1. 11 Alternatives to “Round Robin” (and “Popcorn”) Reading
Your traditional reading instruction activities might actually be counterproductive to your desired progress in fluency in your classroom. Check out these 11 alternative approaches that would boost the efficiency of your reading instruction.
2. 5 Ways to Design Effective Rewards for Game-Based Learning
Game-based instruction is something I continuously try to incorporate in my classroom. This provides a list of great ways to reward students through the game-based approach, and why it’s important to recognize exceptional behavior, improvement, and good character traits while keeping grades private.
3. Turn Your Princess-Obsessed Toddler Into a Feminist in Eight Easy Steps
A tongue-in-cheek, but very relevant approach to introducing and discussing classic fairy/princess tales to young girls for the feminist mother hen, where the author praises Belle for her love of reading, while also mentioning the Stockholm syndrome as it relates to women who stay in unhealthy relationships.
4. Here’s Why Writing Things Out By Hand Makes You Smarter
Ditch the laptop for an old-fashioned composition notebook and pencil if you want to accelerate learning. While typing can become like autopilot, writing things out by hand slows down the learner to listen for the most important bits and really engage with the lesson.
5. The Importance of Reflection in Education
Without reflection, it is almost impossible for real learning to occur. While listening to lectures and memorizing material helps students answer tests effectively, reflection is the key ingredient from moving to test-specific short-term memory to long-term, meaningful knowledge.
Pint-Sized Champion 