Providing reading materials for classrooms and students is a mainstay for school libraries. There are many strategies available to school librarians to boost reading throughout their schools, which in turn increases circulation – always a good thing for the school library program. The impact of school libraries and school librarians on reading and literacy in … read more »
Get Caught Reading is a campaign that promotes reading for enjoyment. As teachers, we can help students by celebrating them when we find out that they have been reading for pleasure. An easy way to give recognition of their effort is to use a punch card. It can help build interest and encourage students to … read more »
I have heard it said that books open the world to students. This month our tech tool proves that saying to be true. In honor of Read a New Book Month (happening every December), I chose a tech tool that related to reading books. Reading Treks, a TeachersFirst original, offers students the chance to visit … read more »
When we talk about educational equity, we often focus on access to technology, culturally responsive curriculum, or closing achievement gaps. But there’s another, quieter equity issue that sits beneath all of those: students’ background knowledge. Every text a student reads, every math problem they solve, and every science concept they encounter draws on an invisible … read more »
On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before thousands and painted a dream of justice, dignity, and equality. His words still echo across classrooms today—but how do we help students truly hear them? On this anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech, we invite educators to move beyond passive listening and … read more »
Finding a resource that works for all grade levels and subjects to promote student learning is rare. Project Zero’s Thinking Routines Toolbox (reviewed here) is one of those unicorns. It offers strategies that enhance critical thinking skills in many ways that apply to real-world situations, using research-based strategies that scaffold and support student thinking. Why … read more »
Every minute spent studying should strengthen a student’s grasp of the material, yet many common review techniques leave learners with a false sense of mastery while doing little to cement long-term understanding. In this post, we’ll explore how retrieval practice—a research-backed learning strategy that asks students to actively recall information—boosts retention, and we’ll share practical … read more »
School libraries play a pivotal role in enhancing multilingual learning experiences by providing resources and support to ensure that all students, regardless of their language background, have equal opportunities to learn and thrive. There are many effective strategies for leveraging school library resources to support multilingual learners, but a diverse library collection is the first … read more »
Designing instruction that addresses many unique learning styles and individual student needs is vital in today’s diverse classrooms. Multimodal learning is a powerful approach to instruction that engages learners of all backgrounds, abilities, and preferences by offering activities in many different formats. This learning approach enhances classroom communication by including supportive and inclusive lessons that … read more »
After seeing all of the Read Across America posts this past week, I decided to focus my post this month on reading. I want to share some ideas on using technology to support reading instruction in ways that follow strategies and the science of reading framework. The science of reading framework includes the latest research … read more »