Category: Middle Grades/ Middle School
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Decoding the Teenage Brain: How Reading Changes in Adolescence
The teenage brain is a work in progress. It’s undergoing major rewiring, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, the area responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and complex thinking. While this rewiring ultimately leads to increased cognitive abilities, it can also make reading a bit more challenging for adolescents.
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Structured Literacy vs. Balanced Literacy: Which Approach Best Supports Struggling Older Readers?
For older struggling readers, structured literacy can be a game-changer. By revisiting foundational skills like phonics and decoding, students can fill in gaps in their knowledge and develop the tools they need to tackle multisyllabic words and complex texts. This approach also emphasizes the importance of teaching morphology (the study…
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Middle Schoolers: Why They’re the Best (and Most Hilarious) Humans on Earth
Middle school – it’s a phase of life often met with groans, eye rolls, and maybe a little trepidation. But as a middle grades teacher and a parent of three teenagers, I’m here to tell you that middle schoolers are an absolute treasure. They’re a delightful mix of awkwardness, brilliance,…
Teen Foundations: Foundational Skills for Older Students 