The Link Between Reading and Writing
As students develop and hone their writing skills, they become more competent readers. Their ability to think critically about text and interact with it in rich and meaningful ways improves. The opposite is also true. The more we read, the better our writing becomes. That’s because the processes of reading and writing are undeniably connected. […]
The Instructional Sequence of Phonics Rules
Current research shows that students learn how to read most effectively when the skills needed are taught explicitly and systematically. But understanding the exact order in which students should learn phonics rules and concepts can be daunting. Yes, there are numerous curricular programs you can follow that provide their own scope and sequence of skills, […]
Chunking Text to Develop Reading Fluency
Many students face obstacles when developing reading fluency. Once they’ve mastered phonics rules and spelling patterns, they often become stuck. They have been in the habit of reading single words at a time, and habits are hard to break. They are able to read longer sentences, but they do so in a way that is […]
Teaching the Alphabetic Principle
The alphabetic principle states that all words are made up of sounds and that those sounds are represented by symbols. Students need to develop a thorough understanding of the alphabetic principle before they can master reading. The alphabetic principle is the foundation that allows students to master the skill of decoding words based on their […]
The Road to Reading Fluency
The road to reading fluency is a long one, and every step is crucial. That’s because each skill builds upon the one before it. That’s why it is so important to build strong foundational reading skills. Each step forward lays the groundwork for the success that is sure to follow! As the saying goes, “first […]
What is Morphology?
Morphology is a branch of linguistics, and refers to the study of the structure of words. Along with many other languages, English words are made up of letters, sounds, syllables, root words, and affixes. One letter can make a significant difference not only in the meaning of a word, but in its pronunciation. When children […]
What is Morphological Awareness?
Are you a passionate educator? Do you love helping kids develop morphological awareness? Join our team and become a Braintrust tutor today! Morphological awareness is one of many skills that help students learn how to read and write. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in language. The words “like” and “a” are both […]
Sight Words Made Easy (or Easier)
“Orthographic mapping” certainly doesn’t flow off the tongue, nor is it a term we hear used very frequently. Yet, it is a process that is central to becoming a confident, fluent reader. That’s because once we’ve orthographically mapped a word, it means we are able to instantly read it without putting effort into decoding. This process is […]
What is the Reading Rope?
Are you a passionate educator? Do you love helping kids understand the reading rope? Join our team and become a Braintrust tutor today! Literacy researcher Hollis Scarborough created a metaphor for explaining the complex processes involved in reading. She described reading by comparing it to the “strands of a rope.” This awesome infographic visually shows […]
A Better Method for Vocabulary Development
For those of us who have been out of the K-12 school system for quite some time, we all remember the classic strategy for learning new vocab. First, we would look up a list of words in the dictionary. Then, we would write those words and their definitions a number of times. Eventually, we would […]
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