by Jan and Kari | Nov 7, 2025 | Strategy Instruction
What Is Reading Comprehension, Really? Let’s try something.Read just this first word in a sentence: Sarah . . .With a single word, your brain is already at work. You’re predicting, filtering, and building meaning. Sarah is probably a person—a girl or woman—and she’s...
by Jan and Kari | Oct 10, 2025 | High-Frequency Words
We’ve all been there. We have kids chant, trace, and write a word. We think they’ve learned it, only to have them stare blankly at it the next time they encounter it in text or go to write. We find ourselves thinking (and sometimes even saying), “But you know that...
by Jan and Kari | Sep 19, 2025 | High-Frequency Words
If you’ve ever wondered how children transition from laboriously sounding out words to reading fluently and effortlessly, the answer lies in a powerful cognitive process known as orthographic mapping. Understanding this process is crucial for educators aiming to...
by Jan and Kari | Jun 27, 2025 | Beyond the Book
It’s surprisingly common to find upper elementary students who still need help with foundational spelling patterns, like short vowel sounds in closed syllable (CVC) words. But with older kids, not only is time of the essence—they need to catch up without missing out...
by Jan and Kari | Jun 13, 2025 | Language Comprehension
It’s surprisingly common to find upper elementary students who still need help with foundational spelling patterns, like short vowel sounds in closed syllable (CVC) words. But with older kids, not only is time of the essence—they need to catch up without missing out...
