10.15.20 Monica Rodríguez The struggle is real: NWEA families share what life is like for them right now Things are really hard right now. (How’s that for stating the obvious?) As a mom of two preschoolers (that’s them above), I count my lucky stars every day that their school is open again, that... Read more
9.29.20 Cindy Jiban “Grade-level” text for kindergarten and first grade: More on how reading is a team sport If you’re a reading teacher, I’m sure you’re hearing loud and clear that we need to teach all kids with complex, grade-level text. Access to that text is an equity issue. But wait: What about... Read more
9.22.20 Jonathan Fine Make sense of MAP assessments with the Family Toolkit To all the families out there navigating your way through this unpredictable school year, know this: you’re not alone. The challenges you’re facing are new, complex, and shared by many. That’s... Read more
9.15.20 Monica Rodríguez Top 10 MAP reports for teachers As school resumes during one of the most unusual and uneven learning periods in recent times, it’s more important than ever to understand what students have learned and what they’re ready to... Read more
9.14.20 Abby Javurek How to make collaboration with families easier during remote learning Families have always been a critical part of the learning ecosystem, and last spring, their role as supporters of learning for students was elevated. A recent Learning Heroes survey found... Read more
9.8.20 Cindy Jiban Go, team: How parents and teachers can use Lexile measures to support young readers Leticia is in third grade, and she has a good learning team. Leticia is the star player. Then there is her dad, ready to lean in on supporting mostly remote learning this year. Meanwhile, Leticia’s... Read more
3.26.20 Monica Rodríguez 4 tips for families homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic My best friend sent me a hilarious text the other day: “If you see me talking to myself this week, mind your business. I’m having a parent-teacher conference.” She’s a stay-at-home mom of two... Read more
2.11.20 Erin Ryan Help kids plan for the future with College Explorer College readiness doesn’t just happen when a student receives a diploma. It’s a process that begins with early learners and continues into high school. And according to Achieve, many students... Read more
12.12.19 Derrick Vargason How to make your kindergartener a book worm This fall, my five-year-old daughter started kindergarten—and learning how to read. While she had plenty of practice with letters and their sounds in preschool, she’d never sounded out words... Read more
10.10.19 Derrick Vargason Get more from assessment data—and save teachers time Dr. Tonya Williams, chief academic officer and chief learning officer at Leadership Preparatory Academy in Lithonia, Georgia, knew improving the use of assessment data at her school would be a big... Read more
8.27.19 Monica Rodríguez Sharing assessment data with parents just got simpler Explaining assessment data to families can be challenging. Their focus is often on letter grades and whether their child is passing or failing. When family-teacher conferences roll around, they’re... Read more
8.6.19 Aaliyah Samuel Put relationship building on your back-to-school to-do list For school-aged children, summer is a time to relax and enjoy the sun, friends, and family. For parents and caretakers, it can be an unstructured season before the focus is once again on logistics,... Read more
