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Boy reading a book next to the text the simple fix for the phonics to reading gap decodable sentences

Your Kids Can Sound Out Words. Can They Read a Sentence?

The pendulum has done a full swing since I started teaching a billion years ago. Whole language is not a thing anymore (for good reason), but we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Teachers are spending TONS of time teaching students isolated sounds and words (rightfully so), but not nearly as much time on decodable sentences and reading connected text. This is an easy fix, so read on, Teacher Friend! The Real Issue Here’s the thing. Sounding out “sh” in isolation and reading “The fish had a big splash” are two very different skills. A kiddo can nail

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Image of students reading together. Reading Logs that Actually work. An In-Class Reading Tracker That Does the Heavy Lifting

Reading Logs That Actually Work: An In-Class Reading Tracker That Does the Heavy Lifting

Hey there, Teacher Friends! Today we are talking about dun, dun, dun…Reading Logs! Traditional reading logs track one thing: time. Time is fine, but time doesn’t tell you if your students understood what they read, made a connection, or could retell the story. What if your in-class reading tracker did the comprehension work at the same time? That’s the idea behind this resource—and once you try it, the old version is going to feel like it’s missing something. The Problem with Traditional Reading Logs (You Know This One) You send one of these bad boys home. Some students return it

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Encoding and Decoding in Reading: Why Writing Words Absolutely Helps Students Become Better Readers

Encoding and Decoding in Reading: Why Writing Words Absolutely Helps Students Become Better Readers

Hey there, Teacher friend! I came across this quote the other day, and it really got me thinking about encoding and decoding in reading. “Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out.” Pam Allyn Table of Contents 1. Encoding and Decoding in Reading: More Connected Than We Think For a long time, I treated encoding and decoding as two separate lanes. Decoding lived in reading instruction. Encoding showed up during writing time. That felt logical… and also very tidy. But once you really start paying attention to how young readers work through words, that separation starts to feel

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A Teacher's Guide to Teaching Reading Fluency with a Focus on Punctuation.

A Teacher’s Guide to Teaching Reading Fluency with a Focus on Punctuation

Hey there, Teacher Friend! Teaching reading fluency isn’t only about reading faster—it’s about reading with meaning. One of the easiest ways to support this in primary classrooms is by teaching students to pay attention to punctuation and let it guide their voice as they read. Table of Contents Why “Read the Punctuation” Even Matters I’ll be honest. For a long time, I thought punctuation was… fine. Important, sure. But kind of secondary when it came to teaching reading fluency. Then I started listening more closely to my students read out loud. Not skimming. Not decoding silently. Actually listening. And I

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How to Use Decodable Comics to Build Reading Fluency without boring kids.

How to Use Decodable Comics to Build Reading Fluency (Without Boring Kids!)

Hey there teacher friend! Make reading fluency fun. Learn how to use decodable comics to boost phonics skills, confidence, and expression in your K–2 classroom. Why Reading Fluency Practice Often Falls Flat Let’s be honest — we’ve all seen that glazed look students get when you hand them another bland fluency passage. It’s not that they can’t read it. It’s that they don’t want to. Fluency practice can feel repetitive, especially when kids are just decoding words without meaning or joy. But fluency isn’t just speed — it’s accuracy, expression, and understanding. And to build those skills, kids need to

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Image of phonics comics. Text: How to Use Phonics Comics in Reading Conferences: Engaging Decodable Comics for Early Readers

How to Use Phonics Comics in Reading Conferences: Engaging Decodable Comics for Early Readers

Hey there, teacher friend! You know those one-on-one reading conferences where you’re trying to check a million things at once—decoding, fluency, comprehension—and still keep it short and purposeful? It can be overwhelming. That’s exactly where Phonics Comics (a.k.a. decodable comics) shine. Kids absolutely love the comic format. It feels playful and accessible, but at the same time it’s carefully built on decodable text, so you’re getting the phonics practice they need without the eye rolls or groans. When teachers use these in reading conferences, it instantly shifts the tone. Instead of “another passage,” students lean in because, well, it’s a

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Setting Reading Goals that Matter: Small group tips for reading with a purpose.

Setting Reading Goals That Matter: Small Group Tips for Reading with a Purpose

Let’s talk reading goals (but in a way that makes sense for actual classrooms) Reading goals often sound bigger than they are. I don’t know about you, but when I first heard the phrase “set individual reading goals with your students each week,” my brain immediately flashed to endless checklists, mountains of sticky notes, and me—somehow—keeping track of 24 unique goal paths. That’s a lot. Too much, really. But the more I worked with small groups and thought about what reading goals should be, the more I realized they don’t need to be flashy or overly formal. They just need

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Image of teacher teaching in front of a class. Text: Whole Group

Whole Group Reading Strategies and Phonics Instruction for Early Learners

Hey there, Teacher friend! Whole group reading strategies are essential for building foundational literacy skills in first and second-grade classrooms. Whether you are a new teacher setting up your routines or a veteran educator looking for fresh ideas, effective whole-group phonics instruction can make your lessons engaging and impactful. The Importance of Whole Group Phonics Instruction Whole group phonics instruction allows teachers to introduce and reinforce key phonics skills for developing reading fluency. Teaching all students together ensures everyone gets the same exposure to important concepts, creating a strong foundation for further learning. Whole Group Reading Strategies for Phonics Success

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Image of student reading. Text: Helping students build strong foundational reading skills.

Helping Students Build Strong Foundational Reading Skills

Hey there, Teacher Friend! We know that teaching early readers to decode can be challenging. But, mastering foundational reading skills is vital for students as they build fluency and comprehension. Whether you have been around for a while or are just beginning your teaching journey, finding effective and engaging resources for this learning stage is essential. Supporting Struggling Readers Students often struggle to distinguish between short vowel sounds, such as “a” in “cat” and “e” in “pen.” These subtle differences can be difficult for young learners to grasp, especially when phonics practice feels repetitive or disconnected from meaningful content. Additionally,

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Image of decodable readers: Phonics Comics. Text: Exploring Phonics Small Group Instruction with a Phonics Comic Decodable Reader!

Exploring Phonics Small Group Instruction with a Phonics Comic Decodable Reader

Hey there teacher friends! This post is to explore small group instruction for teaching reading using Phonics Comics. Phonics Decodable Readers with Lessons and Activities! We know that small group instruction is beneficial when teaching students how to read and has several benefits. Small group instruction is a more efficient use of teacher and student time. Students have more interaction with their classmates and teachers. It also increases opportunities for students to improve their reading and writing skills. So, what does small group instruction for teaching reading using Phonics Comics look like? Read on and see how you can try

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Image of sight words activties: Pop!, Tic Tac Toe, and Bingo. Text: Playful Literacy: Creative Sight Word Activities.

Playful Literacy: 9 +1 Creative Sight Word Activities You’ll Absolutely Love

Fun Sight Word Activities with Sight Word Cards Learning “sight” words is an important part of students learning to read and to read fluently. These sight word activities will make learning sight words more fun and engaging! Students need a lot of practice with their sight words and these sight word activities are the favorites from my classroom. The best part about these fun sight word activities is that you can teach them to your students, and then let them play them independently during your word work time! Other Sight Word Activities Blog Posts You May Enjoy: Need sight word

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Image of organized classroom library. Text: Unleashing the Power of Books: Getting the Most from your Classroom Library

Unleashing the Power of Books: Getting the Most from Your Classroom Library

Hey there Teacher Friends! Are you ready to embark on a journey through the world of classroom libraries? Buckle up, because we’re about to dive into some exciting tips and tricks to make the most of this treasure trove of knowledge in your classroom. Getting the Most from Your Classroom Library: Keep it Organized! When I first started teaching, I had my students help me organize my classroom library. We decided on organizing by categories. I had a fiction section and a non-fiction section with different colored book bins. I got all of my book bins from Really Good Stuff,

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