Skip to content

ALIGNED

ALIGNED

Achieve The Core

Where aligned instructional materials and practice meet

Classroom Strategies

About the topic

Explore classroom guidance, techniques, and activities to help you meet the needs of ALL students.

See all posts

most recent articles

Creating a Model Process for Hands-On Professional Learning

Providing Feedback on Student Writing

Taking the First Step in Designing Mathematics Intervention

Tools and Resources

About the topic

Discover new tools and materials to integrate into you instruction.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Encouraging a Growth Mindset through Art

Observing Reading Foundational Skills Instruction

Materials Adaptation

About the topic

Find instructions and recommendations on how to adapt your existing materials to better align to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading

Wit & Wisdom: Implementation Dos and Don’ts

Standards-Alignment Information

About the topic

Learn what it means for instructional materials and assessment to be aligned to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 5

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 4

Research and Reflections

About the topic

Delve into new research and perspectives on instructional materials and practice.

See all posts

most recent articles

I’m Passionate About Curriculum Because I’m Passionate About Pedagogy

Top Blog Posts of 2018

We’re Bullish on Bookworms

  • About
S
  • About
S
  • About
Classroom Strategies

About the topic

Explore classroom guidance, techniques, and activities to help you meet the needs of ALL students.

See all posts

most recent articles

Creating a Model Process for Hands-On Professional Learning

Providing Feedback on Student Writing

Taking the First Step in Designing Mathematics Intervention

Tools and Resources

About the topic

Discover new tools and materials to integrate into you instruction.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Encouraging a Growth Mindset through Art

Observing Reading Foundational Skills Instruction

Materials Adaptation

About the topic

Find instructions and recommendations on how to adapt your existing materials to better align to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading

Wit & Wisdom: Implementation Dos and Don’ts

Standards-Alignment Information

About the topic

Learn what it means for instructional materials and assessment to be aligned to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 5

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 4

Research and Reflections

About the topic

Delve into new research and perspectives on instructional materials and practice.

See all posts

most recent articles

I’m Passionate About Curriculum Because I’m Passionate About Pedagogy

Top Blog Posts of 2018

We’re Bullish on Bookworms

Achieve The Core

Articles Tagged with “ELA / Literacy”

Filter by

All ELA / Literacy Mathematics

Sort by

Classroom Strategies
Part 3

Providing Feedback on Student Writing

Strategies to deliver positive, focused feedback to improve all aspects of student writing
01/22/19, Zackory Kirk
Classroom Strategies

Giving Students a Choice with Their Learning

Using academic choice boards to build metacognition
12/21/18, Tika Epstein
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.
12/20/18, Student Achievement Partners
Research and Reflections

We’re Bullish on Bookworms

A reflection on the free Bookworms ELA curriculum for K-5
12/10/18, David Liben, Meredith Liben, Sue Pimentel
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation

Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading

A teacher's recommendations for how to select text excerpts that make students love reading
11/27/18, Carolyn Durante
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

Effective Reading Instruction

Why a text-centered approach, instead of a strategies-based approach, is more effective
11/16/18, Meredith Liben, Sue Pimentel
Classroom Strategies
Part 2

Designing High-Quality Writing Tasks

Three steps for creating an effective writing assignment
11/11/18, Zackory Kirk
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation
Part 3

Wit & Wisdom: Implementation Dos and Don’ts

Lessons learned from teachers who've implemented the curriculum
11/07/18, Sarah Webb
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

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
10/26/18, Tempest NeuCollins
Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources

Observing Reading Foundational Skills Instruction

Introducing a new tool to observe the components of foundational skills instruction
10/23/18, Carey Swanson
Classroom Strategies

Using Content and Language Objectives to Help All Students in Their Learning

Strategies from an English Language Learner Specialist
10/16/18, Shanthi Kumar
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources
Part 1

Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing

Why aren’t students successful writers and what can teachers do to help?
10/09/18, Zackory Kirk
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

Doing Better: Aligned Instructional Practice

An overview of the Instructional Practice Guide suite of tools
09/19/18, Destiny Eldridge, April Pforts
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

Building A Culturally Responsive Classroom

Why building a culturally responsive classroom matters for the success of ALL students
09/07/18, Jill Yamasawa Fletcher
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

Engaging Students with #BookSnaps

Reinventing how your students discuss text within the classroom
08/30/18, Andrea Raines
Research and Reflections

Making the Connection Between Materials and Instruction

Why instructional practice should be at the heart of all instructional materials decisions
08/20/18, Sandra Alberti
Research and Reflections

Seeing College- and Career-Ready Standards through Instruction

Exploring the updates to the Instructional Practice Guide
08/15/18, Lisa Goldschmidt
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

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.
08/01/18, Claire Rivero
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

Considering Reading Instruction with the End in Mind

Meet students not only where they are, but also where they're going.
07/30/18, Carey Swanson
Tools and Resources

Formative Assessments and Feedback in the Digital Age

How implementing Pear Deck changed my classroom.
07/06/18, Jeff Crayton
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

Inspiring Writers

A process for supporting writing practice with K-2 English Language Learners
06/22/18, Astrid Emily Francis
Research and Reflections

Illuminating Interims

What makes a good interim assessment program?
06/07/18, Laura Hansen
Classroom Strategies
Part 2

To Write or Not to Write? There is No Question! Part 2

Activities to support the connection between reading and writing
05/22/18, Dr. Deborah Glaser
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections
Part 1

To Write or Not to Write. There is No Question!

The benefits of integrating reading and writing practice
05/07/18, Dr. Deborah Glaser
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

The Role of Educators in Summative Assessment: The Life Cycle of a Question

An inside look at the development of summative assessments
05/02/18, Laura Hansen
Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources

Compelling Digital Lessons for English Learners

How to use the free WriteReader app to support English Language Learners
04/17/18, Astrid Emily Francis
Tools and Resources
Part 2

The 3 R’s + 4 C’s = 7th Heaven (Part 2)

A technology integrationist introduces digital tools to support collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking.
04/06/18, Rachel Langenhorst
Tools and Resources, Uncategorized
Part 1

The 3 R’s + 4 C’s = 7th Heaven

A Technology Integrationist’s Guide to 21st Century Learning (Part 1)
03/23/18, Rachel Langenhorst
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections
Part 4

How much time do you need to create a foundation for literacy?

One coach’s reflection on increasing the foundational skills block
03/21/18, Lauren Hurley Wilson
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information

English Language Arts Practices

How do we determine that students are increasing their literacy skills as they progress across grade levels?
03/06/18, Ben Dickson
Research and Reflections

A Visit to Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary School

Though this literacy program uses leveled readers, it focuses on building knowledge through topic-based units and ensures students are not limited to a single reading level
02/28/18, Barbara Davidson, David Liben
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

Welding Literacy into Scientific Instruction

An experienced educator provides a literacy protocol for interpreting scientific complex texts.
02/20/18, Leslie Annette Birdon
Classroom Strategies

The Daily Write

Strategies to help students engage in daily writing practice
02/14/18, Dr. Deborah Glaser
Classroom Strategies
Part 3

Adding Fun to Your Phonics Block

Incorporating strategies to make phonics time the best time of day
02/02/18, Christina Cotter
Tools and Resources

The Digital Coaching Menu: Four Reasons Why You Need One

Providing teachers with content-focused options for coaching support
01/25/18, Kenny McKee
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Understanding vocabulary standards: Building students’ skills

Differentiation between the vocabulary standards in the Reading and Language Strands
01/22/18, Vincent Segalini , Melissa Beck
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections
Part 2

Using Curriculum to Send Essential Messages to Students

How Wit & Wisdom Supports English Language Learners
01/19/18, Sarah Webb
Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources
Part 2

Supporting Our Youngest Readers: Teaching the Skills of Reading

Why using decodable readers can be powerful
01/12/18, Carey Swanson
Materials Adaptation
Part 1

Inside Implementation of Wit and Wisdom

Bringing complex content and instruction into a high-needs school district
01/04/18, Sarah Webb
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Materials Alignment Quick Check

Introducing a new evidence catcher to facilitate instructional materials decisions
12/27/17, Meredith Liben, Susan Pimentel
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources

Three APPS to Support Students with Special Needs

Helping All Kids Grapple with Grade-Level Content
12/21/17, Dr. Bryan Drost
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

Most-Read Articles of 2017

12/15/17, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

Creating Student Empowerment Through Your Garden-Variety Graphic Organizer

How I use graphic organizers in my classroom to promote student independence
11/30/17, Alison Killy
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

A Five-Course Meal Complete with Strategies for Assessment

Concrete strategies to help classroom educators get involved with assessment design
11/21/17, Bryan Drost
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources

The Many Positive Uses for Assessment

Three ways to use assessment for good
11/15/17, Rob Woodworth
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

3 Steps to Engage Students in Research Writing

A high school teacher shares concrete suggestions for sparking curiosity and stimulating quality research questions
11/09/17, Hattie Maguire
Standards-Alignment Information

Don’t be afraid to ask…

Advice for where to ask--and find answers--to your education questions
11/05/17, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

Designing Effective Homework

Best practices for creating homework that raises student achievement
10/13/17, Claire Rivero
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections

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.
10/11/17, Mary Burt
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources

Instead of…Try This

Avoid common pitfalls in the ELA classroom with these strategies
10/03/17, Andrea Raines
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

The Instructional Practice Toolkit: An Introduction

Learn how the Instructional Practice Toolkit can help teachers make connections between planning, instruction, and student outcomes.
09/22/17, Rachel Etienne
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Assessing Grammar and Language Convention Skills

New guidance explains how to assess writing skills through embedded-error passages and multiple-choice items
09/18/17, Laura Hansen, Katie Keown
Classroom Strategies

Creating a Feedback Culture

Using effective feedback to help students master their learning goals
09/13/17, Andrea Raines
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

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
09/06/17, Susan Hitt
Classroom Strategies

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
09/01/17, Mary Burt
Research and Reflections

Supporting Excellence: Real Support for Teachers Starts With the District’s Curriculum

A new framework for developing and implementing clear district-wide support for teaching and learning
08/24/17, Ricki Price-Baugh
Tools and Resources
Part 2

Looking At and Learning From Student Work, Part Two: Now What?

An 8th grade teacher models the process of using writing analysis checklists to make plans for future writing instruction
08/17/17, Joey Hawkins
Research and Reflections

Setting S.M.A.R.T. Goals as an Educator

See how using this goal-setting structure can help you achieve content-focused goals during the school year
08/11/17, Susan Hitt
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

State of Our Classrooms: Instructional Materials

Findings from a 2017 survey about instructional materials usage among educators
08/07/17, Janelle Fann
Research and Reflections

Building Teacher Confidence through Content-Infused PD

Working with teachers to improve their understanding and use of curricular materials
08/03/17, Andrea Raines
Classroom Strategies

Digital Book Baskets for High School Classrooms

Students create their own high-interest text sets to build knowledge
07/11/17, Mena Dedmon
Tools and Resources
Part 1

Looking at, and Learning from, Student Writing

An introduction to the Vermont Writing Collaborative's Writing Checklists
06/26/17, Joey Hawkins
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

I have an assessment dream: Leading to conquer the big, bad ELA test

A curriculum director explains how to help educators see the potential of aligned assessment
05/31/17, Bryan Drost
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

“We’re the best. Just trust us!”

Finding unbiased information about instructional materials.
05/30/17, Janelle Fann
Materials Adaptation, Tools and Resources

Adapting an ELA Curriculum for Standards-Based Learning

05/11/17, Cassie Mense
Tools and Resources

Reading to Learn

Strategies to build a love of learning through content-rich nonfiction
05/04/17, Carey Swanson
Classroom Strategies

Q&A – Supporting Fluency in K-12 Classrooms

Practical suggestions for focusing on reading fluency
05/01/17, Lorraine Griffith
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

Limiting “Teacher Talk,” Increasing Student Work!

A team of teachers share strategies to increase student ownership in literacy
04/24/17, Tori Filler
Research and Reflections

What Really Counts When We Teach?

What should we look for in powerful classrooms?
04/18/17, Alan Schoenfeld
Tools and Resources

Five Places for Trusted Resource Recommendations

Amid the sea of free online materials and digital applications, here are five places we’d start our search.
03/30/17, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections
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
03/17/17, Carey Swanson
Classroom Strategies

Top 5 Questions About ELA Scaffolding in High School

What do we do when they “don’t get it”?
03/07/17, Rob Woodworth
Classroom Strategies

Top 5 Questions about ELA Scaffolding in Elementary School

Real-world advice for how to scaffold complex text for struggling students
03/01/17, Adrienne Williams
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information

The Wild West of Open Literacy Materials

Identifying and using high-quality, ELA Open Educational Resources successfully
02/21/17, Sarah Tierney, Tracey Waters
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

What Do They Actually Know?

Using mini-assessments to break free of the norm
01/23/17, Rob Woodworth
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information

The Essential Elements of an ELA Curriculum

Standards co-author Susan Pimentel explains how the elements of a high-quality ELA program contribute to student learning. She pinpoints where many current programs are missing the mark.
01/19/17, Susan Pimentel
Classroom Strategies

How to Create Book Baskets

Designing book baskets to boost motivation, enthusiasm and engagement
01/13/17, MJ D’Amelio
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections

Designing Classroom Libraries that Build Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Engagement

The benefits of topic-based independent reading on student motivation
01/05/17, Carey Swanson
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Most-Read Articles of 2016

12/21/16, Student Achievement Partners
Tools and Resources

Pinterest: A Useful Tool for the Educator’s Toolbox

Learn how educators can use Pinterest to identify and collect high-quality instructional resources
12/19/16, Nicole Nelson
Classroom Strategies

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.
12/08/16, Bryan Drost
Standards-Alignment Information

Taking Ownership over Assessments – A Case Study in Kentucky

Assessments should align to good standards-based instruction. Instruction shouldn’t align to a bad assessment.
12/06/16, Jenni Aberli
Materials Adaptation

Building a New Curriculum from Existing Materials

Public Prep Charter Schools created a new curriculum based on their teachers’ recommendations. Can you?
12/01/16, Student Achievement Partners
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information

Introduction to EdReports

Identifying excellence in instructional materials
11/28/16, Mia Peterson
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Tools and Resources

Getting to Know Mini-Assessments

Learn about free, high-quality mini-assessments for math and literacy.
11/23/16, Astrid Fossum, Laura Hansen
Classroom Strategies, Tools and Resources

Planning for Argument Writing

Learn how to plan effective argument writing instruction
11/22/16, Joey Hawkins
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources
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
11/09/16, David Liben, David D. Paige
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Which text set approach is right for you?

Compare the features of popular text set sources
11/02/16, Shannon Garrison
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources
Part 2

Building Reading Fluency

Four classroom strategies that can help build fluent readers
10/28/16, David Liben, David D. Paige
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Tools and Resources
Part 1

What is Reading Fluency?

Literacy experts David Liben and David Paige explain the characteristics of reading fluency
10/21/16, David Liben, David D. Paige

Posts navigation

Older posts
  • Student Achievement Partners

    • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Become a Core Advocate
    • Show More
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Use
    • Permissions
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Use
    • Permissions
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook

Stay In Touch

Like what you’re reading? Sign up to receive emails about new posts, free resources, and advice from educators.