Tim Rasinski is a renowned professor of literacy education whose research on reading fluency and word study has made him a literacy hero to many. Below, he shares his thoughts on how to approach word instruction. It should be self-evident
Stages of Second Language Acquisition
Babies are not natural born linguists. A “goo” or “gah” might slip in between milk bottle feedings and dirty diaper changes, but infants go through months of mutterings and mumblings until they utter their first word. In order to acquire
30 Need-to-Know Spanish/English Cognates for the Classroom
When you speak a different language than your student, information can easily get lost in translation. Asking your Spanish-Speaking English Language Learner (ELL) to wash their hands with “soap” may cause confusion. “Soap” sounds much like the word “sopa”, the
What Matters in Effective Reading Instruction
Tim Rasinski is a renowned professor of literacy education whose research on reading fluency and word study has made him a literacy hero to many. Below, he shares his thoughts about the core competencies needed in effective reading instruction. I’ve
Create Word Walls that Work for ELLs
Teachers carefully craft classroom walls to dazzle and sparkle as well as engage and inspire. Student work, alphabet charts, and number lines transform walls into learning-enhancing tools. One specific wall serves to build vocabulary and word knowledge: the word wall.
How to Build an ELL-Friendly Classroom
Most of us have been the new kid at school before. We’ve had those pesky what-ifs wander into our heads: What if I get lost on my way to class? What if I walk into the wrong class? What if I can’t
5 Successful Strategies to Engage ELLS
One of my earliest elementary school memories is sitting on a multicolored carpet in Mrs. B’s pre-k class. I remember watching her sway back and forth in a rocking chair, picture book in hand. Then her sweet voice suddenly stopped
Favorite Reads for the First Day of School for K-2
It’s important to start off the new school year on the right foot. So much of first day of school lesson plans focus on classroom rules and procedures. Read-alouds are an engaging way to address your expectations for the year,
How to Build a Classroom Library
The most important back-to-school teacher supply was not featured in our Top 20 Teacher School Supply list: Books! Books are a staple in every classroom, but brand new books are worth a hefty buck. Often schools don’t supply teachers with
Hooray for ILA
This weekend, the VocabularySpellingCity team traveled to sunny Central Florida. Instead of twirling in tilted teacups in our matching mouse ears, we got back-to-school-ready at the International Literacy Association (ILA) Conference! Every year, educators, reading coaches, and literary enthusiasts from