Next-gen learning: 5 digital tools to engage and inspire

Embracing edtech advancements can transform classrooms in dynamic and colorful ways

Key points: The world of education is always changing, and these days it’s changing faster than ever. It feels as though every week brings a new tool, practice, or learning model that teachers need to incorporate into their classroom. This is particularly true when it comes to technology. The past … Read More

5 ways to use technology for classroom creativity

In classrooms that include opportunities for creative activities, students are resilient and confident

Key points: Technology has enhanced the opportunities for students to be creative and engage in school work that is meaningful and unique. Why creativity? Creativity is an essential skill for all students to have. Creative projects help students connect new information to prior knowledge through critical thinking and problem solving. … Read More

Enhancing media literacy skills in the age of AI

Students can become informed consumers of information and empowered creators capable of critically engaging in the digital AI-infused world

Key points: Media literacy has emerged as a critical skillset in today’s digital landscape. As individuals increasingly consume content from many platforms, understanding how to discern credible information from misinformation has become paramount. Media literacy empowers students to critically evaluate sources, assess the intent behind content, and engage with diverse … Read More

Can VR help multilingual students better grasp science concepts?

Methods of communication beyond speech, writing could be essential for multilingual students

This story originally appeared on the University of Georgia’s site and is reposted here with permission. Key points: Multilingual students face unique challenges that can hurt their performance in school. New methods of teaching may help close this gap, according to a new study from the University of Georgia. In the United States, … Read More

6 ways we boosted literacy platform usage and engaged students

Our literacy platform has helped our students advance academically--and it also builds their independence and self-esteem

Key points: I became a reading specialist in 2015, at which point our school’s previous reading specialist was already using an online literacy platform. This was right about the time a leading literacy vendor was rolling out its new literacy program for struggling adolescent readers, so the following year I … Read More

5 ways we used our literacy platforms to engage students

Engaging literacy systems are positively impacting students and giving them the foundational skills they need

Key points: With a student population that’s roughly 85 percent Hispanic, our K-8 academy faces some interesting-but-not-insurmountable literacy challenges. Our main program is HMH Into Reading for younger students and HMH Into Literature for the older students. A few years ago, we also adopted the SIPPS program, which provides systematic … Read More

To start the school year off right, invest in literacy

Literacy is essential for all aspects of a young person’s life--in and out of the classroom, academically and personally

Key points: As a country, we are at a pivotal time. Recent national test scores found that our country’s eighth graders are still a full school year behind pre-COVID levels in their reading and math achievements. This is tough news to swallow, but I’m choosing to view this as motivation.  As the … Read More

Empowering young minds with a proven literacy program

Students are the ultimate beneficiaries of professional learning, technology investments, and other efforts that schools make on the literacy front

Key points: When students reach middle or high school, their attention spans are short, screens are ubiquitous, and reading takes a backseat to many other responsibilities. This is unfortunate because reading truly is the cornerstone of academic success, and students who didn’t master the skill during their elementary years can … Read More

6 ways to maximize paraeducators in structured literacy classrooms

The more paraeducators know about the content and curriculum, class routines, and software programs, the more they can expand instructional options

This post originally appeared on the Reading Horizons blog and is reposted here with permission. Key points: Could Harry Potter have defeated Voldemort without the skill and support of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley? Not a chance. Can you imagine Lucy without Ethel? It’s unthinkable. While main characters receive most … Read More

6 tips to help educators support young readers

Instead of focusing on memorization, educators need to provide strong foundational skills that students can use to understand how to sound out words

Key points: In school, many kindergarten and first-grade students are asked to memorize lists of common words, which are sometimes called “sight words.” This practice skips important steps. The idea that children learn to read by memorizing whole words is a misconception. Research shows that teaching students individual letter-sound correspondences … Read More