Have you ever wondered why some words have a double consonant at the end (such as sniff), while other words do not (such as dog and bat)?

The answer is easy–and we call it The Floss Rule. The Floss Rule is a really simple spelling rule that helps kids remember when to use a double consonant at the end of a word.

Summer is a time for fun. It’s a time for swimming, biking, vacations, picnics—and adventure! But summer shouldn’t be a time to stop reading, and Ziggy is here to help make sure your kids remember to add reading to their summer fun list.

Learning how to spell words that don’t follow the rules can be…well…a bit boring. And we can’t have that! So the All About Spelling program has a fun and motivating way to teach these Rule Breakers.

We throw them in jail, of course!

That’s right, we put these words behind bars. Words like said, who, and once—they don’t follow the spelling rules, so they deserve to be locked in the slammer.

Have you ever noticed that when you know a lot about a subject, it can actually be harder to teach someone else about it?

This is a common problem, and it’s called the curse of knowledge. The curse refers to the idea that the more you know about a subject, the harder it can be to transfer that knowledge to someone who has limited knowledge of the subject.¹

What Is Listening Comprehension?

Listening comprehension is the precursor to reading comprehension, so it’s an important skill to develop. Listening comprehension isn’t just hearing what is said—it is the ability to understand the words and relate to them in some way.

Did you know that listening comprehension is directly related to reading comprehension? It’s true! But helping your child build listening comprehension skills doesn’t have to be boring.

Here is a fun—and sort of silly—way to work on listening skills with your children.

“Of especially naughty children, it is sometimes said, ‘they must have been raised by wolves’… these rascals actually were!”

If you love the thrill of a mystery, the elegance of the English countryside, and the fun of intriguing and quirky characters, you’ll find it all at Ashton Place, an estate with more secrets than a squirrel has whiskers.

You may have heard that multisensory instruction involves three types of activities:

1. Visual
2. Auditory
3. Kinesthetic

Visual obviously refers to sight, and auditory refers to hearing. But what does kinesthetic mean?

Looking for a fun way to review phonograms? “Swatting Phonograms” is a fantastic hands-on activity that your child will love! It’s fast paced, engaging … and just a little bit gross. Perfect!

“I’m worried my child isn’t making enough progress.”

Most homeschool parents feel this way at one time or another. We regularly hear from parents who express concern about the progress their child has made—or not made—in reading and spelling.

When we question the parent further, we often discover that the child has in fact made excellent progress, yet the parent doesn’t recognize that progress.

If you have a child who is struggling with an auditory processing disorder (APD), you probably have many questions.

And the biggest question of all is, “What can I do to help?” I have heard it again and again from concerned parents.

It can be so frustrating. You know your child can hear, but sometimes it seems like he can’t.

Welcome to our mini teaching guide on alphabetizing!

Alphabetizing is an essential literacy skill, and the resources in this post will make it easy for you to teach it. Let’s dig in!