Education is often misunderstood or over simplified. This is because formal education encompasses so many different types of knowledge and skills. One type that gets some discussion is fluency. I’m thinking of two distinct areas which seem to me to
WritingCity Fourth Graders Improved 11.2% ON PARCC Writing Scores
The original of this article is available on the WritingCity website! WritingCity is an elementary writing program which has been popular due to its ease of use. Teachers like the day by day lesson plans and the support by the
Our Phonics Patent
Even as we rolled out SpellingCity, teachers and literacy coaches asked us to provide the same flexible practice tools to focus not just on spelling but on recognizing and working with sounds. They asked for help not just with the
I’m Sorry
The English Language is Impossible The English language is hard partially because of some ambiguities in key terms that are used daily. There are words that are just confusing. Worst of all in my opinion is the word “sorry”. I’m
Succeed in School with Spooktacular Halloween Activities
Halloween isn’t only about candy, costumes, and cauldrons. Scare up some learning this spooky season with these Halloween activities! Literacy Fright Night – Host a Halloween-themed literacy night at your school and invite students’ families. Each teacher can showcase students’
Google Classroom Convenience
A huge problem for teachers in 21st Century classrooms is the mechanics of rostering all the digital programs that students will use. Just getting students’ names into the system is a hassle. Even after setting up a class list, teachers
Helping Teachers Shine when Teaching Elementary Science!
We often hear from school and education leaders: What we really need help with is improving our teaching human capital… Our teachers need a lot of help to teach science and science inquiry, especially at the younger grades. At our
Providing Successful PD to your Teachers
Note that this post highlights one of VocabularySpellingCity’s sisters: Science4Us. It is an early elementary science program. Increasingly, principals and superintendents are asking us to help develop their teachers. We have always provided professional development to support our products but
Posting Educational Standards
I love visiting elementary school classrooms and when I do, I check out the environment. Every classroom now seems to post the educational goals for the week. They post for each subject. They post at four depths of knowledge. And
Vocabulary Memory Match: Mix It UP!
The new Vocabulary Memory Match game from VocabularySpellingCity engages the students because it really mixes it up. It blends a classic simple gameplay with some complex concepts of what makes a match. It really makes them think. It is one