Every April, the literary world comes alive with rhythm and rhyme as we celebrate National Poetry Month. For elementary school teachers, this month is an opportunity to practice early literacy skills and foster a love for poetry and language. Curious how to teach poetry to early elementary students? Use this
Written by Leah Dozier Walker Executive Vice President of Equity & Inclusion at Waterford.org The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds tremendous promise across the education ecosystem. It has the potential to revolutionize learning experiences, enhance family engagement, and drive academic achievement. Leveraging AI can power differentiated instruction, personalize learning
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodivergent condition that affects communication, behavior, and learning. Psychologists use the term spectrum disorder because symptoms and support needs vary depending on the child. Although clinically defined as a disorder, having autism does not mean something is wrong or “needs to be fixed” with
Learn about phonological awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate units of sound within words. Then, discover strategies to share with teachers as they help students in your schools develop phonological awareness skills—with ten free rhyming books for read-aloud experiences at school and at home! What Is Phonological Awareness and
Understanding the science behind how children learn to read is the starting point for creating effective, well-grounded classroom instruction. Cognitive psychologists, neuroscientists, and education experts have studied literacy development for decades, resulting in a wealth of information for educators. One of the most well-known, concise, and grounded models of literacy
Teamwork makes the dream work. Your school’s team consists of your students, school administrators, teachers, and other faculty and support staff. But it’s important to have every teammate in the bullpen. Don’t forget who needs to be included: your students’ families. It can be challenging at times to get families
School and classroom grants can fill in the gaps sometimes left behind by limited school budgets. Grants help educators get resources they might not be able to otherwise. Since many educational grants have rolling deadlines, teachers and administrators can apply as needed. What is a grant, and what makes it
The Internet has revolutionized much of modern life, especially when it comes to education. There are benefits when students can learn and socialize in online spaces, but it comes with a dark side. Nearly three out of five U.S. teens say they have been harassed or bullied online. And most
Parenthood can be rewarding, but is it ever busy, too! Between taking children to school and managing other to-dos, some days it may feel like you don’t get a minute to yourself. And even when you hear about, self-care, you may dismiss it as frivolous, unnecessary, or even selfish. But
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodivergent condition that affects communication, behavior, and learning. Psychologists use the term spectrum disorder because symptoms and support needs vary depending on the child. Although clinically defined as a disorder, having autism does not mean something is wrong or “needs to be fixed” with
Find out how a student’s literacy development is strongly connected to their spoken and written communication skills. Then, discover helpful strategies for teaching communication skills in the classroom—along with five free writing activities. What Are Communication Skills and Why Are They Important for Early Literacy Development? Communication skills are defined
The human brain is pre-wired for speech, but learning to read always involves explicit instruction. “Learning to read requires several years of intentional instruction,” explains Waterford Director of Curriculum Julie Christensen in a recent video. And the earlier that children are introduced to the foundational skills for reading, the better. Experts
