Disguising Academics as Summer Fun
The last thing parents want after the school year ends is to try to wrangle kids back into learning mode. Still, we all know how important it is to prevent that “summer slide,” especially this year. Ideally, of course, students would spend their summer reading 20 to 30 minutes a day. They would spend at […]
The Dyslexia Iceberg
Dyslexia is a common condition. But as common as it is, it also varies greatly from person to person. How it manifests in dyslexic individuals and how that manifestation affects academics and other areas of life widely differs. The “dyslexia iceberg” analogy visually represents the “obvious” traits that many (not all!) dyslexics share, as well […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Sight Recognition
When educators hear the term “sight recognition,” they often think of a student’s ability to visually identify how to say a word without needing to decode it. But within Scarborough’s reading rope, sight recognition actually goes deeper than that. It refers to the process by which students identify the spoken word and its possible meaning […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning is one of the eight strands of Scarborough’s reading rope. It refers to a student’s ability to make sense of spoken and written words. Within the reading rope, it is part of the larger strand of comprehension and contributes, along with the other strands, to a student’s growth into a skilled reader. What […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Language Structure
Language structure, one of the eight “strands“ of Scarborough’s reading rope, consists of a complex set of rules and conventions. These conventions allow us to communicate with one another verbally and in writing. Put simply, students need to develop an understanding of the structure of the English language as they are learning how to read. […]
Components of the Reading Rope: Background Knowledge
Hollis Scarborough’s “Reading Rope” theory has been a hot topic in the world of literacy. If you listen to the Science of Reading podcast, you’re probably already familiar with Scarborough’s reading rope: a visual representation of all of the skills involved in reading. One of these skills is background knowledge. Background knowledge is everything a child […]
Our Guide to the Best Phonics and Reading Resources
Parents know how important it is to supplement their kids’ reading at home. But aside from picking up a good old-fashioned paperback, what other tools are out there? How do you distinguish great resources from mediocre? We’ve got your back. Here’s a guide to our favorite phonics and reading resources. Digital Resources Freckle ends up on […]
Preventing the “Summer Slide”
The summer slide is real. On average, students lose 2-3 months of learning progress they made over the school year when they don’t spend time practicing over the summer. But working this practice into the summer routine is easier than many parents think! In the video below, we provide some simple but powerful tips for […]
Is My Child on “the Spectrum” and Does it Matter?
If your child has been showing signs of developmental delays or engaging in behaviors that are not age-appropriate, you might wonder if he or she is on the autism spectrum. Some common signs of autism are lack of eye contact, repetitive movements or noises called “stimming,“ and apparent disinterest in socializing with peers. While these […]
What is the Science of Reading?
You may have heard the buzz around the “Science of Reading” lately. New and trendy movements in education take off almost daily, but this one is worth paying attention to. For many years, even the most proactive and conscientious teachers have taught reading using a “Balanced Literacy” approach; that is, using a combination of explicit […]
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