Helping Kids Build Social Skills
You won’t necessarily find a social skills lesson on every classroom’s daily schedule. And yet, a vast majority of young students need some level of instruction in how to do things like cooperate, share, play, take turns, and converse. This is especially true for students with ADHD, Social Anxiety and Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder. Interacting […]
What is Structured Word Inquiry?
Structured Word Inquiry is an empowering way for students to learn language and the words within it. In many classrooms, students simply learn phonics rules and the definitions of isolated words. Through SWI, also known as Scientific Word Investigation, students study the history of words, the connections between words, and the evolution of language that […]
Resources for Learning Vocabulary
No one can deny the importance of building a strong vocabulary. Even if your child had robust vocabulary instruction last year, chances are, he isn’t keeping up with it this summer. Just a few minutes of vocab practice a day can help keep those skills sharp. Here are some of our favorite web-based resources for summer […]
What are Suffixes?
Are you a passionate educator? Do you love helping kids understand suffixes? Join our team and become a Braintrust tutor today! Suffixes are word parts that are added to the end of a root word to change its meaning. Knowing what suffixes mean can help students make sense of unknown words they come across. Spelling […]
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. […]
The Connection Between Speech, Language, and Learning
Any student’s experience of school is filled with words. There are the words a child hears or sees each time a teacher gives a direction or delivers a lesson. And there are the words he hears from his peers during class discussions or out on the playground. Then, there are the words that make up […]
What are Prefixes?
Prefixes are parts of words that can be added to the beginning of a root word to change its meaning. They are an important component of language structure and vocabulary. Students should learn the most common prefixes early. They should continue to add to their prefix knowledge as they progress through the grades. Knowing what […]
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