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Reading Horizons
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Empowering Striving Readers for Academic Success
by Tyson Smith, CEO | Apr 4, 2023
A Life-Changing Phone Call I received a phone call 20 years ago from the parent of a striving reader in Centerville, Utah. I wasn’t available, so she left a voicemail that I wish...
10 Must-Haves for Your Science of Reading Classroom
by Jenny Kier | Nov 8, 2022
Have you heard the buzz around the science of reading (SoR) lately? Actually, it’s less of a buzz for many of us and more like the roar emanated by a turbo jet. There’s no...
Dr. Anita Archer’s Five Favorite “Archerisms”
by Stacy Hurst, M.Ed | Oct 12, 2022
The internationally recognized literacy leader shared words of wisdom on a recent episode of the Literacy Talks podcast. During her distinguished career, Dr. Anita Archer has...
The Science of Reading: How to Eliminate Grade Retention
by Paul Black, Ed.S. | Aug 25, 2022
Grade retention came up in a conversation with one of my school’s administrators last week. Like many states, hers requires a student to repeat third grade if they are not...
How a Classroom Sound Wall Boosts Early Literacy
by Stacy Hurst, M.Ed | Jul 19, 2022
Cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker said, “Children are wired for sound, but print is an optional accessory that must be painstakingly bolted on.” A lot goes into how people...
5 Transfer Tips from Science of Reading Educators
by Jillian Kaster, Community Manager | Jun 23, 2022
We must teach our students how to read to have option-filled lives. Developing lifelong readers means teachers provide opportunities for their students to apply what they learn...
Aligning IEP Goals with the Science of Reading
by Laura Axtell, M.Ed | May 11, 2022
Research shows that 95 percent of third-graders are cognitively capable of reading proficiently (Torgesen, 2004). The most effective action education leaders can take to ensure...
Addressing Unconscious Bias with Active Listening
by Claustina Mahon-Reynolds | Apr 14, 2022
“Equity” has always been more than just a trending buzzword. It’s an ideal to aim for, and educators and district leaders often know the “what” but not necessarily the “how.” A...
Teaching High Frequency Words: The Science of Reading’s Breakthrough Instructional Practice
by Jillian Kaster, Community and Advocacy Manager | Mar 29, 2022
There have been major breakthroughs in instructional practice that we’ve seen as the science of reading movement builds, but one that I hear educators get most passionate about...
Impacting Reading Proficiency
by Stacy Hurst | Jan 19, 2022
The word impact has various meanings, but the one best fitting for why we, as educators, do what we do is to powerfully affect or influence someone or something. As educators, we...
Enhancing Foundational Reading Skills Through Small Group Centers
by Jillian Kaster | Dec 21, 2021
The research is clear: students need systematic, explicit phonics and phonemic awareness instruction that is sequenced from simple to complex. As a Senior Facilitator, my role...
The Five Must-Know Phonetic Skills
by Jillian Kaster, Community and Advocacy Manager | Dec 13, 2021
When children are young, they often rely solely on phonetics to read and spell. Phonetics is the study of speech sounds. When novice writers spell phonetically, they “sound out”...
Why and How to Use Nonsense Words When Teaching Reading
by Stacy Hurst | Dec 7, 2021
By the time most of us first encountered Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, we were fluent readers. However, I am sure...
8 Classroom Accommodations for Dyslexia (That Benefit ALL Students)
by Shantell Berrett Blake | Oct 20, 2021
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference that manifests in a cluster of symptoms. Students with dyslexia have challenges with reading, spelling, writing, and pronouncing...
14 Activities That Increase Student Engagement During Reading Instruction
by Stacy Hurst | Sep 24, 2021
Research shows that students whose teachers spend too much time talking are less likely to be engaged during classroom instruction. Luckily, reading instruction can be so much...
Nurturing the Social and Emotional Needs of Students with Dyslexia
by Angie Barnett | Oct 19, 2020
After working for Reading Horizons for nine years, I found out one of my nephews was struggling with reading. Having been trained in our method and having access to our...
How is COVID-19 Impacting Literacy Instruction this Fall?
by Angie Barnett | Aug 6, 2020
Reading Horizons recently conducted a national survey about literacy instruction in the age of COVID-19 and how schools are planning to address reading skills in the coming...
Teachers Share Their Secrets for Engaging Students in Virtual Reading Instruction
by Angie Barnett | Apr 28, 2020
Teachers across the country are coming up with brilliant and creative ideas for connecting with their students during school closures. Here’s what a few of our customers...
14 Tips for Fine-Tuning Your Virtual Reading Instruction
by Angie Barnett | Mar 31, 2020
With the unexpected COVID-19 school closures, many teachers had to convert their classrooms into a virtual learning environment quickly. This isn’t an easy switch overnight, yet...
Ideas for Home Learning and Reading Practice During COVID-19 School Closures
by Angie Barnett | Mar 16, 2020
With COVID-19 spreading around the world, it’s important to do what we can to keep each other safe and healthy. But it is also important to stay hopeful and keep moving forward....
A Simple Intervention That Makes Middle School Less Awful for Students
by Reading Horizons and Angie Barnett | Feb 28, 2020
When most people consider the middle and junior high school years, they often think of one word: awkward. Luckily, research from Dr. Geoffrey Borman and his colleagues at the...
10 Apps That Facilitate Communication and Language Skills in Special Education Classrooms
by Angie Barnett | Feb 21, 2020
This blog post summarizes and compiles the tools and strategies developed by Dr. Wendy Thompson shared on an episode of Podclassed titled: Game-Changing Resources for Special...
Choosing the Right Reading Curriculum for Students in Special Education
by Angie Barnett | Jan 14, 2020
In a recent webcast, education specialist Laura Axtell, M.Ed. Special Education discussed the challenges and needs of reading instruction in special education settings. She...
Modifying Reading Instruction to the Needs of Various Special Education Students
by Angie Barnett | Jan 13, 2020
Teaching students in special education classrooms can be a complex task with varying needs and challenges. Here are a few quick tips from Special Education expert Laura Axtell,...
Teaching Students to Transfer Decoding Skills to Writing
by Angie Barnett | Dec 19, 2019
Writing is an excellent place for students to apply and transfer what they have learned in Reading Horizons Discovery® and Reading Horizons Elevate® reading curriculum. Here are...
Improve Student Performance with Parent-Teacher Engagement
by Angie Barnett | Nov 25, 2019
"When parents are heavily engaged or connected to the school and their students’ work in school, we see an increase in attendance, behavior, and course performance." —Dr. Nikole...
Boosting Student Engagement by Creating a Culturally Competent School or Classroom
by Angie Barnett | Nov 19, 2019
Have you ever wished you could know what your students are thinking? How they wanted to be taught? What they want to get out of your class? In a recent episode...
Pacing Your Reading Curriculum to Student Mastery Instead of a Calendar | Q&A
by Angie Barnett | Nov 5, 2019
We sat down with Implementation Coach Chloe Rhea Beauford to talk about the unique philosophy behind Reading Horizons pacing. Q: Chloe, what do you tell districts that are...
5 Ways to Prevent Struggling Readers from Experiencing Shame & Anxiety in the Classroom
by Angie Barnett | Oct 25, 2019
“Horrified,” “brutal,” “nerve-wracking,” “awful,” “fear every moment” are a mix of terms and phrases used by struggling readers with dyslexia to describe their school experience...
How to Identify Dyslexia in the Classroom
by Angie Barnett | Oct 16, 2019
The sooner you identify which students show the signs of dyslexia, the sooner you can intervene. When remediation is conducted early and appropriately, students who demonstrate...
7 Ways to Support Students with Dyslexia at Your School or District
by Angie Barnett | Oct 8, 2019
Now that almost every state has passed legislation that classifies dyslexia as its own category of special needs, more districts are working to identify and accommodate students...
3 Lessons Learned from Implementing Evidence-Based Literacy Practices
by Angie Barnett | Sep 26, 2019
In a recent episode of Podclassed titled “Putting Evidence-Based Literacy Initiatives in Action,” Laura Axtell interviewed an expert and two educators about...
What Program Is Best For Elementary Reading?
by Angie Barnett | Jul 3, 2019
Are you looking for a new reading program for your elementary students? Wondering what the best elementary reading curriculum is? We're a little biased, but our customers aren't....
5 Ways to Break the Mold of Traditional Spelling Instruction
by Angie Barnett | Jun 19, 2019
The content in this article is based on an episode of Podclassed—a podcast sponsored by Reading Horizons. The tips in this post are combined and rephrased from the interview...
The Ideal Response to Intervention (RTI) Implementation—Tips From the Experts
by Angie Barnett | Jun 5, 2019
This blog post combines tips from three experts as expressed on Podclassed—a podcast sponsored by Reading Horizons. The experts include Jim Wright, trainer, consultant, and...
17 Rules for Making Your Reading Curriculum More Helpful for Struggling Readers
by Angie Barnett | Apr 25, 2019
As a kid, school is your life. You spend more time there than in any other setting except your home (if that). For many students, school gives them a sense of purpose and...
From Good to Great: 9 Ways to Boost District-Wide Literacy Performance
by Angie Barnett | Mar 22, 2019
"One of our challenges was how to make us great. We had a hodgepodge of good reading teachers and good things going on, but nothing in common. As Lucy Calkins says, 'When we...
Beauty in the Scar: Unraveling My Struggle with Dyslexia as an Adult
by Jillian Kaster | Jan 29, 2019
It wasn't long after I started working at Reading Horizons as an educator that we launched a Facebook community page that I managed to help teachers using our program. We needed...
Using Universal Screening for Dyslexia to Improve Reading Performance District-Wide
by David Clark | Jan 15, 2019
In a recent panel discussion with dyslexia experts Donell Pons, M.Ed., and Shantell Berrett, M.A., the what, why, and how of universal screening for dyslexia were discussed in...
Changing Student Perceptions About Dyslexia to Reduce Bullying [Lesson Plan]
by Angie Barnett | Oct 8, 2018
What would be your ideal solution for improving the educational experience of students with dyslexia? This is a question we asked when we recently interviewed the parent of a...
4 Key Differences in Teaching ESL to Adults vs. Children
by Angie Barnett | Sep 26, 2018
By Guest Writer, Lauren Bailey For several years now, I’ve actively participated in a local literacy organization, which aims at teaching reading to recent immigrants. Although...
Approaches for Teaching ESL Students: Prediction vs. Decoding
by Angie Barnett | Aug 27, 2018
One of my biggest character flaws is definitely impatience. One way I’ve discovered this is through my drive to complete other people’s sentences. I usually do this when I want...
Supporting ESL Students: 10 Tips For Mainstream Teachers
by Angie Barnett | Aug 22, 2018
From the 1997-98 school year to the 2008-09 school year, the amount of ESL learners enrolled in U.S. public schools increased from 3.5 million to 5.3 million, a 51% increase...
Five Effective Motivation Strategies for Struggling Readers
by Angie Barnett | Jul 31, 2018
What do you find to be the most difficult thing about teaching beginning and struggling readers? We asked this exact question to educators as they registered for a webinar. Of...
ELL Instructional Strategies: Improving Vocabulary Improves Reading Fluency
by Angie Barnett | Jul 31, 2018
Non-native speakers of English who are in an ELL classroom face struggles with reading in English even if they are already strong readers in their native language. The natural...
6 Elements of Effective Differentiated Reading Instruction
by Stacy Hurst | Jul 31, 2018
Is differentiated reading instruction really necessary? The answer is no. Differentiated reading instruction is not necessary UNLESS… you want success and growth for each of your...
How to Make ESL Reading Instruction Effective
by Reading Horizons | Jul 31, 2018
Guest Post by Dr. Eugenia Krimmel As is made clear when working with a struggling reader or English Language Learner—reading is a complex language skill. Each aspect of reading...
21 Tips from Teachers on Using Reading Horizons
by David Clark | Apr 13, 2018
Earlier this year we asked for teaching advice from members of the Reading Horizons Teachers League. If you have ever implemented a new reading curriculum, then you know that...
Assistive Technology for Students with Dyslexia—22 Apps and Resources
by Angie Barnett | Dec 18, 2017
During our webcast, Don’t Stop the Learning: Assistive Technology in the Classroom, Eric Price, M.Ed., talked about the importance of using technology to improve learning for...
5 Time-Saving Tips for Reading Horizons Lessons
by Katherine Liu | Nov 24, 2017
When I was working in the classroom, I would often say that I could sleep over at school every night and still not feel caught up. What’s even worse is that the moments with our...