The Blog
Want to know how the Science of Reading applies to your classroom? Keep reading to discover what the research suggests, and how we should teach phonics and phonemic awareness to help all students learn to read.


- Phonics
Today, I want to keep it simple. When you first learn about the Science of Reading, it can be overwhelming. (Been there, done that, maybe cried a bit.) There is SO MUCH information, and much of it we never saw in our pre-service programs. So today, I’m simplifying some terms. Let’s talk about 10 essential phonics terms.I do not expect

- Phonics
I have to be honest: I am a full-on history nerd. As an undergrad, I was a religious studies and history major. I always knew I would end up a teacher, but I was 19 and loved learning about history. Perhaps not my smartest move, but it was definitely an interesting time as a student. Several years ago, my

- Alphabet Knowledge, Phonics
In general, I don’t play games every day with my students (or every week.) There is one huge exception to that rule, though: kindergarten. In my kindergarten groups with students who are still learning their letters, I play games almost daily. The reason why is two-fold. For starters, kindergarteners are still learning to adjust to school and need to shift

- Phonics
Synthetic phonics is more effective than embedded phonics. Phonics is ubiquitous. You honestly can’t read an education article or listen to a podcast without hearing about the importance of phonics. But what does the research actually suggest concerning phonics instruction? I believe that knowledge is power, and today I want to give you key points about the effects of phonics

- Phonics
I am the queen of simplicity and anti-hoarding. If I haven’t used it in the past year or two, it’s going in the trash or the recycling bin. I don’t get attached to objects in my classroom just because money has been spent on them, especially if they are not aligned with best practices. I don’t keep stinky books, outdated

- Phonics
When I first heard from the author of “Monster and Friends,” I didn’t really think much about it. The author wanted to send me a book, and I agreed. I’m uncertain what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I got. I opened the book and fell in love. After looking through it, I immediately sent a message to the

- Phonics
This is one of the decodable texts I use from The Literacy Nest. Do you want your students to become more proficient, automatic readers? We all do, right? This may sound like an oversimplification, but the one thing I suggest we all need a lot more of is practice. If we want our children to become more automatic word

- Phonics, Resources, Uncategorized
A few months ago, I started a series of blog posts where I do a deep dive into specific instructional practices. I started with word chaining, and today I want to continue the conversation with sound-symbol mapping. This practice can be done in whole group, small group, or one on one. With some guidance, it can also be a valuable