Embedded picture mnemonics are a research-based way to teach children about letters and the sounds they represent. They are letter cards with a picture of a key word embedded directly in a letter, such as the letter z made out of a zipper, or the letter r made out of a road. Research indicates that…
Literacy LIFTER (Letter Identification and Formation for Transcription and Early Reading) is a free tool designed to empower educators and caregivers in supporting students’ handwriting and early reading skills. It provides users with evidence-based materials to teach handwriting and letter knowledge (i.e., letter names and sounds) to pre-kindergarten and elementary-aged students. This resource includes materials…
This is a collection of passages designed to be used for fluency instruction in grade 8. Developed by Lisa Rogers, Laura Bross, Ayesatta Conteh, Teresa Oud, and Catherine Shawana, each passage focuses on a diverse changemaker from across Turtle Island – individuals who stood up for themselves and others, who fought hard to overcome obstacles,…
Vocabulary knowledge must be intentionally nurtured to ensure that students are ready for the greater vocabulary demands of reading complex texts and writing multi-paragraph essays, but we need to pay attention to cracks in the foundation and scaffold our lessons accordingly, or it all falls apart. This workshop equips participants to consider the role of…
With shifts to literacy instruction and intervention and the revised 2023 Language curriculum, many schools have unused Levelled Literacy Intervention books in their book rooms. While LLI isn’t an evidence-based literacy intervention and doesn’t meet the needs of struggling readers, the individual texts can be repurposed to support structured literacy instruction. Developed by Catherine Shawana…
Thank you to Greater Essex County DSB for generously sharing this spreadsheet! It contains sets of texts aligned with content from the 4 frames (kindergarten), social studies and science curricula (grades 1 – 6), and history and geography curricula (grades 7 and 8). These content-rich texts are meant to be used in repeated shared…
This resource is for all educators who work with students with autism. While many books on this topic focus on social and behavioural needs, this book offers a comprehensive focus on curriculum and instruction for this population of students. Early chapters on characteristics of autism and how core deficits affect language and learning are valuable…
Teaching vocabulary is a key element of the revised Language curriculum that stretches across all grade levels. Effective vocabulary instruction is crucial for developing students’ reading comprehension and writing skills. One engaging way to teach vocabulary nuances is through the Shades of Meaning activity, which uses semantic gradients to help students understand subtle differences between…
English orthography often has a reputation of being overly complicated and too difficult for students to navigate. While the English writing system certainly is complex, there is a predictable and consistent structure that supports strong reading and writing. This structure must be taught explicitly and systematically! Overlap is part of the nature of our code….
This template can be used for daily review. Created by Laura Bross and inspired by the OG Classroom Educator Course, it can be used as a quick review tool for older students who still require daily review on phonics skills. Recommendations include: Use pens for this task. When students make an error, encourage them to…
Alphabetics (phonemic awareness and phonics) were key elements of effective, evidence-based reading instruction identified in the National Reading Panel. 20 years after the release of the report of the panel, Dr. Susan Brady summarized Panel findings, and highlighted key findings from research after its release.
In this book, Heidi Mesmer shares research-backed strategies to support teachers as they move students beyond basic phonics and decoding short words. It’s easy to follow with lots of graphics, sidebars, resources accessible by QR code and appendices. Part I of the book breaks down the foundations of teaching big words with “What You Need…
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