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Finding books for teens is really hard!  This is an age where kids often drift away from reading as books compete with social media.  This article will focus on girls.  So, teachers, parents, grandparents, aunties, librarians, friends: don’t give up on trying to put engaging books into their hands.  My own teen daughter is a…

I often reference the decline of  boys reading books, so I wanted to give teachers and parents some book ideas.  With school holidays approaching, these can be a great list that you can take to your bookstore or library.  (To save time, download your library’s app and reserve books) Finding the right book is the…

This article is going to explore some things to keep in mind when thinking about and reflecting on your literacy blocks and how you have been teaching, reading and writing in your classroom.  How can you make reading and writing come to life in your classroom?  Here are some ideas – is there something that…

Last week I had a very insightful meeting with James Smith, a Solutions Architect in the eLearning space.  We chatted about the challenges in delivering engaging, interactive and collaborative learning environments in an online setting.  And how can we make those learning experiences better for all learners? Tools to help create a learning environment for…

Today I received a message from a concerned mum about her son’s literacy. Both parents are committed to helping their son, but they also work full-time.  Leading into the holidays, she wants some advice on how to ensure he doesn’t slip further behind.  Parents often ask: “I’m not sure how to help my child with…

I know how important it is to engage students with reading.  We need to give them structure to tackle a passage.  This is one of my favourite acronyms that I use with my students. As we head into the half way mark of the school year, make sure they are confident and strong with their…

Let’s be honest, tests can be a source of stress and anxiety for students of all ages. But with the right strategies and mindset, anyone can become a successful test taker. Whether you’re an educator looking for new ways to support your students or a parent who’s trying to help your child succeed, this article…

As test prep season starts to creep up for the end of the semester, there can be an undercurrent of anxiety, overwhelm, and stress – both from teachers and students. But with preparation and tools in their toolbox, our learners can become more confident, calm, and ready for upcoming assessment tasks. In order to get…

This reading thing…… I know from teaching experience that the path to literacy isn’t always straightforward or pain-free.  In 20+ years of teaching and tutoring, I’ve seen children chip away at the reading process ~ and when a child cracks the code it’s a wonderful thing. And if you have a struggling reader, they need…

Reading instruction is much more than explaining.  The ultimate goal is to inspire students to be readers. As educators we need to create an inspiring literate environment – that is, an environment that immerses students in genuinely literate activity.  But what does a “literate environment” look like? Do we emphasise recreational reading? Or understanding humanity through…