Decodable texts are an essential tool in primary classrooms for teaching phonics. But what exactly are decodables and why should we be using them? This teacher’s guide will answer those questions as well as assist you with how to use decodable texts. Plus we’ll discover how these differ from the leveled texts many of us had been using with our youngest readers. What is a Decodable Text? Decodable texts are written with the purpose of targeting a specific phonics feature. They provide readers with a chance to practice decoding words within connected text. Students are provided with opportuniti ..read more

Virtual teaching is HARD. Two years ago we had to completely transform how we teach – literally overnight. But along the way we’ve learned about some valuable tools that we can still incorporate into our classrooms even as we return back to “normal.” I’m excited to share some digital tools for teaching phonics that were extremely helpful to me during virtual teaching and still are today! 4 Digital Tools for Teaching Phonics Magnetic Letters Sarah Plumitallo shared these FREE digital magnetic letters, and I honestly couldn’t imagine teaching virtually without them! It’s super easy to send stu ..read more

Have you heard of the Science of Reading but are not sure where to begin? Do you wonder how to provide students with strategies that help them decode unknown words without guessing? In this post, I’ll share tips for introducing my new and improved decoding strategies that are aligned with the Science of Reading. Science of Reading Strategies The beanie baby decoding strategies are very popular but can teach students to guess a word. I came up with new decoding strategies that are aligned with the Science of Reading. But these new strategies still use the most effective part of the beanie ba ..read more

No More Beanie Baby Decoding Strategies You have probably heard of the Beanie Baby Decoding Strategies. For many years, they were a popular way to help young readers. The appeal of the strategies was the visual reminders for students when they were stuck on a word. The strategies empowered primary students to tackle unknown words on their own without needing to ask an adult. However, not all of these strategies are aligned with the science of reading. Some of the strategies such as “Eagle Eye” encourage students to look at the picture and guess the word. When they look away from the word ..read more

The Beanie Baby Reading Strategies can be an extremely effective approach to teaching students how to decode unknown words; however, the success of the strategies will greatly depend on how they are taught. These 6 simple steps will help ensure that your students are successful in implementing these strategies. If you’re unfamiliar with the Beanie Baby Strategies, you’ll want to start by checking out part 1 of this series where the strategies are introduced. You may also be interested in reading part 3 where I share tips to successfully implement these strategies with your students. ** Note f ..read more

The Beanie Babies Reading Strategies have made a tremendous impact on my students’ ability to successfully decode unknown words independently. Since I have found these reading strategies to be highly effective with my students, I want to share my tips with you to hopefully help your students find the same success! If you’re unfamiliar with the Beanie Baby Strategies, you’ll want to start by checking out part 1 of this series where the strategies are introduced. You may also be interested in reading part 2 where I share steps for introducing the strategies to your students. This post includes ..read more

If I had to name the one teaching strategy that has been the most effective in helping my students with decoding, it would be the Beanie Babies Reading Strategies – without question! Because of these strategies, my students can verbally explain what to do when they’re stuck on a word and independently make attempts at decoding unknown words. Maybe you’re already familiar with the Beanie Babies Reading Strategies or maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about. But hopefully by my sharing what has worked for me, you’ll find some new ideas to try in your guided reading lessons. Be sure to chec ..read more

Dyslexia has been a hot topic in education lately. In fact, Virginia is now requiring teachers to complete dyslexia training when applying for licensure in order to make sure educators know how to meet these students’ needs. Hearing the word dyslexia can make some teachers nervous, but what they need to remember is that they are already implementing these strategies daily! Multisensory learning is beneficial for students with dyslexia to help activate multiple areas of the brain which helps these students make the necessary phonetic connections when working with words. These simple multisenso ..read more

I am so excited to share these vowel songs from Have Fun Teaching with you!  My primary students LOVE doing these dances!  The videos are a great way to distinguish between the long and short vowel sounds.  I use the SRA reading program with some groups, so the videos are especially helpful since they include the symbols to identify long or short vowels (ă or ā). The videos also give sample words for each vowel sound and prompt students to practice writing the letters.  So much instruction within these short videos! The B ..read more

Virtual teaching is HARD. Two years ago we had to completely transform how we teach – literally overnight. But along the way we’ve learned about some valuable tools that we can still incorporate into our classrooms even as we return back to “normal.” I’m excited to share some digital tools for teaching phonics that were extremely helpful to me during virtual teaching and still are today! 4 Digital Tools for Teaching Phonics Magnetic Letters Sarah Plumitallo shared these FREE digital magnetic letters, and I honestly couldn’t imagine teaching virtually without them! It’s super easy to send stu ..read more