I’m back! After this past year and all of the changes that came with it, I decided to take the summer off from everything, just take time to decompress, and get in the right mindset for the 3rd school year of teaching during a pandemic… Anyways, I’m feeling much more centered and refreshed, so it’sContinue reading “20 years”
Category Archives: teaching
1 Year Anniversary!
One year ago we were under a stay-at-home order, and it had been months since I was in my school working with teachers. I was exhausted from having no break from my kids and bored with no school to go into. Blogging had always been at the back of mind; I’ve followed so many incredibleContinue reading “1 Year Anniversary!”
Tackling Long Words Part-by-Part
My son is finishing up his first year in public school. We started the year in Illinois with an incredible kindergarten teacher that ensured all the students had a fun and safe transition into their school career, all while navigating remote learning. Then, in the middle of the year, we moved to New Mexico whereContinue reading “Tackling Long Words Part-by-Part”
Tiny Steps to Incorporate Science of Reading
If you’ve been teaching in a balanced literacy approach for a while, then the idea of switching to Science of Reading strategies may be overwhelming….enough so to stop you from even trying! Don’t feel like you need to do a complete overhaul of everything you’ve been doing in order to make some change! Yes, itContinue reading “Tiny Steps to Incorporate Science of Reading”
Supporting Our Upper Level Readers
So often we’re so focused on those sweet students in our class that struggle. They take up so much of our minds and hearts. We think about them at night, on the weekends, during our own kids’ soccer practices…constantly. We think about what else we can do for them to help them become successful. WeContinue reading “Supporting Our Upper Level Readers”
Decodable Readers Round-Up!
I used to avoid decodable books at all costs. I felt that they were boring, predictable, and would turn off kids from wanting to read for fun. I turned to leveled readers whenever I had the chance. They pictures were typically richer, and the story had an plot to hold students’ interests. I remember planningContinue reading “Decodable Readers Round-Up!”
Are you in a Reading Slump??
Reading slumps are totally real. I’ve experienced it firsthand; I do really well for a period of time, consuming book after book. I bring stacks home from school and devour them while watching tv with my kids. Then, on the flipside, life gets too busy sometimes and I can’t even imagine having the time toContinue reading “Are you in a Reading Slump??”
If you like….
I love sharing book recommendations with students. I get so excited when I find a new book and I think about which particular would connect best with it. Sometimes they’re not excited as I am, but I do think they appreciate the idea that I thought of them specifically for it. I’ve started putting togetherContinue reading “If you like….”
Science of Reading Book List
My Science of Reading post continues to be my most popular post since I’ve started Windy City Literacy almost a year ago. I’ve really enjoyed researching and learning as much as I can about the Science of Reading, and I absolutely love when I get to share that with others! Recently, I’ve had a fewContinue reading “Science of Reading Book List”
Close Reading Resources
The idea of a close read isn’t new. It’s been around for a while, but yet there are so many different interpretations of what it actually entails. CCSS came out about 10 years ago, and the idea of close reads blew up! At the end of my post I have a FREE downloadable bundle ofContinue reading “Close Reading Resources”
Windy City Literacy 