The Problem:  Blends and letter/sound patterns in words can be tough for any new reader, but for students that struggle with reading it is an even bigger challenge.  Many reading intervention strategies have letter cards that are used during tutoring sessions.  Having a way to display those cards in a distraction-reduced way is particularly challenging.
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Budgeting within the confines of very limited resources can be extremely challenging – especially for students with learning challenges.   Bookshare.org is a wonderful program, currently funded by the US Department of Education Office of Special Education, that provides free reading material to those who have print disabilities. According to their guidelines, anyone with a disability that
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The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) place a significant emphasis on reading, reading comprehension, and textual support.  Engaging reluctant readers with the standards in mind can be a daunting task.  At the International Reading Association (IRA) Conference in San Antonio on April 21, 2013, Jane Feber, presented a session specifically about this challenge.  Her answer? 
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Books that focus on the alphabet not only help to reinforce a child’s understanding of the ABCs, but they also help to foster a love for books and reading.  With so many alphabet books out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start.  The 50 books below are perfect additions to any young
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  We’re going to IRA 2013 in San Antonio, TX and we could not be anymore excited! During the #TeachChat on Wednesday, April 17th, 2013 we finalized our mission plan for what to find for our teachers and they shared some great tips for encouraging reluctant readers. Check out the transcript below by scrolling down
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by Steve Reifman, Monthly Columnist My classroom’s daily Reading Workshop period consists of several components: mini-lessons that aim to build students’ comprehension skills, independent reading time, partner reading time, and word work that addresses spelling, grammar, and other language conventions and standards. This article focuses on how I structure the work my students do during
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Picture books are sometimes overlooked for their perceived simplicity when their illustrations can actually create a story that rivals some of the greatest literary works of all time.  Using picture books for older students is a great way to tap into some new resources that appeal to all children.  A group of bloggers comprised mostly
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Looking for a great read aloud for your class?  We asked our Facebook friends what they are currently reading and compiled a list of their answers for you.  The grade level the book is being read to, if mentioned in the original comment on Facebook, is included in parentheses after the author’s name.

by Lori Wolfe, Monthly Columnist As elementary teachers we are always looking for and finding strategies to use with our students that broaden and deepen their understanding when reading. We know that when students, especially second language learners, can distinguish between the shades of meanings of related words, then they can be more precise and
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While researching the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for an upcoming article, I ran across a website that answered some key questions about the standards and reading lists for teachers.  There were some great tips about how to evaluate pieces of literature and how to integrate them into the required standards.  However, at the end
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