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three elementary students working on writing together

Framed Paragraphs

Framed paragraphs are a structured writing tool that provides a framework or scaffold to help students develop their writing skills by providing a clear structure for organizing sentences and ideas.

preschooler with picture book

Goals for First Grade: Early Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In first grade, children begin to read simple stories and can write about a topic that is meaningful to them. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support first grade literacy skills.
Young girl in striped short reading a book next to a cat

Goals for Kindergarten: Experimental Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In kindergarten, children develop basic concepts of print and begin to engage in and experiment with reading and writing. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support kindergarten literacy skills.

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Goals for Second Grade: Transitional Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In second grade, children begin to read more fluently and write various text forms using simple and more complex sentences. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support second grade literacy skills.
Elementary student in class thinking pensively about the lesson

Goals for Third Grade: Independent and Productive Reading and Writing

Children go through phases of reading development from preschool through third grade — from exploration of books to independent reading. In third grade, children continue to extend and refine their reading and writing to suit varying purposes and audiences. Find out what parents and teachers can do to support third grade literacy skills.
Got a Newspaper? You’ve Got Learning!

Got a Newspaper? You’ve Got Learning!

Just a few pages from your newspaper can be turned into lots of early learning activities. Here you’ll find “letters and words” activities for the youngest, plus fun writing prompts and tips on how to read and analyze the news for older kids.

Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Writing

Graphic Organizers to Help Kids With Writing

Discover four graphic organizers that can help kids organize their ideas in a very visual way. They also help break a writing project into smaller, more manageable steps. Graphic organizers are especially helpful for children with dysgraphia, executive functioning issues, and other issues that can cause trouble with writing.

mother reading book about polar bears to her two young children in bed

Growing Readers

Written especially for parents, Growing Readers provides monthly tips for raising strong readers and writers. All of our tip sheets are available in English and Spanish.

Two elementary students writing and talking in class

Growing Writers

Join third grade teacher Shana Sterkin to see how she incorporates purposeful writing into her classroom every day, and strives to create a joyful, confident community of writers. 

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A Guide to Teaching Nonfiction Writing in Grades K-2

The Common Core Standards along with grade-level expectations and standards from most states now call for a strong emphasis on reading and writing nonfiction texts — from the beginning. This means that learners of all ages need to become acquainted with the structures and features of informational texts, both as readers and as writers. This guide offers strategies for using those features to enhance understanding and increase efficiency in seeking and recording information and to communicate ideas.

young red-headed boy outside writing in a notebook

Handwriting Club: Using Sensory Integration Strategies to Improve Handwriting

Handwriting is a complex skill that is not often taught directly. It is not unusual for some students with disabilities to have difficulty with handwriting. These students may also have sensory integration problems. Handwriting Club is a format that provides direct instruction in handwriting combined with sensory integration activities. This article describes all the steps and materials necessary to organize and conduct a handwriting club.
Handwriting: What's Normal, What's Not

Handwriting: What’s Normal, What’s Not

Learn what to look for as your child’s handwriting skills begin to develop, as well as some signs and symptoms of dysgraphia — a learning disability that affects a child’s handwriting and ability to hold a pencil or crayon.

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