Executive functions are the mental processes that students and adults use to manage tasks and achieve goals. These include goal setting, organization, cognitive flexibility, working memory, self-monitoring, attention, and inhibition. Executive functions play an important role in supporting proficient reading and writing across all grades. By grade 5, however, students’ success in reading and writing becomes increasing dependent on their ability to apply these executive function processes (M...| Keys to Literacy
Phonics and advanced word study (sometimes referred to as advanced phonics) are both essential components of reading instruction, focusing on enhancing students' understanding of word structures, improving decoding skills, and strengthening spelling abilities. Both types of instruction focus on how words can be broken down into parts, which can then be combined to read and spell. However, they differ in terms of focus, complexity, and the stage of development at which they are typically taugh...| Keys to Literacy
There are several key teaching principles that help educators address a wide range of learning styles and student needs across all grade levels when teaching reading and writing. These core instructional practices are emphasized in every Keys to Literacy professional development course. This post explains the following principles: Explicit and Systematic Instruction, Gradual Release of Responsibility, Models and Think Aloud, Differentiated Instruction and Scaffolds, Automaticity Through Pract...| Keys to Literacy
This is the third of a three-part series of posts focused on using discussion to support learning. Simply getting students to talk out loud or talk to one another does not necessarily lead to learning. Effective, academic talk and classroom discussions should be productive, meaning students share their own thinking and reasoning and listen with a purpose to other people’s thinking. Productive discussion is sometimes called dialogic teaching, dialogic pedagogy, argumentation, accountable t...| Keys to Literacy