Exploring the Future of Education

Phonological awareness is the first step in learning about words and sounds and is crucial for developing good literacy skills. Most children develop phonological awareness skills from birth through the first five years. The most complex stage is phonemic awareness skills which are the ability to hear individual letter sounds and use them to form…

If you teach pre-K, kindergarten, or first grade, you probably spend a lot of time chatting with your students. Spoken words are the first experience of language and communication in early childhood. Phonological and phonemic awareness — the ability to recognize word and letter sounds — are important stages in developing better literacy skills. Struggling…

Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness — boy, those are long words for something that we expect five-year-olds to be able to master! But don’t panic. The skills are actually a lot simpler than the names. When you are teaching children in pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade, a lot of the focus will be on developing…

Black History Month is an essential observance for people all over the world to celebrate and learn about the rich history and culture of Black people and their contribution to the progression and improvement of society. It’s a time to honor the many accomplishments of Black people throughout history and recognize the challenges they’ve faced…

STAAR testing and Kami As you’ll know, there’s been some pretty major changes to state testing in Texas. Luckily, Kami has all the question types covered, so students can practice using Kami until they are confident and ready for the test. Check out our tutorial video below or read on to find out more. How…

We all know why schools exist; they prepare young people to take the reins of the nation that will one day be theirs. The Department of Education describes it as “fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” So how can we tell if we, as educators, have done a good job with the young people…

You’re well-versed in character education. You’ve devoured Kami’s “What is character education and why is it important?”. If you have a spare couple of minutes, you may even pop over to the Department of Education’s website to read their take on character education. Now you know the “what” you want to know the “how” and…

You’ve arrived. You read “What is Character Education?” and you’ve checked out “Examples of Character Education.” now you’re looking for some activities you can implement in your character education lesson plans. Alongside literacy, mathematics, language arts, and social studies, teaching social skills is one of the most foundational things we can be teaching our middle…

On the third Monday of each year, Americans commemorate the life and work of an exceptional person — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK). MLK was among the most influential figures in the African American civil rights movement during the 1960s. His leadership and rhetorical prowess were paramount to the Civil Rights Act of 1964…

Why celebrate Kwanzaa? Celebrating different cultures matters. All students should feel safe to express who they are and share their beliefs, values, and traditions. There are roughly 42 million people who identify as African American in the US, and African American children account for around 15% of school students. Let’s take this opportunity to celebrate…

Keeping high school students engaged, especially during the first few minutes of class, can be a challenge. Whether you’re teaching right after lunch, during the final period of the day, or in the sweltering heat of May or June, getting learners focused fast is key. This blog is packed with teacher-approved warm-up activities designed for…

Learning is hard. Teaching can be even more so. Middle school students can be easily distracted or struggle with going back to school after a long summer vacation. The value of warming up is well-known throughout the sporting world. Cold muscles don’t perform as well, and they’re more prone to injury. Don’t forget, the brain…