Attend to the whole child: Addressing non-academic factors in MTSS
Attend to the whole child: Addressing non-academic factors in MTSS
October 28, 2024
We’ve all heard it, and the research clearly supports it. To truly drive student success, districts must adopt educational strategies and programs that cater to the “whole child.” Students’ social and emotional behaviors, as well as their attitudes toward school and [...]
How to individualize instruction for students: Differentiation vs. intervention
How to individualize instruction for students: Differentiation vs. intervention
October 7, 2024
Meeting the diverse needs of every student in a classroom can be challenging, even for seasoned educators. Whether it’s helping students who are at risk of falling behind or tailoring lessons for those who need an extra challenge, individualizing instruction [...]
What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education
What’s in a name? Understanding diagnostic assessment in education
September 13, 2024
Categories:
Assessment
Choosing a name for a product takes a lot of thought. One classic blunder supposedly involved the Chevrolet Nova, which did not sell well in Latin America because its name translates as “no go” in Spanish. This is actually [...]
Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson
Effective whole group instruction: Engaging every student, every lesson
August 16, 2024
As an educator, you’ve probably noticed just how impactful whole group instruction can be for your students. It’s a dynamic teaching method that sets the stage for new learning and helps assess student comprehension. But how can you make sure [...]
Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)
Creating Accelerated Reader book quizzes for Dog Man (and other popular series)
July 30, 2024
Categories:
Reading
| Products:
Accelerated Reader
One of the most common questions we hear from educators is, How can we motivate students to read more? New research published in the latest edition of our What Kids Are Reading report highlights an often overlooked strategy: Encourage [...]
Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?
Connecting assessment and instruction: What should “personalized learning” really mean?
June 10, 2024
Personalized learning is a hot topic in K‒12 education. Of course, personalization can be viewed as the continuation of a much older dialogue around differentiation, and it’s also closely related to the concept of responsive teaching. As always, [...]
Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail
Comprehensive assessment systems: Finding assessment’s Holy Grail
May 9, 2024
Categories:
Assessment
| Products:
DnA,
FastBridge,
Renaissance Fundamentals,
Star CBM,
Star CBM Lectura,
Star Custom,
Star Math,
Star Phonics,
Star Preschool Literacy,
Star Reading,
Star Spanish
Both history and mythology are filled with memorable quests and searches. Juan Ponce de León sought the Fountain of Youth, Don Quixote strove to live a chivalrous life, Captain Ahab pursued the white whale, and numerous explorers have sought the [...]
The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson
The making of fluent readers: Using the Fluency Development Lesson
April 15, 2024
Categories:
Reading
Every educator has heard the phrase “Practice makes perfect.” But as Vince Lombardi famously said, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” So, what is “perfect” practice? As two of my colleagues recently explained, reading practice is [...]
Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear
Why some Spanish assessments aren’t what they appear
March 20, 2024
Categories:
Assessment
You’re probably familiar with the idiom “The emperor has no clothes,” which comes from a folktale popularized by Hans Christian Andersen. This idiom refers to logical fallacies, meaning things that are widely accepted as true and praiseworthy but are, [...]
Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?
Assessment buyer beware: Is your assessment a “black box”?
February 21, 2024
Categories:
Assessment
A regular part of my job involves responding to questions from educators about our Renaissance assessment suite. Often, these questions involve other products in the market. How are Renaissance’s assessments alike or different? How do they compare in terms of [...]
