The only phonics rule that I ever remember learning was the one that went like this. When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. HA! That rule only applies 15% of the time! Now what about the spelling rules I learned. Zero. UG!!! I want to make sure that you know the rules so you can teach the rules!!! I’ve learned so many things since I’ve been […]
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28
Sep
2020
Know the Rules so You Can Teach the Rules!
During the Orton-Gillingham training that I attended during the summer of 2019, I was introduced to some resources that I could tap into to help students learn grammar. One Fellow-In-Training, an educator working on the last requirements for becoming an official Fellow in the OG approach to reading, joined our cohort for a couple of days. She drew a simple T chart on the board and said, this is the […]
Read moreWhat was the saying, “The only guarantee in life is death and taxes.” In 2020, we can now add “change” to that statement. Things we took for granted now have to change. Maybe temporarily or maybe permanently I don’t know, BUT what I do know is that we can count on things changing. One of those things is how we help students with behavior issues to calm. Gone are the […]
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07
Sep
2020
What to Do About Face Shields!
For the first time in my life, I’m wearing a face shield! Not all the time, of course, but there are times when I really have no choice. I do adult professional development as part of my job, so I need to be able to have people understand what I’m saying. I am also aware that a face shield alone does not adequately protect you from COVID-19. A face shield, […]
Read moreHere we go for 2020! I’m excited to start a new year of ideas, strategies and resources for you!! As you know, I’ve been giving tons of information for the past several months for your struggling readers! I’ve got more reading strategies coming but don’t worry, I plan to continue to include ideas for other areas of concerns for your child/student with special needs! Reading comprehension is always the goal […]
Read moreJust so you know, there are some really good fluency programs/kits out there (Wilson has one!), but if you don’t have the luxury of purchasing one, you have options! I have three fluency strategies that I want to share for some DYI ideas. I am sharing one of them with you today! Keep in mind that this vital foundation piece for reading must be part of your instruction so that […]
Read moreIf you have watched a student in early elementary formulating his/her letters, it’s painful to see! In fact, if you watch older students who got caught up in the period of time that handwriting was not a priority, that too is a struggle for me to watch. I’ve got a couple of visuals for you that I’ve learned from two organizations that teach the Orton-Gillingham multisensory approach to reading! Teach […]
Read moreI love getting the most out of what I teach students. I’m all about working smarter, not harder! When I learned a strategy on how to teach suffixes in a more strategic way, I actually got so excited! Does this make me a nerd? 🙂 Check out today’s video on how you can improve decoding, comprehension and spelling by teaching suffixes! Take a look! I can’t wait to hear how […]
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20
Oct
2019
14 Reasons Why You Should Teach Cursive!
I have a question for you. Is cursive writing gone? What are your thoughts on this? For me, there’s nothing more delightful than gorgeous penmanship. You’ve been hearing about the amazing training I went through this past summer when I learned how to implement the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading. Something else I learned from Janet George was the 12 reasons why we should be teaching cursive writing. It all made […]
Read moreSometimes strategies come along and you wonder why you didn’t think of that! The strategy I’m showing you today is one of those! Actually this video takes 2 minutes from start to finish, which may be a record for Behavior Communicates! Take a look! I told you it was fast and simple! If you have a better, quicker way to get the same thing done, please share! Enjoy this one! […]
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