Category · 323 articles
Reading
Digraphs and Diphthongs | Academic Language for Reading Instruction
When we simplify instruction, we create confusion for students later on. After all, phonics is all about sound-spellings.
Pre-teach before Reading Assessments
Good assessments catch students at their best. That's why it makes sense to pre-teach before teachers assess to help students retrieve prior knowledge and get the…
Consonant Blends for Big Kids
In most explicit, systematic phonics programs, the short vowels (our most predictable and consistent sound-spelling relationships are taught first, along with the most frequently occurring consonant…
Consonant Digraphs for Big Kids
s an MA reading specialist, I know that teachers get confused about consonant blends. Let me give you the definitions, a way to remember the difference,…
Consonant-Final e for Big Kids
Students find the silent final e to be a frustrating component of our English sound-spelling system. In particular, second-language learners struggle with both pronunciations and spellings of…
How Can I Get My Child to Read?
"How can I get my child to read?" is probably the question that I am asked most by parents. I'm Mark Pennington, M.A. Reading Specialist, teacher,…
Read-Study Method for Textbooks
The PQRAR and read-study method with the SCRIP comprehension strategies are beneficial for building comprehension of both narrative and expository text. These self-questioning strategies engage the…
How to Teach Word Relationships Vocabulary
ears ago the SAT tested vocabulary through word relationships, known as analogies. Knowing the typical analogy categories helped students make educated guesses to be able to…