March 2021 Newsletter

Teaching and Learning in the Time of COVID-19 | For Teachers | Children's Books & Authors | For Parents | News, Events, and Research

Teaching and Learning in the Time of COVID-19

Virtual Literacy Instruction for Students with LD

Explicit instruction in core literacy skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) combined with multisensory supports, are key to helping children with language-based learning disabilities thrive in a virtual learning environment. Try these ideas and online learning tools with your students. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Here are just a few of the strategies you'll find:

Phonemic Awareness: Add, Delete, and Substitute
Changing sounds in spoken words by adding, deleting, or substituting is a complex multi-step process. Bring this mental task to life using shapes as you model. The steps in the process become concrete for your students as they listen, watch, respond, and move the shapes on their own in this ‘Say It. Move It’ activity from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI).
Watch a video tutorial >

Phonics: Word Chaining
Provide your students with an online tool that allows you to observe their work as they complete the steps in the chain. Possible options include the word chain board in Google Slides and the word work mat from the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI).
Watch a demo of the word work mat >

Vocabulary: Analyze the Meaningful Parts of Words
Students who are having trouble reading longer words benefit from learning how to identify the meaningful parts in a word and to pull the word apart. You can help your students recognize and read these parts, as they think about meaning, using the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) morpheme trees.
Watch a small group lesson >

Managing In-Person and Distance Learning at the Same Time

Hyflex teaching — sometimes called "concurrent" teaching — is a hybrid model of instruction where some students attend class in-person while other students are simultaneously remote, streaming "live" into class. Use these 6 tips to help make ‘hyflex’ teaching and learning work better for you and your students. (From Common Sense Media)

Making Student Learning Visible with Jamboard

Digital whiteboards like Google Jamboard give all students the opportunity to show their understanding, listen to peers, and reflect on next steps in the learning process. Learn more about using Jamboard in this article. (From Achieve the Core)

Simple Hacks to Improve Online Assessment

From professors Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher, here are a few simple, effective adjustments you can make to adapt formative evaluations to online instruction. Learn how to use individual whiteboards, waterfall chats, polls, and digital journals. (From Edutopia)

Reading SOS: Expert Answers to Family Questions

In this special Reading Rockets video series, experts answer real questions from families about reading and how to support your children at home. In one video, literacy expert Kegi Wells from the Barksdale Reading Institute answers a parent’s question, “How can I encourage reading when it’s hard for my child?” (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association).

For Teachers

Learning ‘b’ and ‘d’ and Reading Short Vowel Words

Reading expert Linda Farrell works with Aiko on a common letter reversal — confusing the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’. Ms. Farrell coaches Aiko to look at the letters during b/d practice and to look at the words while she works with Aiko to read short vowel words accurately.

And try the NEW Viewer’s Guide and Facilitator’s Guide created especially for this video, to support professional development in your school or district. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association)

Related:

Comprehension Strategy: Jigsaw

With this cooperative learning strategy, each student has a chance to become the expert in a topic and share their knowledge. Go inside Cathy Doyle's second grade classroom in Evanston, Illinois to observe her students use the jigsaw strategy to understand the topic of gardening more deeply and share what they have learned.

More strategies:

Children’s Books & Authors

Music and Musicians: Books and Activities

Attention all singers, rappers, horn blowers, pipers, pickers, percussionists, and piano players! March is Music in Our Schools Month – and we’ve got a joyful collection of picture books (fiction and nonfiction), hands-on activities, and apps to help kids celebrate and learn all about music.

Related:

A video interview with Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Booklist for Women’s History Month

In these 10 wonderful picture books, you’ll meet early activists who fought for women’s right to vote, four African American women who helped NASA launch astronauts into space, the First Lady of Jazz, a 19th century botanist who published the first photography book, the first bilingual storyteller/librarian, and other real-life heroes!

Related:

Find many more titles for Women’s History Month on Book Finder

Girl Wonder: Our Interview with Deborah Hopkinson

Hopkinson's vivid picture books about history shine a light on the role of women and girls. In our interview, Hopkinson discusses her mission to make history come alive for students, her meticulous attention to historical details, and her love of sharing good books with her own children.

Related:

Celebrating Heroines in Fact and Fiction
A lively panel discussion with Katherine Paterson, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jeannine Atkins, Heather Lang, and Ekua Holmes.

Browse our full library of video interviews with children’s authors and illustrators.

Voice of Freedom: Meet Carole Boston Weatherford

Weatherford is a children's book author and poet who "mines the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles." Some of Weatherford's books celebrate the stories of Black historical figures such as Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer, Jesse Owens, and Billie Holiday. Other books recount historical events such as the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Greensboro Sit-ins, and the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Weatherford's books have received many awards, including the 2021 Newbery Honor for BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom.

For Parents

Launching Young Writers

Find out why writing is so important in our lives, as well as practical suggestions for activities to help your child become a stronger writer.
More writing tips and ideas in English and Spanish:

Find more easy at-home writing activities (from Reading 101: A Guide for Parents):

Information Literacy: Identifying Facts and Reliable Sources

Explore two ways you can help your child begin to develop information literacy: learning to tell the difference between fact and opinion, and figuring out if a source of information is reliable. (Tips in English and Spanish)

Related:

Getting the Most Out of Nonfiction Reading Time

Nonfiction books give kids a chance to learn new concepts and vocabulary, as well as broaden their view of the world. Learn how to take a "book walk" with a new nonfiction book and how to model active reading. (In English and Spanish)

More tips in English and Spanish:

News, Events, and Research

Using Read Alouds to Improve Comprehension of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Speech Language Impairment and Intellectual Disability.
Presenters: Dr. Emily Solari, Dr. Carlin Conner, and Dr. Alyssa Henry.
Host: The Reading League
When: March 11, 2021 | 5:30-7:30 pm EST
Register >

Reading as Liberation—An Examination of the Research Base
Achieve the Core has compiled research for more than 500 expert sources to explore the ways research-based literacy approaches combined with personalized learning can accelerate literacy and create equity in the classroom.

Cultivating Joy in Writing in the Elementary Grades
Edutopia

Miguel Cardona: Biden’s pick for Education is a teacher — and unifier
Christian Science Monitor

The Dr. Seuss Controversy: What Educators Need to Know
Education Week

OPINION: Why schools should rethink Dr. Seuss
Atlanta Journal Constitution

Public Libraries and the Pandemic
New America

One Year into Pandemic, Far Fewer Young Students are on Target to Learn How to Read, Tests Show
The 74

Millions Of Kids Learn English At School. Teaching Them Remotely Hasn't Been Easy
National Public Radio

A Recipe for Young Historians of Black History
Education Week

A (remote) day in the life of NYC third graders
Chalkbeat New York

Your Kids Aren’t Too Old for Picture Books, and Neither Are You
The New York Times

Recognizing Signs of Potential Learning Disabilities in Preschool
Edutopia

How to Help Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Navigate a Turbulent School Year
Edutopia

Where Do Students Store New Vocabulary?
Language Magazine

Keep Schools Open All Summer, And Other Bold Ideas To Help Kids Catch Up
National Public Radio