Intermediate Novel Analysis: A Sirius Adventure
Grades 4-6 Book Review A Sirius Adventure is a historical adventure novel set in the 18th century. The story follows a young Portuguese boy and his dog who embark on...
Teaching Literacy Blog
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.
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Teaching with Context Clues - Definition and Examples that Enhance Student Ability
For years, classrooms have displayed colorful anchor charts listing various types of context clues – definitions, antonyms, synonyms, and more. But ask yourself: when was the last time you consciously...
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Beyond Either/Or Literacy Tools: Why Sound Walls AND Word Walls Belong in K-5 Classrooms
One of my favorite things to discuss with elementary teachers is their classroom environment. Their faces light up with enthusiasm as we chat about furniture arrangements, bulletin boards, and inspirational...
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Intermediate Novel Analysis: A Butterfly Is Patient
Grades 2-5 Elementary Book Review “A Butterfly Is Patient” by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated by Sylvia Long, is a beautifully crafted children’s book that combines poetic prose with stunning illustrations...
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Intermediate Novel Analysis: The Lotus Seed
Review “The Lotus Seed” by Sherry Garland is a beautifully illustrated children’s book that tells the story of a young Vietnamese girl’s journey from her homeland to America. This story...
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Retell, Recount, and Summarize: 3 Essential Reading Comprehension Skills
As a literacy coach, I typically get asked by 4th and 5th-grade teachers how to teach students to summarize. When this happens, I refer teachers to the ELA Standard 2...
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6 Guided Reading Mistakes You Might be Making
An important time to support struggling readers is during guided reading. However, just because you are doing guided reading does not necessarily mean that you are supporting your struggling readers....
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Literacy in Content Areas: Effective Literacy Instruction
The Common Core State Standards have established new expectations for literacy in all content areas. The expression “all teachers are teachers of reading” has never been truer. We should be...
