic awareness focuses on the smallest sounds (phonemes) in words. These skills are key to understanding how letters and sounds work together, which is essential for decoding (sounding out) words. The science of reading shows that teaching these skills early helps kids become better readers and spellers.

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Compare and contrast the concepts of print and the alphabetic principle. Include a definition of them both. You may use a Venn Diagram. Post this on the Discussion Board and in your Literacy Portfolio.

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Compare and contrast the concepts of print and the alphabetic principle. Include a definition of them both. You may use a Venn Diagram. Post this on the Discussion Board and in your Literacy Portfolio.

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Print Awareness: Refers to the understanding that print carries meaning and that there are specific conventions for reading and writing. Children with print awareness know things like where to start reading (left to right, top to bottom), that letters form words, and that spaces separate words.

Alphabetic Principle: The understanding that letters and letter combinations represent sounds in spoken language. It involves knowing that each sound in spoken words is linked to a letter or a group of letters (i.e., phoneme-grapheme correspondence), which is the foundation for decoding words when reading.

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Spelling Development refers to the process by which children acquire the knowledge and skills needed to spell words correctly. It evolves through several stages, each characterized by specific features of how children learn to spell. Understanding these stages is crucial for supporting literacy development and providing targeted instruction to help children master spelling.

Stages of Spelling Development

1. Pre-Phonemic Stage (or Emergent Spelling)

Definition: At this stage, children may begin to write letters but don't yet understand the relationship between sounds and letters. Their writing may include random letters or approximations.

Examples: Scribbling, using letters that don't represent sounds, such as "b" for "book."

2. Semi-Phonemic Stage

Definition: Children start to make connections between sounds and letters, often writing the first letter of a word to represent its sound (but not necessarily the correct spelling for the whole word).

Examples: Writing "kat" for "cat" or "frend" for "friend."

3. Phonetic Stage

Definition: Children now understand that letters represent sounds and try to spell words by using a phonetic approach. Spelling is often close to correct but may not be exact, as children might omit silent letters or misspell more complex sounds.

Examples: Writing "kom" for "come" or "fot" for "foot."

4. Transitional Stage

Definition: At this stage, children begin to use more conventional spelling patterns, including understanding common spelling rules. They start to spell more accurately but may still make errors with irregular spellings.

Examples: Writing "goin" for "going" or "happee" for "happy."

5. Correct Stage (or Conventional Spelling)

Definition: Children can now spell most words correctly, applying the rules of spelling they have learned. They may still make occasional errors, particularly with exceptions to spelling rules.

Examples: Writing words like "butterfly" or "believe" correctly.

Spelling development is important because it is the foundation for reading and writing.

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Oral reading fluency refers to the ability to read a text smoothly, accurately, and with proper expression. It involves recognizing words quickly, reading at an appropriate pace, and using correct intonation and rhythm. Oral reading fluency is important because it supports reading comprehension; when students can read fluently, they can focus on understanding the text rather than struggling with decoding. It also boosts confidence in reading, helping students become more engaged and motivated readers. Additionally, fluency is a key indicator of overall literacy development, contributing to academic success in all subject areas.

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 Model writing a read-aloud lesson plan using the template form Adams & Kaczmarczyk (2023) to include vocabulary and comprehension questions for a peer or family member. Share what you learned about the process.

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 Model writing a read-aloud lesson plan using the template form Adams & Kaczmarczyk (2023) to include vocabulary and comprehension questions for a peer or family member. Share what you learned about the process.

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I used the story that I will read on Thursday in my mentor's class. I was a little nervous before doing this but this has made me feel a little more comfortable. I now feel like I have a plan and know what questions to ask the class.

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The key areas of language development, include listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These domains are essential for communication and literacy skills. They are important because they work together to support a student's ability to understand and use language effectively in different contexts. Mastery of each domain allows students to comprehend spoken and written language, express their ideas clearly, and engage in meaningful conversations. A strong foundation in all language domains leads to better overall language proficiency and academic success.

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How can I support students’ writing development using explicit instruction?

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How can I support students’ writing development using explicit instruction?

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I can do so by demonstrating writing strategies in the classroom. Think aloud as I write something, showing how to brainstorm.

Teach specific writing skills, such as sentence structure, paragraph organization, and use of transition words.

Encourage peer editing sessions where students can give and receive feedback. Teach them how to ask constructive questions and provide specific suggestions.

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How is written language different from/similar to spoken language?

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How is written language different from/similar to spoken language?

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Differences:

Written language is generally more permanent. Once something is written down, it can be saved. Whereas spoken language exists in the moment.

Written language may have more of a variety of vocabulary, and spoken language typically has simpler words/filler words like "um."

Written language can make it harder to convey emotion.

Similarities:

Both written and spoken language generally follow grammatical rules.

Both forms of language can have errors.

Both rely on context to convey the right message.

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Describe the steps of the writing process and how you will support students during each phase.

 

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Describe the steps of the writing process and how you will support students during each phase.

 

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1. Prewriting: To generate ideas, organize thoughts, and plan the structure of the writing.

I can help students generate ideas through prompts, discussions, or freewriting exercises.

I can assist in creating outlines to organize the main points and supporting details in a logical order.

I can guide students in finding credible sources and gathering relevant information for their topics.

2. Drafting: To begin writing the first version of the piece, focusing on getting ideas down without worrying about perfection.

If students are stuck, I can provide specific writing prompts to jumpstart their drafting.

I can help students develop and expand on their ideas, suggesting ways to improve clarity or detail.

I can encourage students to focus on writing without concern for spelling or grammar during this stage, fostering creativity and flow.

3. Revising: To improve the content, structure, and clarity of the writing by making big-picture changes.

I can provide feedback on areas like coherence, argument strength, clarity, and tone.

I can suggest reorganizing paragraphs or sections to improve the flow of the piece.

I can help students determine if any ideas need to be expanded upon or if there is unnecessary content to remove.

The writing process can be broken down into several stages, each requiring different strategies, skills, and support. Here's an overview of the typical phases of the writing process and how I can assist students at each stage:

1. Prewriting (Planning and Organizing)

Goal: To generate ideas, organize thoughts, and plan the structure of the writing.

How I Can Help:

Brainstorming: I can help students generate ideas through prompts, discussions, or freewriting exercises.

Outlining: I can assist in creating outlines to organize the main points and supporting details in a logical order.

Research: I can guide students in finding credible sources and gathering relevant information for their topics.

Setting Goals: I can help students clarify the purpose of their writing (e.g., to inform, persuade, entertain) and determine the target audience.

2. Drafting

Goal: To begin writing the first version of the piece, focusing on getting ideas down without worrying about perfection.

How I Can Help:

Writing Prompts: If students are stuck, I can provide specific writing prompts to jumpstart their drafting.

Idea Development: I can help students develop and expand on their ideas, suggesting ways to improve clarity or detail.

Encouragement: I can encourage students to focus on writing without concern for spelling or grammar during this stage, fostering creativity and flow.

Chunking the Task: Breaking the writing into smaller sections (e.g., writing the introduction first, then working on body paragraphs) can make the task less overwhelming.

3. Revising

Goal: To improve the content, structure, and clarity of the writing by making big-picture changes.

How I Can Help:

Feedback: I can provide feedback on areas like coherence, argument strength, clarity, and tone.

Organizing Ideas: I can suggest reorganizing paragraphs or sections to improve the flow of the piece.

Adding or Removing Content: I can help students determine if any ideas need to be expanded upon or if there is unnecessary content to remove.

Clarifying Purpose: I can guide students to ensure their writing is aligned with their original purpose and audience.

4. Editing: To focus on sentence-level improvements, such as grammar, punctuation, and word choice.

I can help students identify common grammar issues, such as subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and sentence structure.

I can suggest stronger or more precise vocabulary, helping students elevate their writing.

I can help ensure that the writing maintains consistent tense, voice, and style throughout.

5. Publishing: To prepare the final version of the writing for submission, sharing, or presentation.

I can guide students through a final review to ensure that the writing meets all assignment requirements.

I can provide tips on formatting the document correctly (e.g., MLA, APA, or other style guidelines).

I can walk students through the process of submitting their work if needed, ensuring all steps are followed.

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Evaluate the writing samples. Plan how you would support this student to improve their writing development. Part 2: Ask Pi to evaluate the writing and provide instructional strategies to support student writing development. Part 3: Ask Pi How do you develop children’s use of a process to write competently with confidence, accuracy, and imagination appropriate to the purpose and audience? How can a teacher support written, spoken, and visual language communication in the classroom?

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Evaluate the writing samples. Plan how you would support this student to improve their writing development. Part 2: Ask Pi to evaluate the writing and provide instructional strategies to support student writing development. Part 3: Ask Pi How do you develop children’s use of a process to write competently with confidence, accuracy, and imagination appropriate to the purpose and audience? How can a teacher support written, spoken, and visual language communication in the classroom?

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I used the Grade 1 sample.

Part 1: I would encourage students to use a graphic organizer for their ideas. This would let them keep their ideas organized while also helping their writing flow. I would also teach them to use descriptive words to make their writing more interesting. Lastly, I would let them share with a partner to receive feedback.

Part 2: Pi Ai gave me so much information. This is what it said:

The student writing sample demonstrates an understanding of informative writing, with several strengths and areas for growth. Here’s an evaluation and some instructional strategies to support their writing development:

Evaluation:

1.    Content Knowledge: The student demonstrates basic knowledge about Spain, mentioning its location, cultural aspects like fiestas and bullfighting, and neighboring countries.
2.    Organization: The writing shows an attempt at organization, starting with an introduction about Spain’s location, followed by cultural aspects, and concluding with future aspirations related to the topic.
3.    Sentence Structure and Grammar: The student uses simple sentences but shows limited variety. There are some errors in grammar and spelling (e.g., “alot” instead of “a lot”), which slightly affect readability.
4.    Voice and Purpose: The writing has a clear informative purpose, and the student expresses personal interest in the topic.

Instructional Strategies:

1.    Expanding Vocabulary:
•    Introduce vocabulary-building activities that focus on descriptive words and topic-specific terms. This could help the student include richer details about Spain’s culture, geography, and history.
2.    Organizing Information:
•    Teach the use of graphic organizers (e.g., main idea and supporting details) to help the student structure their thoughts logically. This can also support smoother transitions between ideas.
3.    Improving Sentence Structure:
•    Work on combining sentences to add variety and complexity. Mini-lessons on using conjunctions (e.g., “and,” “because”) could improve sentence fluency.
4.    Editing for Conventions:
•    Provide a checklist for self-editing that includes common spelling and grammar checks. Practice activities targeting common mistakes (like “a lot” vs. “alot”) could strengthen their writing conventions.
5.    Incorporating Personal Voice:
•    Encourage the student to add more of their thoughts or reactions to facts (e.g., “I think Spain is fascinating because…”). This helps engage the reader and builds a stronger, more authentic voice in their writing.

These strategies can help the student build stronger informative writing skills and deepen their engagement with their topic.

this section was generated by using [Pi] (2024)

Part 3: Pi Ai said this:

To help children develop confidence, accuracy, and creativity in writing, teachers can introduce a structured writing process. This process typically involves stages like brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. By guiding students through each stage and allowing them time to explore ideas without fear of immediate correction, students learn to refine their thoughts and language skills. Teachers can encourage children to see writing as a journey, where each stage is an opportunity to improve and express themselves more effectively.

In the classroom, teachers can support this growth by creating a language-rich environment that promotes diverse communication methods, including spoken and visual language. Activities like group discussions, storytelling, and using graphic organizers allow students to experiment with language and express their ideas visually or orally before they write. Using visual aids, such as anchor charts and word walls, reinforces vocabulary and structure, helping students internalize language patterns and build confidence in their writing.

To further support communication skills, teachers should encourage peer feedback and collaborative writing. When students share and discuss their work, they gain new perspectives and ideas, which fosters a sense of audience awareness. Engaging in regular practice across spoken, written, and visual forms of language prepares students to adapt their communication based on the purpose and audience, enhancing their overall literacy and confidence.

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The PAST (Phonological Awareness Screening Test) is an assessment used to evaluate a student's ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken language, a crucial skill for reading and writing development. It assesses areas such as rhyming, blending, segmenting, and phoneme awareness. The PAST is important because it helps identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties, such as dyslexia, allowing for early intervention. By pinpointing specific phonological weaknesses, it enables teachers to provide targeted instruction, ensuring that students develop essential skills for reading fluency, spelling, and overall academic success.

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Screening is the process of assessing students early to identify those who may be at risk for learning difficulties or disabilities. The purpose of screening is to detect potential issues before they become major obstacles to learning, allowing for timely interventions. Examples of screening tools include phonological awareness screenings (e.g., PAST), reading fluency tests, math proficiency checks, and vision or hearing screenings. These assessments help educators identify students who may need additional support in areas such as reading, writing, or math, ensuring they receive appropriate resources and instruction to succeed academically.

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Diagnostic assessments are designed to identify specific learning challenges or gaps in a student's knowledge and skills. The purpose of diagnostics is to provide detailed information that guides targeted instruction and interventions. Examples of diagnostic tools include reading comprehension tests, spelling inventories, math diagnostic assessments, and writing samples analysis. These assessments help educators pinpoint areas where students struggle, such as understanding specific math concepts or phonetic challenges in reading, so that instruction can be customized to address these weaknesses and promote learning progress.

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Progress assessments are used to monitor a student's growth and development over time, ensuring they are making strides toward academic goals. The purpose of progress assessments is to track improvements, adjust instructional strategies, and provide feedback to both students and educators. Examples of progress assessments include formative quizzes, writing portfolios, math problem-solving tasks, and reading fluency tests. These tools help identify whether students are advancing in key areas, allowing teachers to modify their approach or provide additional support as needed to ensure continuous progress.

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Share information from your field experience teacher interview on assessments used in k-2. What assessments do they use? What do they assess? How often? Share what you learned about the validity and reliability of the assessments. 

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Share information from your field experience teacher interview on assessments used in k-2. What assessments do they use? What do they assess? How often? Share what you learned about the validity and reliability of the assessments. 

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My mentor's team uses FastBridge for their assessments. Students are assessed three times a year: beginning, middle, and end. Students who are at risk are monitored/screened every week. Every Friday, they have an assessment with Wonders (summative reading test)(don’t go in grade book yet). They hit the goal areas while reading. Each day, they focus on one area (Monday spelling, Tuesday Grammar). My mentor teacher has found that depending on who students take their tests with, they tend to score differently. To find a reliable measurement, they administer tests frequently to track students’ progress.

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Symptoms of dyslexia include difficulty with reading fluency, poor spelling, trouble with word recognition, and slow or inaccurate decoding of words. Students with dyslexia may also struggle with writing, have difficulty following multi-step instructions, and experience challenges with rhyming or phonological awareness tasks.

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share three instructional strategies or accommodations for students at their assigned grade level. Address how you would plan for instruction.

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share three instructional strategies or accommodations for students at their assigned grade level. Address how you would plan for instruction.

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I would use explicit phonics instruction, where students are taught the relationship between letters and sounds through clear, step-by-step explanations. I would pair this with multisensory learning techniques, such as using tactile materials like sandpaper letters or interactive apps, to reinforce learning through touch, sight, and sound. I could also provide extended time on tasks and offering audio support for reading can help students process information more effectively. When planning instruction I would incorporate frequent, short practice sessions.

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What interventions support students with dyslexia? How do these interventions impact students with dyslexia over time in response to development and instruction?

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What interventions support students with dyslexia? How do these interventions impact students with dyslexia over time in response to development and instruction?

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Interventions for students with dyslexia include structured literacy programs, multisensory instruction, and reading interventions that focus on phonics, decoding, and fluency. These approaches help students build foundational skills by breaking down language into smaller, manageable parts and engaging multiple senses. Over time, consistent, targeted instruction improves reading, writing, and comprehension, allowing students to gradually catch up to their peers. Early intervention is crucial, as it helps students develop confidence and strategies to manage their dyslexia, while ongoing support ensures continued progress as academic demands increase.

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Create a one-page informational sheet you may provide to families to support their struggling reader at home.

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Create a one-page informational sheet you may provide to families to support their struggling reader at home.

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What is dyslexia? Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects reading, spelling, writing, and sometimes speaking. Children with dyslexia have difficulty connecting sounds to letters (phonological awareness), recognizing words, and reading fluently. However, with support and practice, children with dyslexia can learn to read successfully.

Signs of dyslesxia: Difficulty learning to read and spell, despite adequate instruction
Struggles with reading fluency (reading slowly or with errors)
Difficulty rhyming or breaking words into sounds
Trouble remembering sight words (e.g., “the,” “was”)
Confusion with letter or number reversals (e.g., b/d, 6/9)
Avoiding reading activities due to frustration

Ways to support a struggling reader at home: Be patient and encouraging                                                                                   Provide distraction-free space for the reader                                                                                                                                              Use flashcards to reinforce words                                                                                                                                                                Read aloud together                                                                                                                                                                                Have the child trace letters with their fingers, use blocks or sandpaper letters to feel shapes, or write on a dry erase board to practice spelling.

When to Seek Additional Support: If your child’s reading struggles persist, it may be helpful to consult a learning specialist or seek a formal assessment to identify specific areas of difficulty. A tutor or intervention program focused on dyslexia can provide targeted strategies for improvement.

Remember: Every child with dyslexia is unique. With patience, understanding, and tailored support, your child can develop strong reading skills and gain confidence in their abilities.

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Definition of Dyslexia - International Dyslexia Association

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“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word

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Decades of research and national test scores confirm that reading problems commonly occur and affect as many as one in five bright and motivated students who have average or above average intelligence. Adult literacy problems are also common, affecting one in four who are intelligent but have not been able to attain a functional literacy level. Research demonstrates that additional direct instruction provided appropriately, beginning in kindergarten through third grade, can help all but the most severely impaired students catch up to grade-level literacy skills and close the gap for most poor readers. Assessment is the first step in identifying these students early to make sure they receive the effective instruction they need to succeed.

Identifying Dyslexia

The key symptoms of dyslexia are problems with decoding or single word reading and/or poor reading fluency and poor spelling. Phonological weaknesses or disorders, specific language-based difficulties, are usually the underlying cause of the literacy problems associated with dyslexia. Comprehension may be impaired and writing skills will suffer if spelling is not mastered. Language and vocabulary problems can cause comprehension difficulties that can become more severe over time as academic demands increase. Poor readers may have weak vocabulary and background knowledge caused by reading less than average readers.

The problems associated with dyslexia are language-based, not visual and not related to cognitive skills or intelligence. Phonological processing problems are the principal cause of dyslexia. Phonological processing refers to the ability to analyze speech or spoken language, from identifying individual words, to word parts or syllables, and then into the smallest parts called phonemes or speech sounds. Because speech is produced rapidly, and sounds within spoken words are pronounced so quickly, phonemes overlap. Some individuals may experience difficulty with Rapid Automatic Naming that can compound the challenge of learning to read. Phonemes or speech sounds may vary by geographic region, or individual, and are often quite hard to distinguish. Assessment by a skilled professional can determine if the student struggles with phonological processing.

When students continue to struggle with literacy skills despite the provision of additional high-quality, expert instruction using Response to Intervention (RTI)/Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), a formal clinical evaluation is needed to determine if they have dyslexia. Assessment of dyslexia involves individual testing, most often provided by a team of qualified professionals who have had extensive clinical training in assessment as part of a graduate degree program. Professional clinicians who assess Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and dyslexia may have M.A., M.S., M.ED., Ed.D., or Ph.D. degrees in Education, Reading, Speech Language Pathology, School Psychology, Psychology, or Neuropsychology. Evaluation by a medical doctor is not required for assessment or identification of SLD or dyslexia.

Educational testing can verify the presence of SLD or dyslexia and can provide the needed diagnostic documentation that is required for eligibility for specially designed instruction and accommodations throughout the educational career from elementary school through college and graduate school. Clinical assessment can document student progress; progress is demonstrated by an increase in standard scores or percentile ranks, not by an increase in age or grade equivalent scores. Adults with dyslexia may need accommodations in the work place such as extended time or electronic readers to accommodate diagnosed dyslexia.

The Best Time to Assess

Federal law states that eligibility for SLD must consider a student's response to intervention or classroom instruction, commonly called Response to Intervention (RTI) or Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). These terms reference educational research demonstrating that appropriate early intervention, provided in kindergarten through grade three, is very effective in closing the gap for struggling readers. Early intervention or additional direct instruction should begin as early as kindergarten or first grade for struggling readers when the gap is small and students benefit from brain plasticity advantages for learning language-based information. When a student is not achieving at an average rate, additional instruction (e.g., an additional hour of direct instruction for grades one through three) may be provided immediately to help them catch up. Student progress must be monitored using reliable and valid progress monitoring measures to be sure the gap is closing. Analysis of data must drive all school team decisions about a student's program and learning profile.

When students do not catch up after additional instruction and support using an RTI/MTSS approach, clinical evaluation is needed to determine and document the nature of the learning problem. After evaluation, the school team will consider the case history and the testing data and will determine eligibility for Special Education services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Data and evaluation results should be shared with parents throughout this process. For students with diagnosed SLD and dyslexia, the plan is typically an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which provides both remediation and accommodations. Independent (i.e., private) schools are not required to follow IDEA; therefore, they can decide if and how they are able to remediate and accommodate students with learning differences.

Another type of school plan, called a Section 504 Plan, comes under the Americans with Disabilities Act and provides only accommodations, focusing on granting access for individuals with handicapping conditions. A Section 504 Plan does not specify the provision of direct specially designed instruction or remediation.

Areas Assessed

The following areas should be assessed in an educational evaluation of dyslexia:

Phonological Awareness - an individual's awareness of and access to the sound structure of his/her oral language

Phonological or Language-Based Memory - ability to recall sounds, syllables, words

Rapid Automatic Naming - speed of naming objects, colors, digits, or letters

Receptive Vocabulary - understanding of words heard

Phonics Skills - understanding of the symbol (letter) to the sound(s) relationship, either individually or in combination with other letters

Decoding -ability to use symbol-sound associations to identify (read - pronounce) words

Real Words

Nonsense Words

Oral Reading Fluency - ability to read accurately, at a story-telling pace - to facilitate / support comprehension

Single Words

Sentences and Paragraphs

Spelling

Writing

Sentence Level

Paragraph Level

Math assessment can be done as part of a complete educational evaluation and should include measures of untimed math calculations, math reasoning with math word problems read aloud, and math fluency. Many students with language-based learning disabilities or dyslexia struggle to memorize language-based information such as multiplication tables but may have adequate math calculation and math reasoning skills when reading is accommodated (word problems read aloud). Other students may struggle with mathematical language and have problems with math word problems that go beyond decoding difficulties. The skilled clinician can analyze the student's strengths and weaknesses in math, considering the student's performance on each math subtest instead of relying solely on broad math scores that provide only an average of the subtest scores. For example, students who have average math calculation skills, untimed, and average math reasoning (math problems read aloud), may have weak math fluency. When this is the case, students need extended time to accommodate their demonstrated weak math fluency. Broad math scores that report the average of all subtests may mask individual weak areas. Careful analysis of a student's performance on educational subtests is needed for clinical assessment of learning needs. This will lead to appropriate and needed recommendations for remediation and accommodation.

What to Expect

Evaluation of dyslexia involves collecting information about birth history, family history, child development, including speech and language development and early educational history. The clinician, SLD Specialist, Dyslexia Therapist, Speech-Language Pathologist, or other trained professionals, must review school records incorporating any previous assessments or previous diagnoses and note early interventions, such as speech/language therapy, if any were provided. After clinical review or analysis of the collected data and information, the written report summarizes all the intake information and history. The report should clearly describe the referral questions or concerns that led to the assessment. For individual clinical assessment of SLD and dyslexia, a battery of tests is used to ensure reliability and validity. Standard scores and percentile ranks should be included in the report. Age and grade-level scores may be included, but they are just approximations and should never be relied upon as measures of academic achievement.

Scoring and interpretation are completed by the skilled clinician who synthesizes intake information, reports, test scores, interprets results, gives a clearly stated diagnosis when appropriate, and provides a well-written report to parents and the school team. If the student is diagnosed with SLD or dyslexia, the written report clearly states recommendations for remediation, also called specially designed instruction, as mandated by federal law. The written report also specified needed accommodations such as providing additional time for assessments or having tests read to the student.

Understanding the Scores

Cognitive or intelligence testing is not required as part of the SLD identification process. Average or higher scores on measures of listening comprehension, receptive vocabulary, math calculation and math reasoning can demonstrate the presence of average or higher intellectual potential in the young student. Current federal special education law, IDEA, states that the use of severe discrepancy (the difference between cognitive or IQ scores and educational achievement scores) must not be required for identification of SLD including dyslexia. However, some students with complicated learning profiles such as twice exceptional students (most commonly, gifted students with SLD or dyslexia) will need cognitive or intellectual testing to demonstrate their unique learning profile and needs.

For older students, cognitive or IQ testing is still required for application for accommodations on high stakes tests such as SAT or ACT. Cognitive or IQ testing is also required for admission to most college and university programs that provide support for students with diagnosed SLD or dyslexia. A clear diagnostic statement must be provided in the written report to document the presence of the diagnosed SLD; qualifying language that does not provide a clear diagnosis (e.g., "symptoms are suggestive of..." or "may fit the profile of...") will not be accepted when applying for accommodations on high stakes testing or for accommodations at the college and university level.

Additional Supports

Students and adults with diagnosed dyslexia may need support and consultation to help them understand their unique learning profile. Evaluation for the presence of other conditions that commonly co-occur with SLD and dyslexia should be considered when appropriate. Ongoing family and educational support together with updated assessment information is needed to meet increased academic demands and to provide required documentation in academic settings and in the workplace.

References

Lowell, S. C., Felton, R. H., & Hook, P. E. (2014). Basic facts about assessment of dyslexia: Testing for teaching, Baltimore, MD: The International Dyslexia Association.

Lowell, S. C. (2011, Summer). Best practices in reading instruction: An international effort. Perspectives on Language and Literacy, 37(3).

Moats, L. C. & Dakin, K. E. (2008). Basic facts about dyslexia and other reading problems, Baltimore, MD: The International Dyslexia Association.

Shaywitz, S. E., Escobar, M. D., Shaywitz, B., Fletcher, J. M., & Makuch, R. (1992, February). Evidence that dyslexia may represent the lower tail of a normal distribution of reading ability, 326(3), 145-50.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) thanks Susan C. Lowell, M.A., B.C.E.T., for her assistance in the preparation of this fact sheet.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). IDA encourages the reproduction and distribution of this fact sheet.
If portions of the text are cited, appropriate reference must be made. Fact sheets may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. © Copyright 2020. The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). For copyright information, pleaseclick here.

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Dyslexia Assessment: What Is It and How Can It Help? - International Dyslexia Association

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Accommodations do not change the content of instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge that a test measures.

Accommodations, provided for both testing and instruction, change the way students access information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities; they do not change academic standards or expectations. The purpose of accommodations is to ensure equal access to the full school experience for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (e.g., providing extended exam time for a student who has slow processing speed affecting academic fluency). Accommodations are adjustments made to allow a student to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities without lowering learning or performance expectations and without changing what is being measured (e.g., providing text in audio-format when academic knowledge [e.g., history, biology, literature] is the target skill being measured). Accommodations do not change the content of instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge that a test measures. Accommodations make it possible for students with dyslexia to demonstrate their learning without being hindered by their disabilities.

Appropriate accommodations need to be an integral part of the normal cycle of teaching and testing- never reserved only for periods of assessment. Classroom accommodations make it possible for students to learn and demonstrate their learning through full participation in classroom instruction. Assessment (testing) accommodations are changes in assessment materials (e.g., large print) or procedures (e.g., extended time) that allow students to demonstrate their abilities-not their disabilities-during tests and exams. Without accommodations, an assessment may not accurately measure the knowledge and skills of a student with a learning disability (e.g., dyslexia). An accommodation does not change item or test validity.

Modifications Are Different from Accommodations

Modifications to curriculum content, homework assignments, or assessments change the nature of instruction and assessments and what students are expected to learn-but they have the advantage of allowing interaction with other students in the classroom and school. An instructional modification (i.e., homework assignments) might be assignment of math problems requiring a lower level of math knowledge-skill. A modification in curriculum content might be to teach different, lower level concepts and information (e.g., continuation of work on multiplication when other students move on to fractions). Assessment modifications might include use of a calculator on a test of math facts accuracy or text in audio-format when reading comprehension is the target skill being measured. Modifications can be allowed for both testing and instruction. If the validity of a test item or the content of instruction is affected or altered, the change is a modification-not an accommodation.

Accommodation or Modification?

Choosing between an accommodation or a modification is a decision critical for future educational choices. Modifications change instructional content and knowledge-and their assessment; accommodations do not. A student's IEP team is responsible for making formal decisions related to accommodations (or modifications, if warranted).

Choosing Accommodations Wisely and Purposefully

Each accommodation needs to be matched to the individual student's educational needs. Decide which accommodations are needed to ensure that the student is on equal footing with those who do not have a disability. Provide evidence to support choice of accommodation requests. Are the accommodations linked directly to the student's functional limitations? How? Keep in mind that the answers to these questions may not be the same for instruction and assessment.

Accommodations are only helpful if the student knows how to use them effectively.

Extra time alone rarely improves performance for students with dyslexia-or for students without learning disabilities. Not every student needs, or benefits from, extended time. Extended time provides students with time to use strategies needed to accomplish tasks inherently difficult for them (e.g., systematic decoding strategies for students with poor single word decoding skills; rereading text with complex syntax and grammar in order to comprehend). Some students, who may benefit from extended time, need to be taught how to use the extra time. Students who routinely read too fast for either accuracy or comprehension need to learn explicit word identification strategies as well as strategies for improving their reading comprehension.

Practice is the key to effective use of accommodations. Accommodations should be integrated into classroom practice before use is expected in assessment situations.

Types of Accommodations

Presentation, Response, Setting, and Timing/Scheduling are the four basic types of accommodations used during instruction and assessment:

Presentation accommodations allow students to access instructional materials in ways that do not require them to read standard print presented in a standard visual format:
Presentation Accommodations-Instruction

Verbal instructions

Repetition of instructions

Text/Instructions in audio-format

Larger print

Fewer Items per page

Visual prompts or cues (e.g., arrow pointing on page)

Alternative answer sheet

Information in songs or poems (e.g., facts, definitions).

Presentation Accommodations-Assessment

Calculator

Speech-to-Text software

Text-to-Speech software

Electronic dictionary

Spelling checker

Grammar check.

Response accommodations allow students alternatives for completion of activities, assignments, and tests. Students may be permitted to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in alternate ways, or to solve or organize their work using an electronic device or organizer.

Mark answers in test book instead of on separate answer sheet

Dictate to scribe or record oral responses on audio-recorder

Record oral responses on Livescribe pen

Point to response choices

Type (keyboard) response.

Setting accommodations change the location in which a test or assignment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting.

Individual or small group

Reduce visual and/or auditory distractions (e.g., separate desk or location within classroom-"private office")

Distraction-free setting (separate room)

Alternative furniture arrangement (e.g., facing frontèteacher for whole group lessons vs block of tables for small group work).

Timing/Scheduling accommodations change the length of time allowed for completion of a test, project, or assignment and may also change the way the time is organized (e.g., breaks):

Flexible scheduling (e.g., several sessions vs one)

Extended time

Allowing for more frequent breaks (as appropriate)

Changing order of tasks or subtests.

Organization, Study Strategies, and Increasing Accessibility to State/District Tests
Organization
In addition to the types of accommodations and examples listed, devices and strategies that help students to organize their time and their work can sometimes be helpful. Some examples are listed:

Timers to keep track of time

Highlighters to mark text

Planners for tracking assignments

Graph paper to organize math problems on paper

Color Coding (e.g., subject areas, categorization within notes).

Study Strategies

Visualization

Retelling as soon as possible after a lecture

Putting new learning into own words as soon as possible after class-talking about learning

Organizing a study group for discussion (practice).

Accommodations and State/District Tests
Accommodations provided, and routinely used, should be the same, or similar, during classroom instruction, classroom tests, and state/district tests. However, some accommodations are only permitted during instruction and cannot be used on state/district assessments. Requirements vary from state to state and from district to district, but accommodations that are written into students' IEPs and 504 plans should be available.

The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA requires states to have accommodation guidelines for assessments and to report the number of students using accommodations during state and district assessments. All fifty states currently have published guidelines indicating the specific assessment accommodations that are permitted. Policies in some states also include instructional accommodations. The purpose of these state guidelines is to ensure that test scores actually reflect what students know and are able to do. For those states that have adopted Common Core State Standards, CCSS testing companies have created universal accessibility features (e.g., magnified text, repetition of instructions, scratch paper, digital notepad for note-taking, spell-check software, use of a highlighter) available to all students taking these tests. Details of accessibility features and requirements and guidelines for provision of accommodations, different for each of the two CCSS testing companies, are included in the following documents:

PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual (link)

Road to Success for Students with Dyslexia: Intervention and Accommodations-with Appropriate Intensity and Duration

An accommodation is not a substitute for appropriate intervention-remediation. An accommodation, such as extended time, can be the bridge between success and failure for a student with dyslexia-the critical difference that levels the playing field. To achieve this success, students with dyslexia usually require a purposefully planned combination of intervention-remediation (with appropriate intensity and duration) and accommodations:

Intervention specific to the patterns of individual strengths and challenges of each student provides the opportunity for academic achievement; this specialized instruction is not a crutch but a lifeline.

Accommodations level the playing field for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities; they do not give an unfair advantage.

As either a parent or a teacher, do not assume a student learns the same way you do.

Always keep the goal in mind-and plan instruction, assessment, and accommodations accordingly.

Please note that this fact sheet does not provide a comprehensive list of accommodations-only a sampling of options. It is up to families and each student's instructional team to explore alternatives as they plan the optimal combination of instruction and accommodations that is the best match for each student.
Helpful Resources
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): www.understood.org; Accommodations: What They Are and How They Work

ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act-Testing Accommodations https://www.ada.gov/regs2014/testing_accommodations.pdf

Accommodations, Modifications, and Alternate Assessments: How They Affect Instruction and Assessment

High-Stakes Assessment (Teaching LD) http://www.dldcec.org/ld_resources/alerts/4.htm

Forum on Accommodations in the 21 st Century: Critical Considerations for Students with Disabilities. Joint Publication of National Center on Educational Outcomes. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/AccommodationsForumReport2011.pdf
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) thanks Nancy Cushen White, Ed.D., BCET, CALT-QI, for her assistance in the preparation of this fact sheet.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). IDA encourages the reproduction and distribution of this fact sheet.
If portions of the text are cited, appropriate reference must be made. Fact sheets may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. © Copyright 2020. The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). For copyright information, pleaseclick here.

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Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia - International Dyslexia Association

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Reading assessment is essential for supporting effective reading instruction. Reading assessment data provides teachers important information to guide instructional decisions. It also helps guide school leadership as they make reading curriculum decisions. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) practice guide Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making (Hamilton et al., 2009) highlights the value of assessment data:

"Using data systematically to ask questions and obtain insight about student progress is a logical way to monitor continuous improvement and tailor instruction to the needs of each student. Armed with data and the means to harness the information data can provide, educators can make instructional changes aimed at improving student achievement, such as:

prioritizing instructional time;

targeting additional individual instruction for students who are struggling with particular topics;

more easily identifying individual students' strengths and instructional interventions that can help students continue to progress;

gauging the instructional effectiveness of classroom lessons;

refining instructional methods; and

examining schoolwide data to consider whether and how to adapt the curriculum based on information about students' strengths and weaknesses." (p. 5)

This goal of this blog post is to share basic explanations of key terms related to reading assessments. The text and graphics are from from Module 11 of the Keys to Beginning Reading professional development online course (Sedita, 2019).
Assessment Reliability and Validity Reliability
Reliability refers to how consistently a test provides dependable, consistent measurement of a skill or ability. If a test is reliable, the same result should be achieved regardless of who administers the test. Personal judgment to determine a score should not be part of the process. Related Essential question: Are the test scores reliable between test administrators? Testing contexts? Test forms?
Validity
A test is valid if it measures the skill or ability it says it is measuring. The results from a valid test are used to make useful, accurate and beneficial decisions. A test is only valid if it is being used for the purposes for which it was designed. Related Essential question: Are we using the test for the right purpose?
Types of Reading Assessments
There are four main types of reading assessments that are used in schools: Screening, Diagnostic, Progress Monitoring, Summative.
Screening and Benchmark
Screening assessments are typically administered to all students at the beginning, middle and end of the year to identify students who might be at risk for reading difficulty. They provide an initial indication of which students might need extra instruction or intensive interventions if they are to reach grade-level reading standards by the end of the school year. The goal of these assessments is to identify students early before start to fail. Sometimes information from the previous year's summative assessments can be used as part of the screening process. Screening assessments are not diagnostic - they do not provide detailed information about why a student is struggling.
Progress Monitoring
Progress monitoring assessments are sometimes called formative assessments and are given periodically to determine whether students are making adequate progress. The primary goal of these assessments is to determine if the instructional practices being used are enabling students to make sufficient progress related to the development of reading skills. The focus is on developing student learning. Progress monitoring is especially helpful to make sure that students at risk for reading difficulty are making adequate progress and to identify any students who may be falling behind.

There are two types of progress monitoring tests. Curriculum-embedded tests assess the extent to which students have learned the material taught in the current unit of a reading program. They help the teacher identify which students have mastered the material and whether the class is ready to move on to the next unit in the program. There may not be information about the reliability or validity of these tests, but they are useful because they provide information related to which students have learned what has just been taught (Torgesen, 2006).

The second type of progress monitoring tests measure reading skills (e.g., phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) but are not tied to a reading program. These assessments, based on developmental research, establish benchmarks (performance targets) for the beginning, middle, and end of a school year that predict success at meeting grade-level reading standards (Torgesen, 2006).

General progress monitoring assessments should be given at least three times a year for grades K-3. However, at risk students who are receiving intervention instruction should be progress monitored more frequently to determine if the interventions are successful. They can be given as often as weekly (Torgesen, 2006).
Diagnostic
Diagnostic assessments are used to provide information about individual students who may be having reading difficulty. The results of these assessments help determine the cause of that difficulty, and help teachers plan appropriate supplemental instruction or intensive interventions based on individual student needs. There are many kinds of diagnostic assessments that range from informal reading tasks to formal assessments used for psycho-educational testing. They tend to be lengthy, but provide in-depth, reliable assessment of essential reading skills.

Torgesen (2006) notes that it is important to distinguish between diagnostic tests and diagnostic information. "Diagnostic information is any knowledge about a child's skills and abilities that is useful in planning instruction. It can come from student work, teacher observations, or other tests, as well as diagnostic tests. Diagnostic tests are one important way to obtain diagnostic information that can help guide interventions for students who are experiencing difficulty learning to read. However, reliable and valid diagnostic information can come from sources other than formal diagnostic tests." (p. 6)

Diagnostic assessments should be administered only for students who are having difficulty learning to read.
Summative
Summative assessments are sometimes called outcome assessments. The most common are standardized tests that are group administered and used to give school leaders and teachers feedback about the overall effectiveness of their reading curriculum and program. They are typically given at the end of the school year. The focus is on measuring student learning at a given point in time. The results from these assessments help determine if the instruction provided by all the educators in the school is sufficient to help all students achieve grade-level reading standards by the end of each year.
More Assessment Terms Norm-Referenced
These are formal, standardized assessments that compare a student's reading skills and ability to other students at the same grade or age level. They are usually not administered more than once in a year.
Criterion-Referenced
These can be formal or informal assessments that compare a student's reading skills to a set of skills, or criterion, that are identified as needed for mastery. They are often administered before and after instruction to measure growth in a particular skill. They can be administered more than once in year.
Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM)
A Curriculum Based Measurement, often referred to as a CBM, is a criterion-referenced assessment of targeted reading skills. The reading skill measures are tied to skills taught as part of the reading curriculum. CBM assessments can be used for screening and benchmarking purposes, and also for progress monitoring.

CBM assessments are typically given to all students three times during the school year: beginning, middle, and end to determine if students are learning specific reading skills at a growth rate expected for their grade level. When used for this purpose, grade-level assessments are used and student scores are compared to norms based on scores of students at the same grade or age level. Two common examples of CBM subtests for grades K-3 reading foundation skills include the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Litearcy Skills (DIBELS) and Acadience Reading. They measure skills such as letter naming fluency, letter-sound fluency, phoneme segmentation fluency, nonsense and whole word reading fluency, and oral reading fluency.

However, CBM assessments can be given more often as a progress monitoring tool to determine if struggling readers are making sufficient gains from intervention instruction. When used for this purpose, sub-tests from earlier grade levels might be used if a student's skills are below-grade level. If this is the case, the student scores can be compared to previous scores to determine if progress is being made, but the scores should not be compared to the typical grade-level norms.
Using Assessment to Identify Student Needs
Assessment tools are vehicles we use to gather data, while the assessment process refers to the decisions we make and actions we take as we administer tools, and interpret and communicate data. Review the stages in the assessment process below.

Adapted from MA DESE: Adolescent Literacy Professional Development

Assessment Across the School Year

For students who are making grade-appropriate gains in their reading skills, the assessment plan shown in the graphic above should be followed. At the beginning of the year, screening assessments that provide data about the major components of reading are given to all students to identify students who might be at risk. Progress monitoring of gains in reading skills are given at intervals throughout the school year to determine if all students are making adequate progress. A summative assessment is given at the end of the year to determine if the students have reached grade-level proficiency.
Modifying the Plan for Students with Below-Grade Level Skills
The assessment plan needs to be modified for students who appear to be at risk for not achieving grade-level proficiency. If the screening assessment at the beginning of the year indicates that a student may be at risk, diagnostic assessments should be administered to determine the areas for which supplemental or intervention should be given. The progress monitoring assessments will need to be given on a more frequent basis to monitor if that instruction is sufficient or if a different instructional plan should be made. The graphic below represents this modified plan.

Additional Resources

Watch a 5 minute video about the role of progress monitoring from the Institute of Education Sciences.

Access a helpful infographic that summarizes assessment terms offered by the Institute of Education Sciences.

Learn more about early reading assessments a the Reading Rockets website.

References

Hamilton, L., Halverson, R. Jackson, Ss, Mandinach, E., Supovitz, J., & Wayman, J. (2009). Using student achievement data to support instructional decision making (NCEE 2009-4067). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Sedita, J (2019). Keys to Beginning Reading. Rowley, MA: Keys to Literacy.

Torgesen, J. K. (2006) A comprehensive K-3 reading assessment plan: Guidance for school leaders. Portsmouth, NH. RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction https://www.fcrr.org/assessment/pdf/K-3%20Reading%20assessment.pdf

Joan Sedita

Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs. She is an experienced educator, nationally recognized speaker and teacher trainer. She has worked for over 35 years in the literacy education field and has presented to thousands of teachers and related professionals at schools, colleges, clinics, and professional conferences.

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Reading Assessment Basics - Keys to Literacy

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Reading assessment is essential for supporting effective reading instruction. Reading assessment data provides teachers important information to guide instructional decisions. It also helps guide school leadership as they make reading curriculum decisions. This goal of this blog post is to share basic explanations of key terms related to reading assessments.

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Guide students to read with purpose and understanding using our Comprehension resources. Combined our resources help students learn to make connections, organize their thinking, cite evidence, discuss text effectively, and interpret visual information. Practice with these various skills leads to students' deeper comprehension of increasingly complex text.

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Guide students to read with purpose and understanding using our Comprehension resources. Combined our resources help students learn to make connections, organize their thinking, cite evidence, discuss text effectively, and interpret visual information. Practice with these various skills leads to students' deeper comprehension of increasingly complex text.

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Orthographic Mapping Part 2: How We Store Words for Proficient Reading-Equipped for Reading Success

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Vocabulary Instruction that Works! - Naomi O’Brien - Read Like a Rockstar

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The Problem: I recently took a poll on IG and asked educators to choose which of the 5 components of reading they felt like they struggled the most to teach effectively. Out of 1,600+ people who answered, the average answer was vocabulary. Does this ring true for you? For my first few years in the […]

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Children's Literature Web Guide
The Children's Literature Web Guide has information about children's book awards, book lists and bibliographies, information about authors of children's books, and links to resources for librarians, parents, teachers, writers, and children. It is the premier Web site for people interested in children's literature.

Bologna Children's Book Fair
The Bologna Children's Book Fair is an annual international event that has been held in this Italian city since 1964. It attracts authors, illustrators, editors, translators, publishers, booksellers, agents, media producers, critics, and other people who are interested in books and publishing for young people. There are exhibitions, discussion sessions, award presentations, and other events associated with the Fair, usually held in the first part of the year. Site is available in Italian and English.

CHILDE
CHILDE (Children's Historical Literature Disseminated throughout Europe) is "a project, funded under the European Commission's Culture 2000 programme, that uses web technology to allow wider and more open access to images from collections of early children's books in Europe. It is hoped that by sharing these images and other resources with an international audience, the CHILDE project will lay the foundations for a wider network of early children's book collections." Libraries involved include the International Youth Library in Munich, The National Centre for Research in Children's Literature (NCRCL) at the University of Surrey at Roehampton, the Royal Library in The Hague, and Dublin City Public Libraries.

International Children's Digital Library
The mission of the International Children's Digital Library Foundation (ICDL Foundation) is to support the world's children in becoming effective members of the global communityundefinedwho exhibit tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideasundefinedby making the best in children's literature available online free of charge. The Foundation pursues its vision by building a digital library of outstanding children's books from around the world and supporting communities of children and adults in exploring and using this literature through innovative technology designed in close partnership with children for children. Site is available in multiple languages.

Eileen Wallace Children's Literature Collection
"The Eileen Wallace Children's Literature Collection is is the largest research collection of its kind in Atlantic Canada. Endowed by librarian and long-time educator, Eileen Wallace, this non-circulating collection comprises over 12,000 monographs and 5000 microfiche titles. Supplemented by the UNB Libraries' circulating collection in children's literature and children's literary criticism, the Eileen Wallace Collection is the key resource for the study of children's literature within the region." The collection is housed at the University of New Brunswick. The site provides information about the collection, a link to the catalog, and collections of links.\

The American Library Association
The American Library Association Web site has information about the Newbery Medals and the Caldecott Medals for children's books. This includes information about the medals, details of this year's winners and honor books, lists of previous winners, and links to other resources.

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Children's Literature Web Guide The Children's Literature Web Guide has information about children's book awards, book lists and bibliographies, information about authors of children's books, and links to resources for librarians, parents, teachers, writers, and children. It is the premier Web site for people interested in children's literature.

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Dachelle is a former traditional teacher turned homeschool mom. She has a passion for literature and for adding adventure to her homeschool. She has started several book clubs in her community with the idea that each book club should be a celebration of literature.

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Effective Read-Aloud Strategies for Your Classroom

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Readaloud strategies help hone your students’ rhetorical and comprehension skill sets. Reading aloud is scary, but not so much anymore.

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How Does Writing Fit Into the ‘Science of Reading’?

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Writing in the early grades is often segmented off from reading. Research suggests teaching them together is both efficient and effective.

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Sing Your Way Through Phonics
Free Lesson Plans for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades

Our phonics lesson plans for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades are based on the belief that all students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process. Throughmusic and rhythm, Sing Your Way Through Phonics engages young readers physically, mentally, and emotionally so that the phonics concepts are easily grasped and retained. Linking learning to music has proven especially effective with ESL students, students with dyslexia and learning disabilities, and those with special needs who do not respond well to traditional pencil/paper exercises.

Each of the classroom-tested lesson plans listed below correlates with one of the phonics teaching songs from each volume of Sing Your Way Through Phonics. Our Ready-to-Read! volume includes phonemic awareness lesson plans for pre-K and kindergarten. Volume 1 covers letter identification to early words for pre-school through 1st grade; Volume 2 covers long vowel spellings to -s and -es endings for 1st and 2nd grades,; Volume 3 covers w-h words to -tion suffixes for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades. These phonics songs and concepts can also be previewed earlier or reviewed later than the intended grade levels. Each phonics lesson plan includes song lyrics and tunes, objectives, an explanation of the concept, a basic procedure for introducing the concept, follow-up activities to enhance retention and understanding, and extensions such as games, manipulatives, and literature connections. You can use our Scope and Sequence or Parent Guide to help determine which phonics lesson plans are best matched to your student's needs.

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free phonics lesson plans kindergarten 1st 2nd 3rd grades

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Phonics Lesson Plans: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Grades

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Sing Your Way Through Phonics Free Lesson Plans for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Grades Our phonics lesson plans for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades are based on the belief that all students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process.

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As schools around the nation scramble to respond to the alarm bells set off by falling scores on "the nation's report card," we-two university professors who teach reading courses and who are former elementary teachers-are watching. We get it. We, too, want to see better results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. We, too, worry about schools not effectively teaching what many believe is the building block of reading instruction, phonics. That needs to be corrected. But phonics, which has made its way to the center of the "science of reading" movement, is neither the whole problem nor the whole solution. That's because phonics only focuses on sounding out words. It does not support readers to understand or analyze those words.

In that race to replace existing instruction with phonics-centered approaches, we are concerned about what lies on the other side of what could be a well-intentioned but misguided overcorrection, like the kind the United Kingdom is seeing now. There, beginning in 2012, phonics instruction was isolated and not well integrated into meaning-based instruction. As a result, the U.K. started seeing lower test scores.

If we focus on phonics instruction that is removed from actual reading, students will continue to fail assessments like NAEP. More importantly, they are unlikely to become successful, self-motivated readers. Focusing on phonics as a solution for better reading-comprehension scores is a flawed strategy, as insufficient phonics knowledge is unlikely to be the only reason children struggle to comprehend. How do we know that?

First, phonics knowledge does not always translate into skillfully comprehending text. Some students can decode words quickly and smoothly but still not deeply understand what they are reading.

Second, reading is complex, and research suggests that there likely are many, sometimes interrelated, reasons why kids struggle to comprehend. For example, one study found that, of a set of 3rd graders who failed a state reading-comprehension test, only 8.1 percent struggled to decode accurately. Another 28.5 percent could decode accurately but read slowly. And the majority of students, 63.3 percent, could decode and read effortlessly but didn't comprehend well. Other studies have drawn similar conclusions.

Third, when teaching focuses solely on phonics, children often don't have sustained opportunities to engage in high-level reasoning with advanced texts. But, this is exactly what reading-comprehension questions, like those found on NAEP, demand.

Kids need phonics and comprehension instruction. The Simple View of Reading, an older and incomplete framework of reading that many schools have taken up recently, suggests that basic comprehension occurs automatically if students develop decoding skills and listening comprehension (the latter using what they already know to understand a text). However, this theory excludes deep comprehension, such as analysis, synthesis, and critique.

Children do need phonics instruction. But, it should happen in the context of real reading.

This is a troubling exclusion, as children are not likely to develop these deeper comprehension skills without explicit instruction combined with practice using self-regulated word-solving, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies during reading. Deep comprehension requires engaging students in discussion and reasoning with text, which supports them to ask questions, to draw on prior knowledge and develop new knowledge, to make predictions and inferences, to synthesize, and to critique. Such reading skills are essential for participating in our 21 st-century information society, where people need to be able to synthesize information across multiple, complex, and often digital and multimodal texts while also evaluating credibility.

Children do need phonics instruction. But, it should happen in the context of real reading. When learning to ride a bike, we don't learn to pedal just to pedal. We learn to pedal to move a bike forward, for fun, or to get somewhere. Similarly, students need to learn skills for authentic, motivating purposes, including learning about themselves and others, acquiring new knowledge, analyzing the world, and cultivating joy. One way to accomplish this is by integrating reading with science and social studies instruction to support students' development of vocabulary, linguistics, and other forms of knowledge that contribute, in important ways, to reading comprehension.

So, instead of investing solely in methods that just aren't working, let's use this opportunity to support authentic, skilled reading that focuses on making meaning with text in ways that are relevant to students. Instead of relying on The Simple View of reading, which promotes basic comprehension, let's instead draw on a more comprehensive view, such as the Active View of Reading, which supports deep comprehension. The Active View extends The Simple View by drawing on more recent research to account for the multiple factors, in addition to decoding and language comprehension, that current research shows are important for effective reading, including fluency, motivation, executive-function skills, and strategy use. Importantly, instruction needs to support all these factors in coordination.

What does this look like in practice?

Schools should ensure that reading instruction reflects what we know from research by including at least five key components in a context that is engaging and motivating to the students in front of us. First, teachers need to provide explicit and systematic modeling and practice of phonics-related skills, including blending sounds together to sound out words. Second, students need practice applying those skills, with and without teacher support, by reading decodables (books with phonics patterns students already have learned) to support phonics-in-context and fluency. Third, students need to develop multiple forms of knowledge to unlock meaning that is often assumed and not always explicitly stated in texts. Fourth, students need explicit instruction in comprehension skills and strategies. Finally, students need time to employ self-regulation to coordinate these skills as they read, write, discuss, and reason with various texts.

Rather than stoking the fires of yet another round of "reading wars" and swinging the pendulum too far in either direction, let's work together to support our children to become good readers by engaging them in instruction that focuses on phonics in context with the goal of deep comprehension. If we can come together to do this, we can produce a nation of skilled readers. And, yes, probably better NAEP reading scores, too.

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A Focus on Phonics or Comprehension? What Reading Research Should Look Like in Practice (Opinion)

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Children do need phonics instruction. But, it should happen in the context of real reading, write two researchers.

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Why is Media Literacy Important? | Teaching Media Literacy in the Classroom

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Minimizing screen time and maximizing student interactions are worthwhile, but there are still good uses of technology in the elementary grades.

Following months of virtual schooling and tuning in to a device for synchronous and asynchronous learning, many teachers and students have been happy this year to move away from digital experiences and return to analog learning activities.

Many elementary school activities engage children in hands-on, dynamic activities that do not require the use of technology, limiting how much time students spend in front of a screen. However, there are ways that technology can develop and sustain unique learning opportunities in schools.

As an educational technologist, I collaborate with teachers to implement technologies that improve student learning. I'll talk about and share examples of how teachers can use technology in the classroom to provide instructional guidance and support, encourage students' self-reflection, and spark creativity.

Using Technology as an Instructional Tool

Teachers can create short audio or video clips to supplement and extend classroom instruction. Many teachers have discovered how simple it is to create a short video that students can use to review a concept or reread a set of instructions while participating in remote learning.

You can create detailed instructions or give information to guide students through a series of exercises for a lesson or project. Plan a class activity in which students, for example, rotate among different stations (individually or in small groups) to complete a series of independent tasks.

Each station could have its own device, such as an iPad or a Chromebook, where students can review prerecorded instructions or rewatch brief presentations while doing activities at that station. You might create a screencast as a tutorial or explain the steps to completing a math review worksheet.

Students Using Technology to Self-Reflect on Their Learning and Progress

Students can use technology to keep track of their progress. They can use images or a short video to document special classroom moments, activities, projects, or presentations, and then create a presentation that highlights their learning from these snapshots.

For example, a third-grade student learning about the composition of a cell could create a presentation that included a photo of a cell diagram, descriptions of why certain parts of a cell were included, explanations of what materials were used to create the cell model, and a written reflection of what they learned about the parts of a cell. For a framework of how to write a self-reflection, you can provide students with protocols such as Project Zero's thinking routine " I Used to Think... Now I Think." John Spencer's blog post about digital portfolios is another resource you can use to prompt students' self-reflection.

To help students develop their metacognitive skills, you can combine learning snapshots with opportunities for their self-reflection. During a large or small group presentation, students can present a slide show with voice-overs or explain what they were doing and what they learned at the moment. They can respond to questions such as "Did this learning experience make you feel successful?" and "What would you do differently next time?" Students can revisit these reflections later in the year to assess and celebrate their progress.

In one upper elementary classroom I visited, for example, students were trying out different study strategies to see which ones worked best for them. After they completed a formative assessment activity, the teacher asked them to reflect on whether they had felt successful throughout the assessment activity because of using study strategies.

The teacher asked students to identify which strategies they used and whether they thought the strategies were effective in helping them explore new content and ideas. One student described how using flash cards and rereading a chapter helped her prepare for and pass a science quiz.

You can allow students to reflect with fewer specific prompts as they become accustomed to considering their work and feel comfortable exploring how they think throughout a learning experience.

Using Technology to Provide Choice and Spark Students' Creativity

You can design projects that allow students to choose how they want to use technology. Students can create digital art by using various websites and tools. They can create original artwork or learning resources such as math manipulatives using classroom art supplies and then record a brief video explaining or displaying their work.

Comic strips, slide shows, green screen images, infographics, timelines, digital posters, videos, podcasts, mini-portfolios, and video book talks are other forms of digital student creation. When students combine these various modalities, they have even more opportunities for creativity and self-expression.

With the help of technology, sharing digital creations like these is simple. Google's share settings can publish Google Slideshows or documents. Google Sites is also an excellent tool for students to keep track of their assignments. Students can include video, images, Google Drive files, PDF files, and much more on a Google Site. Microsoft Office 365 tools, Flipgrid, and Padlet are some of the other platforms for creating, curating, and sharing student work.

When using technology in the elementary classroom, be judicious and intentional. Before implementing it, consider your goals for using it and whether it provides a functional improvement to a learning task. Documenting student learning, providing extra student support via audio or video, and enhancing student creation capabilities are all excellent ways for technology to improve the teaching and learning process.

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Effective Uses of Technology in Elementary School

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Minimizing screen time and maximizing student interactions are worthwhile, but there are still good uses of technology in the elementary grades.

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Describe the key features of the structured literacy approach. How and why is this approach important for students with dyslexia? 

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Describe the key features of the structured literacy approach. How and why is this approach important for students with dyslexia? 

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Some key features include that it is a multi-sensory method of teaching, there is clear instruction, and frequent review/practice. It is important for students with dyslexia because it directly addresses the core challenges they face with reading and writing. For students with dyslexia, this approach is helpful because it eliminates the guesswork. Focusing on phonics, word patterns, and the rules of language, helps students build strong foundational skills that they can apply to new words.

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How would you include media literacy in your classroom to support reading, writing, speaking, and listening? What considerations need to be made when using media in the classroom?

 

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How would you include media literacy in your classroom to support reading, writing, speaking, and listening? What considerations need to be made when using media in the classroom?

 

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I would include media literacy in my classroom by using videos, podcasts, and interactive websites. Listening to podcasts or viewing videos can improve listening comprehension and critical thinking. When using media in the classroom, it's important to ensure that materials are age-appropriate, factually accurate, and accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.

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Read Works is a program for teachers, parents, school administrators, and partners. This site gives insight into building vocabulary, reading, and knowledge. It also provides users with current news from numerous different genres and timeframes.

Read Works provides positive learning outcomes, support for challenging readings, and a number of resources.​'ReadWorks is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis and student achievement gap. Driven by the scientific study of reading, ReadWorks creates proven high-quality content, teacher guidance, and integrated tools that improve teacher effectiveness and student achievement."

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

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MAckinvia is a platform that provides students and educators with access to digital resources like ebooks, audiobooks, databases, and videos. With this program, you can highlight, bookmark and take notes offline or online.

MackinVIA also offers integration with learning management systems and classroom tools. Administrators can curate collections, monitor usage, and align digital content with curriculum standards.

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MackinVIA is a complete eResource management system providing easy access to eBooks and educational databases. With just one login, users can view, utilize, and manage all of their eResources.

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Magic School is an AI-powered educational platform. It offers tools to generate lesson plans, worksheets, quizzes, and other teaching materials.

Magic School aims to foster innovation in education by simplifying administrative tasks and sparking creative teaching strategies.

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The leading AI platform for schools. Loved by over 2 million teachers saving time with AI to assist with lesson plans & more. Free for teachers.

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Newsela is a platform that provides teachers and students with access to current news articles, nonfiction texts, and instructional content. The platform covers topics like science, social studies, arts, and current events. Every article can also adjust to the reader's reading level.

Newsela provides interactive tools for assessments, annotations, and discussions. Teachers can also assign articles, track student progress, and align content with curriculum standards.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Tier One words are basic, everyday vocabulary that young children typically acquire through regular conversation and exposure. These words are concrete, familiar, and require little or no explicit instruction. Some examples include words like, "yes," "walk," and "please."

Tier One words are used when communicating in everyday, simple conversations or when speaking to young children or English language learners who are still building their vocabulary.

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How can you use the three tiers of vocabulary to implement a literacy strategy and improve literacy for your students?

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Tier Two words are academic vocabulary words that are more sophisticated than everyday Tier One words but not as subject-specific as Tier Three words. They often appear across different subjects and are essential for reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking.

Some examples are "critically," "definition," and "contrast."

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How can you use the three tiers of vocabulary to implement a literacy strategy and improve literacy for your students?

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Tier Three words are low-frequency vocabulary terms that are closely tied to particular fields of study or academic disciplines. These words are essential for understanding specialized content and are typically found in textbooks, scientific articles, or technical materials.

Examples are "filibuster," "biopsy," and "molecule."

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How can you use the three tiers of vocabulary to implement a literacy strategy and improve literacy for your students?