Do you build a strong foundation for reading?

How many of you have some readers that are still struggling in your classroom?

I have been teaching reading for 13 years, and while I have successfully taught MANY students to read, I still had those handful every year that I just could not get to make the progress that I had hope they would.  

This year, I think I finally realized why.  

I just kept trudging along, throwing more and more at them without the foundation to put that information on.  

Think of teaching reading, like building a house.  When you build a house you start with the foundation, and you build up from there.  What would happen with your house if you started to build the roof first?  Or if you just started throwing wooden beams at it? That is what I think we sometimes do with reading.

We forget about the foundation.  Often because the foundation is so simple in our eyes, we assume that it was already built.   Often this is not the case.  Students are coming to school with broken, cracked, or not even started foundations.  We need to start from the ground up.

The good news?

It does not take that much time to build a foundation.

Then the house will go up much smoother.

This has changed my teaching drastically this year.  I was afraid that slowing down, and backing up my instruction would result in my students being behind, but guess what?  They are further ahead because of it!  

I have put these essential foundation lessons into an easy to use format.  I included my insights in each lesson, and made tools for you to teach each lesson.  I also have included games, and activities to reinforce these skills.   

I have used these lessons all year with my K-3 students in small groups.  I have seen a huge improvement in their understanding of the alphabet, which has carried over into their reading.  My third graders have said many times "why did no one tell me this before?" This is the same thing I have been thinking all year.  So, while I am not proclaiming to be an expert, I do want to share with you what I have learned.  I wished I would have known this 13 years ago.  I hope you learn as much as I did, and your students benefit like mine did.  If you have any questions or anything to share as you work through the lessons, feel free to email me at 180daysofreading@gmail.com, I never stop learning.  I would love to hear it...we are #bettertogether!  

Amy

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