Syntax is often overlooked and misunderstood, but is KEY to reading and writing proficiency! This series presents research on syntax and explains its critical role in comprehending complex text, reading fluency, and writing coherent sentences. Armed with this understanding, educators learned how to teach their students the functions of sentence parts—words, phrases, and clauses—in order…
Catch up with the recordings from our 6-part book study on Teaching Skills for Complex Text by Dr. Heidi Anne Mesmer. This series is designed to deepen close reading practices in the classroom, with a strong focus on exploring instructional routines to support students’ reading comprehension. Grounded in Strand C of the revised Ontario Language curriculum, this…
This newly updated book (Third Edition) is a great resource for teachers of all grades looking to support their students’ reading comprehension. It’s particularly helpful for instructing students who have learning difficulties, but is a valuable read for all educators. The book includes chapters on Vocabulary, Promoting Content-Area Literacy, Supporting English Learners, Intensive Interventions, Multicomponent…
In this brief video, Nancy Hennessy shares insights into the elements of comprehension and how educators can facilitate comprehension for students through Structured Literacy instruction.
Modeled after Core Knowledge Language Arts units, this language and social studies unit is designed for use in Canadian kindergarten and Grade 1 classrooms. The unit is comprised of 10 lessons, each about an Important Canadian, with a teacher read-aloud document and accompanying slideshow for student viewing during the lessons. Explicit vocabulary instruction and comprehension…
The chapters in this anthology, by a range of expert authors, delve into the relationship between writing and reading (as well as oral language), offering both extensive research and ideas for practice. While the research can be a bit heavy at times (this is not a “quick tips to use tomorrow” kind of book), there…
This structured journal template, based on the work of David Liben and Meredith Liben, can be used to introduce students to the use of structured journals in their close reading of texts. While this work can be started orally with younger students, this template will be best-suited for Grades 3 and up. Before using this…
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…
In the “Teaching TV: Learning with Television” lesson from Elizabeth Verrall’s five-part unit for elementary classrooms, students are introduced to television as an informative source and its presentation from specific perspectives. The lesson aims to cultivate students’ ability to derive information from media, identify and use information from various sources, including television, recognize informative TV…
The “Teaching TV: Television Techniques” lesson, a component of Elizabeth Verrall’s comprehensive five-part unit for elementary education, offers educators valuable insights for incorporating TV education in classrooms. By guiding students in creating their own media productions, the lesson imparts a practical understanding of how technology and film techniques are harnessed in television to convey meaning…
The “Teaching TV: Film Production: Who Does What?” lesson, a component of Elizabeth Verrall’s five-part unit for elementary classrooms, offers educators a valuable framework for teaching TV. This lesson engages students in exploring the world of television and film production, fostering an understanding of the equipment used and the roles undertaken by various production team…
The “Teaching TV: Television as a Story Teller” lesson, within Elizabeth Verrall’s comprehensive five-part unit, equips teachers with creative strategies for TV education in elementary classrooms. This lesson guides students in exploring television’s role as a narrative medium. Key learning outcomes encompass understanding how media products convey stories, recognizing elements like characters, mood, setting, and…
