The Joy of Teaching

Sharing creative ideas and lessons to help children learn

September 15, 2023
by Heather Foudy
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A Guide to Reading Fluency: How Many Words Per Minute Should Children Read?

Reading fluency refers to the ability to read text with speed, accuracy, and prosody (expression and phrasing). Fluent readers can decode words quickly and automatically, enabling them to comprehend the meaning of the text more efficiently. Fluency involves smooth and … Continue reading

September 6, 2022
by Evan-Moor
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How to Improve Students’ Close Reading: Strategies for Nonfiction Text

Enhance your students’ close reading and analytical writing skills by teaching them key strategies for unraveling the main purpose within nonfiction texts. Filled with complex vocabulary and complex details, nonfiction texts can be difficult for students to understand. Specific text … Continue reading

August 31, 2020
by Evan-Moor
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Main Idea and Details and Tips to Teach It

Identifying the main idea of a text is the first step in learning to summarize important information. In addition to being one of the most important reading comprehension skills, it is also one of the most difficult to teach and … Continue reading

Two girls reading

May 30, 2018
by Evan-Moor
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How to Get Your Child to Read: Tips for Summer Reading

Help your child become a better reader before the next school year by providing daily reading opportunities throughout the summer. Reading is one of the most important factors in students’ success in school, and numerous studies indicate that children who … Continue reading

Reading Comprehension for Kids

May 15, 2018
by Evan-Moor
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How to Improve Reading Comprehension for Kids

Good reading comprehension instruction begins with an interaction between the content and the reader. It is the ability to read a sentence and make sense of the overall meaning. Reading comprehension is directly linked to reading fluency (see below). After … Continue reading

Homeschool curriculum guides and a little boy reading

August 1, 2017
by Evan-Moor
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Homeschool Curriculum Resources and Guides

Build your homeschool curriculum with Evan-Moor! Download these quick guides for a comprehensive instructional approach across subjects, as well as homeschooling tips and ideas to save you time and money. These products can be purchased individually at www.evan-moor.com or you … Continue reading

July 25, 2017
by Evan-Moor
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Homeschool Curriculum Guide for Reading Comprehension

Download your free printable homeschool reading comprehension curriculum guide here! We all want children to be successful readers, and teaching reading comprehension is essential to their success. When you are homeschooling children, creating a reading comprehension curriculum is an essential … Continue reading

September 1, 2016
by Evan-Moor
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Fall Fun with Apples! Apple-themed classroom activities

Students everywhere are settling into their classroom routines and falling (pun intended) into the rhythm of the school day. As I walk through the produce aisle in the grocery store, I rub my hands in glee. It’s apple time! Apples … Continue reading

March 20, 2015
by Evan-Moor
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Teaching Kids to Think like an Author

Once children are actively reading, the next critical step is getting them to understand the author’s role in a book. After we read a book, it is always interesting to hear my students answer the question, “Why do you think … Continue reading