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359

Helping Kids Sound Out Words

Helping Kids Sound Out Words - ideas and solutions

When you read, you probably don’t spend much time decoding the individual words. You just read, and as you get to each word, you instantly recognize it. But beginning readers don’t have that kind of instant recall yet, so it is important to teach them how to sound out words.

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650

How to Handle Tears and Frustration in Your Homeschool

tears and frustration featured graphic

Do spelling lessons make your child want to throw her pencil across the room? Do tears seem to go hand-in-hand with learning to read? Are you walking on eggshells, wondering how the “dreaded” subject will go today?

When kids struggle, moms tend to blame themselves …

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74

“Go Dance!”: a Free Printable Thanksgiving Activity

If you’re always on the lookout for ways to make practicing reading more fun for your children, then you’re going to love our new “Go Dance!” activity! This free printable Thanksgiving activity is perfect for getting in the holiday spirit, but we think these dancing turkeys are so cute that you’ll want to enjoy them all year long.

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256

Benefits of Audio Books for Children Learning to Read

These days, audio books are becoming more and more available. Their increase in popularity shouldn’t come as a surprise — they provide a range of benefits that many people are only now discovering. Aside from being enjoyable, audio books are great for teaching reading and spelling.

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437

Word Flippers

word flippers featured graphic

Have you seen our Word Flippers?

Word Flippers are a super popular part of the All About Reading program. They are fun and motivating for kids, and a simple-yet-effective tool for you as the teacher.

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318

The Green Ember Chapter Books

Sword-wielding rabbits fight enemies in The Green Ember

What happens when you combine the style of classic fantasy series like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings with a group of adventuresome sword-wielding rabbits? You get The Green Ember series by S. D. Smith, of course!

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258

How To Make Your Own Fabric Alphabet

basket of fabric letters

Playing with the alphabet is a great way to help your preschooler learn the alphabet and promote letter recognition, and this easy-to-make fabric alphabet will provide hours of kid-friendly, educational fun!

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635

A Handy Guide to Long Vowel Sounds

Ostrich holding a sign with long vowel sounds

When you teach reading and spelling, it’s a good idea to have a general overview of long vowel sounds. Let’s dive in!

A long vowel is a vowel that is pronounced the same as its name. For example, the word emu starts with the long E sound.

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458

Sight Words: What You Need to Know

If you’ve been teaching reading for a while, you’ve undoubtedly come across the term sight words, and you probably have some questions about them. Should you teach sight words? What’s the best way to approach sight words? Is it bad to use a curriculum that teaches sight words?

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936

4 Spelling Strategies You Won’t Want to Miss

all about spelling curriculum and letter tiles board

Some kids are just naturally “good spellers.” And then there are those who need all the help they can get.

If spelling doesn’t come easily to your child—or if you want to get your child started on the right foot—this post is for you! Read along to learn about four powerful spelling strategies to help your student, including free resources to get you started.

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439

Is the “Matthew Effect” Affecting Your Child’s Desire to Read?

upward and downward spirals and the Matthew Effect

Does your child dislike reading? Would your child rather do chores than read a book? Does your child avoid reading whenever possible? When it’s time for reading lessons, are there tears or grumpiness involved?

Children who dislike reading are usually struggling readers. Just as nonathletic people tend to avoid exercise, struggling readers tend to avoid books and everything else related to reading.

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605

Picture Books for Fall

little girl playing in autumn leaves

If there’s a chill in the air and the trees are spinning a tapestry of reds and golds, it must be autumn! And that means it’s time to grab your little ones, cuddle up on the couch, and read a few of my favorite picture books for fall.

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