Reading and writing are companion activities. Learning to be successful at each involves learning many of the same skills. Children who develop effective early reading skills are primed to become successful writers. … [Read more...]
Vocabulary
How Spelling Instruction Relates to Reading Ability
Spelling instruction is not only an important part of the Language Arts classroom’s writing program, it also benefits students’ reading abilities. Because both spelling draws on the cornerstones of effective reading (phonemic awareness and phonics), instruction in this area helps children become stronger readers as well as making them more proficient writers. While many educators know this to … [Read more...]
Vocabulary Basics
Knowing the meanings of words on the page is essential for reading comprehension. While few would deny this fact, the role that vocabulary plays in reading is often ignored or overlooked in reading education. A strong vocabulary is one of the pillars of reading comprehension. What Exactly is Vocabulary? In its simplest terms vocabulary is words. Your vocabulary is the words you know and can … [Read more...]
10 Great Word Wall Strategies for Classrooms
Word walls have become a mainstay in elementary classrooms. They are not only a great tool for the early grades, but can be used all the way through high school. Word walls are an excellent way for any teacher or parent to help the young people they are working with develop and reinforce their vocabularies. They provide subtle reminders of new and important words. As a new word is learned it … [Read more...]
Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
Because vocabulary knowledge is critical to reading comprehension, it is important that those working with young readers help foster their development of a large “word bank” and effective vocabulary learning strategies. There are several effective explicit (intentional, planned instruction) and implicit (spontaneous instruction as a child comes to new words in a text) strategies that adults … [Read more...]
