Welcome to a comprehensive guide that will transform how you approach reading instruction in your classroom. We all know the importance of fostering a love of reading and ensuring our students become proficient readers. In this post, we'll dive into four crucial components of a robust reading program: Vocabulary, Syntax, Prior Knowledge, and Reading Comprehension. These elements are essential for creating confident and capable readers. Let’s explore how you can implement these strategies effectively.

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Learn to combine Canva and Classroomscreen to create custom templates, engaging backgrounds, and interactive classroom layouts that boost student focus.

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Are the grades in your classroom product based or process based?

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As teachers, we’ve all been there—students staring blankly at their work, the wall, out the window, squirming in their seats, or looking like they’ve mentally checked out. That’s when it’s time to call for a brain break! Brain breaks aren’t just trendy classroom treats; they’re a powerful tool backed by research to help students recharge, refocus, and perform their best. I promise, your students will love them, and you, for adding them into your daily curriculum.

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Today, I want to talk to you about a class book to teach in the classroom – "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Be sure to check out our Little Prince lesson plans in our TpT store for how we teach it.

Now, I know what you might be thinking. "But isn't that just a children's book?" Oh, how wrong you are! "The Little Prince" is a masterpiece that can be appreciated by readers of all ages, and as teachers, we have the unique opportunity to share its beauty and wisdom with our students.

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Last year I stumbled across Canva’s new AI feature called Code for Me. I was already using Canva to make slides and handouts, but this tool has completely changed how I build games for my classroom. No coding background, no extra apps, just a few lines of plain-English prompting, and suddenly I have interactive games my students actually ask to play again.

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Our classrooms are made up of amazing, beautiful, and diverse students. Therefore, we feel that our curriculum should reflect that same diversity. The stories we read, the texts we share, the videos we watch, the images we use within our lessons should all act as mirrors and windows for our students.

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Have you ever wondered why some students struggle with reading comprehension, despite having strong word reading skills? The answer lies in the fascinating world of executive functioning. This cognitive powerhouse plays a pivotal role in learning, particularly in the realm of successful reading comprehension.

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Fan fiction is fictional writing written by a fan. Usually, fan fiction writing is based on an existing work of art such as a fictional novel, movie, TV show, comic book…you get the idea. If you have never heard of fan fiction, we can almost guarantee you that your students have. Many of our students are avid readers and writers of fan fiction.

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A quick, insightful review of Smart Teaching, Stronger Learning, a short book on ten science-backed ways students learn best. It challenges traditional teaching habits and highlights chapters on metacognition, integrating knowledge, and debunking neuromyths—helping educators teach smarter and align practice with proven learning research.

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