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
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
Just like family-teacher partnerships, a strong relationship between teachers and administrators is important for ensuring that students have the academic support they need. At the heart of this partnership is trust—something that takes time and conscious effort to build. Trust is not only important for a professional relationship between educators
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
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
When putting together lesson plans for the upcoming school year, it can be tempting to dive into reading and math curriculum from day one. There’s always so much to get through, and time seems in short supply. However, it’s worth making time for fun student back-to-school activities in your elementary
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
Candra Morris is the Vice President of Professional Learning here at Waterford.org. She recently sat down with us to talk about family engagement, student success, and building relationships. We like to say she wrote the book on family engagement in schools—because she did! What makes you so passionate about family
