Teaching literacy can be complex and overwhelming, particularly as expectations for literacy across content areas continue to grow. Here at Learning-Focused, we empower educators with effective instructional strategies that move the needle and boost literacy in the classroom. In the articles below, our experts offer novel recommendations, teaching best practices, and proven frameworks that create impact for every student.
Elementary Book Review The Snowy Day follows Peter as he explores his neighborhood after the season’s first snowfall. Through simple actions—making footprints, building a snowman, saving a snowball—Peter experiences wonder,...
Elementary Book Review The Snowy Day follows Peter as he explores his neighborhood after the season’s first snowfall. Through simple actions—making footprints, building a snowman, saving a snowball—Peter experiences wonder,...
Grades 3-5 Book Review Those Shoes tells the story of Jeremy, a boy who desperately wants the popular black high-top sneakers all the kids at school are wearing. His grandmother...
Grades 5-8 Book Review Refugee weaves together the stories of three young people—Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud—who flee their homes at different points in history. Josef is a Jewish boy escaping...
You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. Pages streaked with neon yellow, students bent low over their desks, the squeak of a highlighter filling the quiet classroom. It looks like learning. It...
Key Takeaways Cohesive devices may seem like “small words,” but they have a significant role in comprehension. By teaching students to notice pronouns, synonyms, and connectors, we strengthen their ability...
Grades 8-12 Book Review Elie Wiesel’s Night is his memoir about surviving the Holocaust as a teenager. Elie grows up in Sighet, a small town in Hungary, where he studies his...
Plot Summary Trisha is a young girl who loves stories and dreams of being able to read like her older brother and sister. But when she starts school, she realizes...
Grades 2-5 Book Review Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco is a powerful children’s book that explores themes of friendship, bravery, and the devastating effects of the Civil War. It...
Review “90 Miles to Havana” by Enrique Flores-Galbis is a heartfelt historical novel that portrays the experiences of Cuban children during Operation Pedro Pan. This significant yet often overlooked historical...
Grades 5-8 Book Review In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She’s had to be, ever since their mother,...
“Students can’t even write a basic sentence!” This frustration resonates with teachers at all grade levels, as too many students struggle with sentence structure—writing in fragments, misusing punctuation, or failing...
