Sometimes a mistake can turn into a success. While browsing Twitter the other day, something caught my eye: a tweet mentioning the must-have 20 books written by teachers, for teachers. One book in particular stood out to me: 140 Twitter
Coding Careers in Action: Kids tried professional life, and I felt like a kid again.
We were excited to welcome Somerset Academy Davie students into our offices on Dec. 7 for our first day of Coding Careers in Action. In conjunction with the Hour of Code movement, our teams at Science4Us and VocabularySpellingCity invited local
Educational Tech Career Days: Meet the Students Where They’re At
In my visits to elementary schools, especially the Title I schools with deeply disadvantaged students, I often wonder what more we can do for the students who are not getting the broad exposure and stimulation that will prepare them for success. One
Insights from Literacy Expert Tim Rasinski on Vocabulary and Comprehension
VocabularySpellingCity sponsored a webinar Dec. 1 with one of my favorite literacy heroes, Dr. Timothy Rasinski. His message on the importance of automaticity in word learning, and its connection to comprehension, is one that all educators can learn from. And
Cursive Instruction is Disappearing. Is There a Compelling Case to Save It?
This is a tough one to answer. While an overwhelming amount of evidence shows the benefits of writing by hand, few studies differentiate between print and cursive, and even fewer come to definite conclusions about which should be taught. But we
Making new friends at ARA Literacy Conference: ‘A great event’ from the start
VocabularySpellingCity literacy experts Barbara Kruger and Laura Kupres found the Nov. 17-18 Arkansas Reading Association Literacy Conference rewarding before they arrived: On the shuttle from the Little Rock airport, they met the conference keynote speaker, Valerie Ellery, who comes from
At Broward Ed Talk, Students Take the Lead in Exploring ‘Courageous Conversations’
Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie opened a discussion forum with the promise “to educate all students to succeed in tomorrow’s world.” “This is our moment to move from rhetoric to action,” Runcie said on Saturday, Nov. 5, addressing
How to Give Feedback on Your Children’s Writing (No Judgment!)
Writing, for most of us, is deeply personal, and feels like a reflection of who we are, how we are perceived. So often, providing feedback on your children’s writing assignments feels like a losing battle, doesn’t it? If you’re too
Automaticity in Word Learning: That’s the Goal
Students who read words, but don’t understand them, often struggle with comprehension. 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
Our Journey to Vocabulary Matters
The lack of vocabulary accounted for 70% of reading comprehension problems in a group of 4th graders, according to the National Research Council. Is your elementary school satisfied with your students’ reading comprehension? Most elementary schools are not. I’m writing to