Success Story: How to read 352 million words in five years

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Success Story: How to read 352 million words in five years

October 13, 2016

Categories: Reading

Walker Elementary beats the odds with successful reading campaign Ranked in 2011 as Santa Ana’s fourth-lowest elementary school, Walker Elementary struggled to boost the English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency of its largely Hispanic, high-poverty student population. According to the California [...]

The Scooby-Doo approach to close reading

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The Scooby-Doo approach to close reading

October 6, 2016

Categories: Reading

Like many kids, I used to watch Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (Okay, I still do.) In each episode, Scooby-Doo, along with Shaggy, Fred, Velma, and Daphne, would solve clues to figure out mysteries that puzzled others in the town.

The 4 R’s of deliberate practice

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The 4 R’s of deliberate practice

September 29, 2016

Categories: Math, Reading

For a number of years, I have been fascinated by research on the science of expertise. Many of us were first introduced to this topic in Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller, Outliers: The Story of Success. In that book, he presented multiple [...]

What an Olympic gold medalist can teach you about math

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What an Olympic gold medalist can teach you about math

September 22, 2016

Categories: Math

Like millions around the world, I could not wait to watch the summer Olympics. During the Women’s 200m backstroke, U.S. swimmer Maya DiRado went after her biggest competitor with all her might. She was charging her way to another gold! [...]

I think I can, I think I can

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I think I can, I think I can

September 15, 2016

Categories: Math, Reading

“She was a happy little train” Perhaps you are already chanting, “I think I can, I think I can.” Keep chanting, but be forewarned. This blog is a love letter to a beloved children’s book, and you won’t find a [...]

ESSA in 5 minutes: Part I—Assessment

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ESSA in 5 minutes: Part I—Assessment

September 8, 2016

Categories: Assessment

As a civil rights law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 includes requirements for state assessment and accountability to ensure every student has access to a good education and is held to high standards. Key to understanding ESSA [...]

2 x 3^2 redefines soccer’s impact

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2 x 3^2 redefines soccer’s impact

September 1, 2016

Categories: Math

The Romanian men’s soccer team gets it. Mathematics is both a systematic and social enterprise. In order to get Romanian children excited about math, and to address the 20% dropout rate among high school students, the Romanian [...]

10 nonfiction articles you didn’t know kids were reading

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10 nonfiction articles you didn’t know kids were reading

August 25, 2016

Categories: Reading

Nonfiction often gets a bad rap as stuffy, boring, and yawn-inducing. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Great nonfiction content can take the form of a thrilling adventure story, a scary tale around a campfire, or an intriguing true [...]

What is evidence-based instruction?

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What is evidence-based instruction?

August 22, 2016

It goes without saying that educators care about their students’ results. They spend hours planning engaging lessons in an effort to captivate their students’ interest, give them the tools they need for success, and inspire them to become lifelong learners.

4 things I wish I had known about reading practice

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4 things I wish I had known about reading practice

August 11, 2016

Categories: Reading

I loved being a classroom teacher. As an avid reader myself, I loved opening my students’ eyes to the possibilities books offered. However, reflecting on my years in the classroom, I can’t help but think of the times that I [...]

Renaissance Blog

Latest Post

Success Story: How to read 352 million words in five years

Success Story: How to read 352 million words in five years

Recent Posts

The Scooby-Doo approach to close reading

The Scooby-Doo approach to close reading

The 4 R’s of deliberate practice

The 4 R’s of deliberate practice

What an Olympic gold medalist can teach you about math

What an Olympic gold medalist can teach you about math

I think I can, I think I can

I think I can, I think I can

ESSA in 5 minutes: Part I—Assessment

ESSA in 5 minutes: Part I—Assessment

2 x 3^2 redefines soccer’s impact

2 x 3^2 redefines soccer’s impact

10 nonfiction articles you didn’t know kids were reading

10 nonfiction articles you didn’t know kids were reading

What is evidence-based instruction?

What is evidence-based instruction?

4 things I wish I had known about reading practice

4 things I wish I had known about reading practice