How to Teach Characters: Writing About Reading Series

How do you teach first graders to write about reading without overwhelming them? In this first episode of my Writing About Reading Series, I'm sharing one of my classroom routines for teaching students to identify the main characters in a story. This simple strategy naturally blends reading and writing together, helping students strengthen comprehension while building confidence as young writers. You'll hear how I introduce the routine, why I don't ask students to write too much too soon, and

Have you ever finished a read aloud and thought, "Now what should my students write?" For many first graders, simply saying "Write about the story" is too broad. Young learners need a clear purpose for writing. In this first episode of the Writing About Reading series, we'll explore two different types of writing after reading: understanding the story and thinking about the story. You'll discover why both are essential, how they work together to strengthen comprehension, and how giving students

Do your students read the words but struggle to understand what they read? In this episode of The Education Connection, we're wrapping up our Science of Reading series by focusing on the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension. I'll share the seven comprehension strategies that have shaped my instruction over the years and explain how I teach them in my first-grade classroom. While my approach has been influenced by the professional book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse H

How do you effectively teach vocabulary in the primary classroom? In this episode of The Education Connection, we're exploring one of the essential components of the Science of Reading: vocabulary. You'll learn why vocabulary instruction is critical for reading comprehension, how it differs from sight word practice, and simple classroom activities you can begin using immediately. Robin shares practical, teacher-friendly ideas including preteaching vocabulary before a read aloud, vocabulary scav

In this episode of The Education Connection, we're continuing our Science of Reading series by exploring one of the most important building blocks of reading success: phonics. What is phonics, and why has it become such a major focus in reading instruction? Join me as we discuss how phonics helps students connect letters and sounds, decode unfamiliar words, and become confident readers. You'll learn: • What phonics is and how it fits into the Science of Reading • Why phonics instruction is re

In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue our Science of Reading series by exploring fluency and why it is such an important bridge between phonics and comprehension. Learn the three components of fluency: accuracy, rate, and prosody, and discover simple classroom strategies that help students become confident, expressive readers. Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, or beyond, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can use right away to support reading success. • The