When you hear the words assessment and kindergarten together, you might picture a clipboard, a checklist, and a student sitting one-on-one while you work your way through a long list of skills. And sometimes, that kind of assessment is necessary. But it certainly doesn’t have to be the only way
If you’re using the Heggerty curriculum this year, you’ve probably found yourself asking the same question so many kindergarten teachers do: “What do my students do after the Heggerty lesson?” Heggerty does an amazing job of building students’ phonemic awareness through quick, daily oral practice. But once those auditory drills
If you’ve ever taught digraphs, you’ve probably seen this happen. One day, your students confidently tell you that sh says /sh/ or ch says /ch/. But the very next day, they’re reading ship as “sip” or forgetting that two letters can work together to make one sound. The truth is,
If you’ve ever taught CVCe words, you know the moment. Students can read cake and bike in isolation, but when it’s time to apply that silent “e” rule in real reading and spelling, things start to fall apart a bit. They kind of know it, but it doesn’t always stick.
Have you wondered how to help your students move from sounding out words letter by letter to actually reading them? Today, we’re demystifying blending! This is arguably one of the hardest skills to master in early literacy. But don’t worry, friends, I’ve got a few tricks and some brand new
You know that moment when one of your little learners confidently tells you that “cat” rhymes with “dog”? Yep, me too. . . Rhyming looks simple on the surface, but for young learners, it can be surprisingly tricky to hear and hold onto those ending sounds. The good news is
Have you ever hit the last few weeks of kindergarten and thought, “Wait… have we covered everything they actually need for first grade?” You’re juggling field trips, testing, behavior, and kids who suddenly have all the summer energy. It’s a lot. The good news is you don’t need to review
Ahhh… spring in the primary classroom. The sunshine is calling, the energy is HIGH, and suddenly your students can’t seem to sit still for more than five minutes. Sound familiar? We have ALL been there! But what if, instead of fighting all that energy, you used it to your advantage?
Do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time in the day to fit in the meaningful phonemic awareness practice your kids need? Between morning routines, reading groups, and transitions, it can feel impossible to squeeze in the consistent practice daily. That’s where my favorite phonemic awareness practice transition
Have you ever noticed how some students can read a word like block with ease, while others stumble over ship or chop? That’s the tricky world of blends and digraphs. Knowing which to teach first and how to practice them can make all the difference in your students’ phonics success.