Blog

We all know that developing the ability to read is critical to the education we expect for our children. For those struggling to grasp the concept early in their development, it’s important for educators and caregivers to intervene with proactive support. Building confidence as we build capability is the ultimate goal of a focused reading intervention program.

Teachers have a vested interest in the success of their students. To be successful, a teacher needs to see students being successful as well. This is why shared reading is such a powerful tool for classrooms that have implemented an early reading intervention program.

It’s a simple fact of teaching and learning: some kids are going to absorb teaching at a faster level than others. It’s the reason why we call it a “learning curve.” Reading is definitely one of the requisite skills that some children embrace faster than others. Competent reading skills are not necessarily an indication that one kid is smarter than another; however, it may be a sign that an individual child needs some help. It’s one of the primary reasons why there are diagnostic tools incorporated into elementary reading programs for schools.

There’s no denying that kids these days are immersed in technology, sometimes to the point where we have trouble keeping up with them. While there are many online programs available for home use that are educational and entertaining, different priorities should be considered when purchasing resources for the classroom. Reading programs for kindergarten, like those developed by Essential Skills, will offer many features that are useful to classroom teachers.

The ultimate goal of teachers and educators is to teach successfully. The ability to do so starts with the competency of the teacher; however, as every educator knows, to successfully implant knowledge in the minds of students’ additional tools are needed beyond the passion and skills of the person standing at the front of the class. When it comes to teaching phonics to young students, it helps to have a credible phonics program for kindergarten.

The ways in which we help struggling students have been evolving and are now proving to be beneficial at preventing children from developing full-scale learning disabilities. Until recently, children were not given special help until fourth grade. It was thought that many children with difficulties would outgrow them. If a child was “identified” they were often placed in special classes and even received different curriculum.

Many people don’t even know what phonemes are, let alone the importance of phonemic awareness to young minds. The very first stages of language development in young children relies upon the awareness of differences in sounds. As children develop, phonemes combine to make meaningful speech patterns and eventually are teamed with letters to form written words. Essential Skills has developed phonemic awareness activities that can be used online with kindergarten students to help develop their phonemic awareness. In class, there are some other activities and tips to help young students with phonemic skills.

1. Give your whole class the same starting line. When working with children who have learning disorders, and especially those with autism, many teachers are tempted to create specialized curricula for them. All kids should be taught according to the curriculum used by the school. Those who need extra help or accommodations can be offered these as necessary or as specified in IEPs. Autism tends to largely impact a student’s ability to communicate, so the use of reading programs for special education from Essential Skills can enhance lessons learned in the classroom.

Today’s world is full of screens wherever we go. We use computers for navigation, communication, education, and entertainment. Most of our classrooms reflect this new technology, which is far from the overhead projectors and VHS tapes of the previous generation. While there are still teachers out there who believe computers belong in the library, most classrooms of today contain interactive white boards, tablets, and even cell phones being used for solo or group learning experiences.

The key to much communication and education is reading. In order for a person to communicate effectively and acquire new knowledge successfully, they must have proficiency in both written and spoken language. As we age these tasks become automatic, but there are many steps for children to take to gain the fluency they need to continue their learning journey. It is important for educators to be aware of student successes and areas of weakness, and work with every child to help them advance.