Is Reading Motivation Really the Issue?

Facing the CAN’Ts and the WON’Ts There are so many ways we say it: She would be fine if she would just read… I’m sure he can read, he just doesn’t want to… We can’t make them read… Kids just hate to read… These would make more sense if we inserted the phrase “string beads” […]

Great Word Games for Middle School Reading Classrooms

No matter the topic or age, research proves that having FUN improves the engagement and learning for students. This article suggests such things as rooftop meetings and even visiting a ball pit! While that’s a bit extreme, finding ways to incorporate laughter and fun is necessary in a secondary reading classroom, where student buy-in is […]

Decoding Skill Errors in Middle School

Explore three common decoding skill errors in middle school, including using syllables to solve long words, scanning left to right, and stressing the correct syllables.

What Struggling Middle School Readers Actually Need

Follow this path to move students forward. If you’re working with struggling middle school readers, you already know this: Comprehension interventions alone aren’t enough. You’ve probably heard this phrase: K–3: Learn to read4–12: Read to learn It sounds clean and simple, but it doesn’t match what you see in your classroom. Students don’t just “finish” […]

Working with Middle School Struggling Readers – Decoding Words

How do you know what older struggling readers need? When I started my work with middle school struggling readers, I assumed I would be working with students who had trouble implementing comprehension strategies. That part was true enough, but I discovered many of these students needed more than that – they needed word solving strategies. […]