Reading a book with your class should be an engaging and immersive experience. One storybook strategy we often draw attention to is questioning, since it is something that should occur before, during and after reading activities. Traditional questions are often aimed at retrieval of information from a text, whereas the focus of querying is to… Read More Testing vs. Teaching Questions
Innovative Strategies for VESOL Instruction
On January 18, 2023, T-TAC ODU hosted The VESOL Alliance at the Newport News Marriott. This unique professional learning event offered a range of high-interest sessions and free resources to over 80 attendees from across regions 2 & 3. Our expert presenters shared VESOL-referenced lesson plans that can be used to engage learners of all ages. If you were not able… Read More Innovative Strategies for VESOL Instruction
Read Aloud Google Tools for Reading
Using Text-to-Speech (TTS) narration has been found to be helpful for struggling readers in the areas of increased reading rate and improved reading comprehension. Although it has been around since the 1960s, it has become cheaper and more accessible to the general public in the past decade. Now, there are user-friendly technology tools to support reading… Read More Read Aloud Google Tools for Reading
Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension
According to Dr. Kelly Cartwright, author of Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension, three core executive skills are cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibition. Cognitive Flexibility allows student to shift attention between components of a task (i.e. decoding and text meaning). Working Memory is the capacity to be able to work with and hold information in… Read More Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension
Thinking About Executive Function—Why is it Important?
Do you have students in your classroom who can follow routines and manage their behavior while they regulate their thinking and emotions? And, other students who cannot seem to control their behavior or stick to classroom routines? They may fidget and have difficulty ignoring things that are irrelevant. The contrasts in these students illustrate differences… Read More Thinking About Executive Function—Why is it Important?
Effective Vocabulary Instruction that Increases Reading Comprehension
Semantic gradients is a group of related words placed on a continuum that allows students to make connections between known words and new vocabulary. Reading Rockets has fun and engaging activities that help students deepen their understanding of related words. Research states that vocabulary instruction is an essential skill that students need to improve reading… Read More Effective Vocabulary Instruction that Increases Reading Comprehension
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Thoughts: Using Visual Imagery that Improves Working Memory
“Unless new information makes meaningful connections, it remains in working memory for about 20 seconds and is then discarded (Watson & Gable, 2011).” Because visual imagery can improve memory, it can help students make those connections. Visual images can help students make sense of math problems, remember fictional text, and comprehend a reading passage. Research… Read More A Picture is Worth a Thousand Thoughts: Using Visual Imagery that Improves Working Memory
