Planning for Writing About Reading

Starting from Kindergarten we can teach students how to think deeply about books and record their thinking.  In Kindergarten and first grade students begin by recording their thinking with pictures.  Talking and writing about reading though pictures eventually leads to conventional writing about reading.  Fountas and Pinnell (2006) write that "writing increases readers' engagement with …

The Role of Visual Perception in Word Learning

"He can't remember any of the words that I have taught him!" This is a common concern that I hear about struggling readers. We understand the importance of a child having an increasing bank of known words.  A teacher should be concerned about a child who is struggling with word learning. What we might want …