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Growing Gummy Bears

The #1 Secret to Teaching (and Life!)

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playdough2plato

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Literacy is not just a teaching issue, it’s a social justice issue. United Nations' Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon describes it as "a foundation for human rights, gender equality, and sustainable societies. It is essential to all our efforts to end extreme poverty and promote wellbeing for all people."

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn how to read so it’s absolutely critical that students receive the instruction and support they need to stop the generational cycle of low literacy once and for all.

When we add up the effects associated with low literacy levels, it is incredibly costly, not only for that person but also for the global economy. The World Literacy Foundation calculates that it consumes more than $1.19 trillion annually.😳

But the great news is that it doesn’t have to be this way! Research shows that with the right tools and strategies, 95 percent of neurotypical students can learn to read by the end of first grade. That means you can be successful, your teaching partner can be successful, your school can be successful… we can all be successful because students CAN learn to read. We just need to use proven, brain-friendly strategies to create a teaching movement that empowers our learners for life.

And that is exactly why I wrote this book! Not only will you discover how brains learn to read in an easy to understand way, but you’ll also get the tools and strategies to immediately start implementing the changes right away…

No late night google searches or early morning lesson planning required.👏

The Science of Reading in Action comes out on April 1 but I’m so excited to get it in your hands that I pulled together some epic bonuses you can only get when you order early.

👉 Just comment BRAIN below and I’ll send you the pre-order invite!

📸 @smithco.photo

#scienceofreadinginaction #scienceofreading #iteachprek #iteachk #iteachfirst

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This has been a year and a half in the making.😆I keep saying “it’s not just a book, it’s a teaching movement” and I mean every word of it.

The Science of Reading in Action makes it easy to understand & then implement 70+ years of research pinpointing how brains *actually* learn to read.

SPOILER ALERT: Most literacy curriculums & teacher trainings didn’t get it right.😳

The fact is that becoming a successful reader unlocks a LIFETIME of opportunities for students. But unless teachers have the tools & training they need to teach reading effectively, students will continue to struggle in school and beyond.

That’s why I’m so obsessed with this book! It’s an opportunity to change the trajectory of MILLIONS of students’ lives and make a long lasting, positive impact in the world.🔥

I hope you’ll join me!

👉 Comment BRAIN and I’ll send you a pre-order invite so you can grab $291 in bonuses.

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Teacher confession! 🫣 Since walking into my first classroom back in 2003, I have experienced more failures than I can count: students who left my room reading below grade level, late nights spent worrying someone was slipping through the cracks, lesson plans I spent hours prepping only to have them flop…

Many of the strategies and tools I used during those first years of teaching have been proven to be ineffective and unhelpful. In some cases, I now know that those methods were actually holding students back from learning rather than helping them progress.

But all of that failure drove me to become hyper-focused (some might even called obsessed!) with studying, testing, tweaking and sharing the best research-based teaching strategies. My goal is to help teachers like you skip all of the stress and worry and get right to the good stuff - helping your students become *thriving* readers.

My book, The Science of Reading in Action, comes out on April 1. 👏 I’m excited for you to pre-order so Amazon knows it’s worth stocking, so I pulled together a mega pack of bonuses.

👉Comment BRAIN and I’ll send you the pre-order invite.

P.S. I will forever be indebted to Simmi Patel, the book’s illustrator, for sharing her brilliant gift with the world. She found a way to make potentially complicated concepts like this one a whole lot easier to understand. I’m a @paper.samosa super fan for life! 💗

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It’s hard to believe I’m even typing these words, but today I officially became a published author. 😭 My first-ever book is called The Science of Reading in Action and every page is packed with brain-friendly strategies teachers need to know in order to help EVERY student have reading success.

That word action was really important to me – I wanted to make it easy for you to understand how brains learn to read and then go one critical step further by giving you the tools you need to actually start implementing those things in your classroom right away.

This book has the potential to help THOUSANDS of teachers, get the tools, training, and support they need to become more successful, which is a big deal…

You and I both know how ineffective traditional literacy curriculums can be, *especially* when students are struggling.

It feels like I’ve learned a million new things about publishing a book in the last year and a half 🤪 but one of the most important is that getting pre-orders tells stores a book is worth stocking. So to help make your pre-order decision a no-brainer YES, I shamelessly pulled together a pile of free bonuses you’ll get when you order your copy before April 1st:

🔥Exclusive ticket to the ultimate LIVE masterclass with me plus two of my teaching besties, @thekindergartenconnection and @circle_time_success_kids on March 28th so you can get expert answers to your biggest teaching questions. ($97 value)

🔥Free entry to my live VIP training on April 12th showing you how to supercharge your small groups the science of reading way. ($97 value)

🔥Cheat sheets, checklists, & sample activities that make it easy to start using brain-friendly teaching tools & strategies in your classroom right away. You’ll just hit "print"! ($97 value)

🔥Plus surprise bonuses & treats to thank you for your support!

I can’t wait for you to see what’s coming your way…

This is not just a book, it’s a teaching movement.

👉 Comment BRAIN and I’ll send you the pre-order info!

📸: @smithco.photo

#scienceofreading #scienceofreadinginaction #readingteacher

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Freebie alert!🚨 We’re celebrating our science of reading Facebook group by giving away a fun little welcome gift to our members.

👉Comment GIFT and our friendly Plato-Bot will send you the link to this playful piggy bank sound map pack.

#orthographicmapping #iteachreading #learningtoread #teacherhacks

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Did you know there are EIGHT different ways to spell the long A sound? 🤯 They are…

1️⃣ AI
2️⃣ AY
3️⃣ A consonant E
4️⃣ EIGH
5️⃣ EI
6️⃣ EY
7️⃣ EA
8️⃣ A all on its own

Whew! That’s A LOT.

👉 Be sure to save this so you can quickly find the list again!

#phonics #phonicsfun #learningtoread

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@kinderkish ‘s Matchbox car game is BRILLIANT 👏 so I couldn’t wait to put a phonics twist on it!

To play:

1️⃣ Pick a phonics skill to focus on. I used short A words but you could practice the CH digraph, or R blends… the sky’s the limit.

2️⃣ Write one word from your phonics focus on each post-it. You can repeat the same words as many times as you’d like - practice really does make perfect in this case.

3️⃣ Stick the post-its on a poster board or a long strip of butcher paper.

4️⃣ Build a ramp on the top and bottom of the paper. I used wooden blocks but 3-ring binders work well too.

5️⃣ Kids take turns rolling a car and reading the word it lands on out loud.

OPTIONAL: After reading the word, have students sound map the word to help their brains memorize it. 💥

#scienceofreading #playfullearning #matchboxcars #learningthroughplay

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Teachers often ask for help convincing their teaching partner, admin, or even school district to get science of reading aligned because (honest talk!) it’s *really* annoying that there’s so much pushback on something that makes learning to read easier for kids. 🤯

But no matter where they live or who they’re trying to convince, my answer is always the same: instead of TELLING the doubters what a difference it makes to use brain-friendly teaching tools and strategies, SHOW them instead…

Focus your time and energy on helping your students get big, exciting reading growth and then show skeptics the results.

The proof is in the data. When your class has significantly bigger reading growth, people WILL take notice. They’ll want to know how to replicate it in other classrooms too. And THAT is when you can let them in on your magical little secret: the 70 years of research that is helping us pinpoint the strategies that actually help brains learn to read. 💥

#scienceofreading #teachertalk

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Did you know that you can use students’ names to teach SEVEN different reading skills?? 🤯 It’s true! Names are great for practicing:

1️⃣ counting syllables
2️⃣ counting letters
3️⃣ counting vowels (A, E, I, O, U, & sometimes Y)
4️⃣ counting individual sounds (aka “phonemes”)
5️⃣ matching sounds to their letters
6️⃣ identifying other words that start with the same beginning sound
7️⃣ introducing uppercase letters

And surprise! I saved my favorite as a bonus…

8️⃣ You can teach students how to actually SPELL their name by changing the words to a common children’s tune like “Mary Had a Little Lamb” or “Bingo” to create a personalized name song.

(My 3 kids STILL sing theirs every now and then just for fun!)

👉 I recorded a round up of my favorite name songs so you can copy examples. Just comment SONG below and our friendly Plato-Bot will send you the link! ❤️

#scienceofreading #phonemicawareness #phonologicalawareness #readingteacher
#iteachprek #prekteacher #iteachkindergarten #kindergartenteacher

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Research has proven that music & movement help brains learn so I’m loving this simple (brain friendly!) C & K chant from Aaron Franklin.👏 To get kids up and moving, they could repeat the words as they march around the room, or hop up and down, or tap their fingers on the table like drumsticks… There are tons of fun, active options!

And it’s the perfect compliment to this handy visual teaching kids that when the /k/ sound comes at the beginning of words, it’s spelled with a C if it’s followed by A, O, or U like in the word CAT…

But it’s spelled with a K if it’s followed by E or I like in the word KITE.

👉 Save this so you remember it later!

👉 And share it so other teachers can use it too.

#scienceofreading #spelling

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I’ll pick interactive anchor charts every. single. time. You too?? 😍 This one’s a fun way to practice the Y that says /long i/ at the end of words and its cousin: the Y that says /long e/!

Thank you for the inspiration, @keepingupwithmrsharris! ❤️

#phonicsfun #anchorcharts

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You’ve gotta’ try this! 🥳 Grab some spoons and get ready for some serious reading fun…

1️⃣ Write a beginning sound on five spoons.

2️⃣ Write word endings on five different spoons. I stuck with short A word families like AT, AN & AP, but you could practice anything under the sun: words ending with digraphs, CVCe endings, short O words…

3️⃣ Stack the spoons to make a word and read it! For extra practice, have kids write them down in two columns: REAL WORDS & NONSENSE WORDS.

👉 Follow @playdough2plato for more easy and fun ways to put the science of reading into action!

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Do you know the CH versus TCH rules? 👇

CH comes…

1️⃣ at the start of words (chop, chin, chat), and

2️⃣ after any sound except a short vowel (bench, coach, lunch)

TCH is used…

1️⃣ at the end of a word or syllable AFTER a short vowel (fetch, watch, pitch)

Like so many words in English, it’s important to know that there are some exceptions including such, rich, much and which.

👉 Make sure to save this and tag a friend who would love it too!

#phonicsrules #scienceofreading #phonicsfun

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Here are the five simplest ways to start the science of reading! 🔥

1️⃣ Practice phonological awareness every single day. Research has shown it’s a critical key to unlocking students’ reading growth because it builds the neural pathways they need to hear and manipulate sounds in words.

2️⃣ Practice phonics every day too! We now know that students don’t “naturally” learn how to read – we have to help them connect the dots between letters and sounds.

3️⃣ Sort your sight word list by phonics skill so readers can focus on just one spelling rule or phonogram at a time.

4️⃣ Throw out your sight word flashcards and replace them with sound maps. Studies have shown they help students memorize words 10 times faster because they connect a word’s spelling to the pronunciation and meaning. (We need all three of those pieces pulled together into a mental file folder in order to be able to memorize a word.)

5️⃣ Join the 5-day challenge I’m kicking off on Sunday so you can get all of the tools and training you need to start implementing the science of reading right away. (You’ll only need an hour or less each day and you’ll have 60 days of access so you can work at your own pace.)

👉 Comment CHALLENGE and our friendly Plato-Bot will send you the link!

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Wondering what the science of reading *actually* is?? Here’s the scoop. 👆

👉 I’m kicking off my 5-day science of reading challenge again on Sunday and I’d love for you to join me! Comment CHALLENGE below if you’re excited to spend an hour or less each day getting the tools and strategies you need to teach smarter, not harder. Our friendly Plato-Bot will send you an invite.

#scienceofreading #scienceofreadingexplained #learntoread #phonics #phonologicalawareness

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Is the science of reading just another pendulum swing? 🤔 (The answer might surprise you!)

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Here are all SIX types of phonemic awareness in one go-to spot!💥

1️⃣ PHONEME ISOLATION: identifying a specific sound in a word

2️⃣ PHONEME BLENDING: stringing together individual sounds to make a new word

3️⃣ PHONEME SEGMENTING: breaking apart the individual sounds in a word

4️⃣ PHONEME ADDITION: adding another sound to a word

5️⃣ PHONEME DELETION: taking away a sound from a word

6️⃣ PHONEME SUBSTITUTION: swapping out one sound in a word for another sound

🚀 I’ll be passing along simple but fun ways to practice ALL six of these skills inside the five day science of reading challenge that’s kicking off on Sunday.

❤️Comment CHALLENGE below & our friendly Plato-Bot will send you an invite!

#phonemicawareness #scienceofreading #iteachprek #iteachk

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Playdough to Plato

1 day ago

For years, I thought the best way to build students' reading comprehension was simply asking follow up questions:

📕Who was the main character?

📒What happened in the beginning, middle, and end?

📗What was the problem and solution?...

But now I know that reading comprehension actually involves FOUR different brain processing systems! And if a student has holes in any one of them, their comprehension can be compromised:

🧠 ORTHOGRAPHIC PROCESSING involves translating words on a page to spoken language. Although you may not have noticed it before, when you’re reading, your brain actually reads the words you see out loud in your head like an audiobook narrator so you can use your natural human superpower for spoken language to understand what you are reading.

🧠PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS means listening for and producing speech sounds. When your brain is “hearing” the story being read aloud in your head, it is separating sentences into individual words, noticing the difference between similar sounding words so you can process each word being spoken, etc. Without solid phonological processing, your brain wouldn’t recognize the difference between the words “cat” and “bat” because they would sound the same.

🧠MEANING PROCESSING is retrieving every meaning your brain has stored for a word. If you hear the word “bat”, for instance, your brain will pull pictures of the nocturnal animal, baseball equipment, and someone hitting a ball.

🧠That’s when CONTEXT PROCESSING kicks in! You use background knowledge and larger context to decide which meaning fits best. In our bat example above, if you’re reading a book about caves, your brain will throw out all of the baseball options and keep the nocturnal animal.

The key to reading comprehension success is ensuring that all FOUR brain processing systems are solid and strong…

I know it can be hard to know where to start, but you'll get simple, brain-friendly ways to strengthen them inside my brand new book, The Science of Reading in Action.

👉Comment BRAIN below and I'll send you the pre-order info.

🖊️: @paper.samosa

#scienceofreadinginaction #scienceofreading #readingcomprehension #elementaryteacher ... See MoreSee Less

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