Classroom Strategies
Explore classroom guidance, techniques, and activities to help you meet the needs of ALL students.
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Strong materials in the hands of great teachers
A year of school visits highlights what makes curriculum work
Press Play
Using Podcasts and Documentaries to Supercharge Background Knowledge and Bolster Reading Comprehension
On Your Side to Beat the Summer Slide
Ways to Partner with Your Local Public Library
Student Closing Statements
Use this routine to check for understanding and identify misconceptions
Kids Gift Us with Their Time
Increase Achievement, Motivation, and Connection with Students Through Classroom Games
Part 3
Yarn Number Line: A Lever to Develop Fraction Understanding
A routine for developing conceptual understanding of fractions
Part 1
Common Mistakes with Student Writing Prompts
Are your writing prompts letting students show what they know?
Three Simple Steps to Empowered Word-Learning
Using morphology, context clues, and outside resources to help students decipher word meanings
Using Data Binders to Increase Student Independence
A tool for fostering intentional and purposeful learning
Part 2
Choral Counting: A Lever to Develop Fraction Understanding
A model process for using choral counting to build conceptual understanding
Part 1
Using Exit Tickets Strategically
Educators share how they've made exit tickets a powerful tool for supporting students
Part 1
Creating a Model Process for Hands-On Professional Learning
An in-depth look at Fraction Lab, a professional learning model focused on improving content knowledge and instructional practice at the same time
Part 3
Providing Feedback on Student Writing
Strategies to deliver positive, focused feedback to improve all aspects of student writing
Part 5
Taking the First Step in Designing Mathematics Intervention
As you plan a math intervention strategy, where should you focus first?
Giving Students a Choice with Their Learning
Using academic choice boards to build metacognition
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Top Blog Posts of 2018
Here are our top 25 most-visited posts of 2018.
Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading
A teacher's recommendations for how to select text excerpts that make students love reading
Effective Reading Instruction
Why a text-centered approach, instead of a strategies-based approach, is more effective
Part 2
Designing High-Quality Writing Tasks
Three steps for creating an effective writing assignment
Part 3
Wit & Wisdom: Implementation Dos and Don’ts
Lessons learned from teachers who've implemented the curriculum
Encouraging a Growth Mindset through Art
Strategies for moving beyond "follow-the-leader" style art projects and developing an art curriculum that supports student learning across subjects
Using Content and Language Objectives to Help All Students in Their Learning
Strategies from an English Language Learner Specialist
Part 1
Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing
Why aren’t students successful writers and what can teachers do to help?
Doing Better: Aligned Instructional Practice
An overview of the Instructional Practice Guide suite of tools
Building A Culturally Responsive Classroom
Why building a culturally responsive classroom matters for the success of ALL students
Engaging Students with #BookSnaps
Reinventing how your students discuss text within the classroom
Creating and Sequencing Text-Dependent Questions to Support English Language Learners
Strategic selection and organization of questions can be a scaffold that helps English learners grapple with highly complex questions.
Considering Reading Instruction with the End in Mind
Meet students not only where they are, but also where they're going.
Inspiring Writers
A process for supporting writing practice with K-2 English Language Learners
Part 4
Re-Teaching Doesn’t Always Mean Repeating
Consider alternative ways to re-teach when students struggle with new content
Part 2
To Write or Not to Write? There is No Question! Part 2
Activities to support the connection between reading and writing
Part 1
To Write or Not to Write. There is No Question!
The benefits of integrating reading and writing practice
Part 4
How much time do you need to create a foundation for literacy?
One coach’s reflection on increasing the foundational skills block
English Language Arts Practices
How do we determine that students are increasing their literacy skills as they progress across grade levels?
Welding Literacy into Scientific Instruction
An experienced educator provides a literacy protocol for interpreting scientific complex texts.
Part 3
How to Select Math Intervention Content
How do you diagnose the root causes of grade-level math struggles, and design targeted interventions to address them?
Part 3
Adding Fun to Your Phonics Block
Incorporating strategies to make phonics time the best time of day
Three APPS to Support Students with Special Needs
Helping All Kids Grapple with Grade-Level Content
Creating Student Empowerment Through Your Garden-Variety Graphic Organizer
How I use graphic organizers in my classroom to promote student independence
Emerging Effects from CCSS
A high school math teacher shares examples of student progress following CCSS implementation
3 Steps to Engage Students in Research Writing
A high school teacher shares concrete suggestions for sparking curiosity and stimulating quality research questions
Part 1
Designing Shifts-Aligned Interventions in the Math Classroom
Avoid common pitfalls when it comes to supporting students with unfinished math learning
Four Best Practices for the Math Classroom
A math teacher shares lessons learned and alternative strategies he's discovered during his teaching career
Designing Effective Homework
Best practices for creating homework that raises student achievement
High-impact strategies for teaching writing with evidence at the high school level
An interdisciplinary PLC develops common strategies and rubrics to support student writing.
Instead of…Try This
Avoid common pitfalls in the ELA classroom with these strategies
Assessing Grammar and Language Convention Skills
New guidance explains how to assess writing skills through embedded-error passages and multiple-choice items
Creating a Feedback Culture
Using effective feedback to help students master their learning goals
Blended Learning: The Station Rotation Model
Find out how a blended learning station-focused model can help you differentiate instruction and give ALL students the support they need to tackle grade-level work
There has got to be a better way to do this! How to start an interdisciplinary PLC.
Insights on the value of interdisciplinary PLCs and how to create one in your school
Digital Book Baskets for High School Classrooms
Students create their own high-interest text sets to build knowledge
Lessons Learned from a High School Mathematical Modeling Lesson
A high school algebra teacher creates a lesson to engage her struggling students through real-world application
Q&A – Supporting Fluency in K-12 Classrooms
Practical suggestions for focusing on reading fluency
Limiting “Teacher Talk,” Increasing Student Work!
A team of teachers share strategies to increase student ownership in literacy
Demonstrating Conceptual Understanding of Mathematics Using Technology
Using free recording software to capture students’ solution methods and help teachers reflect on their instruction
Part 1
At the Foundation of Foundational Skills: Structured Phonics
Learn how structured phonics instruction is critical to literacy development and a necessary part of an ELA curriculum
Top 5 Questions About ELA Scaffolding in High School
What do we do when they “don’t get it”?
Top 5 Questions about ELA Scaffolding in Elementary School
Real-world advice for how to scaffold complex text for struggling students
Part 5
Navigating the Spiral in Mathematics Textbooks
A classroom teacher and curriculum coordinator describe how they used the spiral design of their textbook to help them focus on creating coherent instruction.
Part 4
Using an EdReports Review to Improve My Math Curriculum
A 5th grade teacher explains how she made small adjustments to improve the Everyday Math Curriculum after identifying its weaknesses.
What Do They Actually Know?
Using mini-assessments to break free of the norm
How to Create Book Baskets
Designing book baskets to boost motivation, enthusiasm and engagement
Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement
The benefits of topic-based independent reading on student motivation
Part 3
Everyday Math Kindergarten Tips
A kindergarten teacher explains how she adapted some of the Everyday Math Daily Routines to challenge her students more.
Strategies to Support Learners Who Are Below Grade Level
An experienced educator introduces different support methods to allow struggling students to engage with grade-level materials.
Getting to Know Mini-Assessments
Learn about free, high-quality mini-assessments for math and literacy.
Planning for Argument Writing
Learn how to plan effective argument writing instruction
Part 3
Determining Reading Fluency
Learn how to determine a student’s current reading fluency level and pinpoint problems impeding students from becoming fluent readers
Which text set approach is right for you?
Compare the features of popular text set sources
Part 1
What is Reading Fluency?
Literacy experts David Liben and David Paige explain the characteristics of reading fluency
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Introduction to Argument Writing
A long-time middle school teacher and writing expert explains how to design strong writing instruction
Four APPS to Redefine Your Language Arts Curriculum
Focusing on building a student-centered classroom through digital applications
Supplementing Your Curriculum with Knowledge-Building Text Sets
Discover why text sets work and how to use them to build student knowledge
The Rectangle Area Formula—How Does Your Curriculum Introduce It?
Standards co-author Jason Zimba unpacks the rectangle area formula and highlights problems with the way textbooks sometimes introduce the formula to students.
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 2
Adapting Journeys Common Core
A veteran Journeys user shares recommendations to improve basal lessons and better support teachers and students.
Supporting All Learners with Complex Texts
Strategies to scaffold instruction of Standards-aligned, complex texts
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Sitting Beside the Learner: The ‘Me’ in Assessments
Common Core-aligned assessments must capitalize on teacher-student relationships
Part 6
Digging Deeper into SMP 4 – Model with Mathematics
Learn the difference between modeling the math and modeling WITH math
Part 4
Digging Deeper into SMP 3 – Construct Viable Arguments and Critique the Reasoning of Others
A math teacher explains how to recognize math tasks that help students craft strong mathematical arguments
Part 3
Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively
A math teacher explains how well-designed materials can help students learn to deal with challenging math problems
Part 1
The Shifts and ELLs
An ELL expert explains what the Common Core means for teachers of English language learners
Part 1
A Teacher’s Thoughts on the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum
First grade teacher, Adrienne Williams, describes the strengths and challenges of Core Knowledge Language Arts.
Part 10
Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching
How building specific mathematical knowledge in teachers can strengthen classroom instruction
Part 8
A More Powerful Teacher’s Guide
How administrators can help teachers sort through the clutter in today’s math textbooks
