The Neurocritic: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Mid-Cingulate Cortex

The Neurocritic: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Mid-Cingulate Cortex.

A great blog post form the Neurocritic…..

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Brain Based Learning | 10 Most Effective Tips For Using Brain-Based Teaching & Learning

Brain Based Learning | 10 Most Effective Tips For Using Brain-Based Teaching & Learning.

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ASCD EDge – A Primer: Neuroscience and Teaching Strategies

ASCD EDge – A Primer: Neuroscience and Teaching Strategies.

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Free Online Lit Circle

As many of you know, I teach online book circles during the summer months to offer reading instruction and support for all our Hackley learners. However, I will also be offering an online reading circle this December (without charge since school is still in session) for Hackley students only.

The book that will be shared is The 14th Goldfish by Jennifer Holm, and will run from December 22nd to Jan 2nd. It will be limited to eight students, so please let me know by December 15th if you want your child to join. Please review the linked book title to decide if this book is appropriate for your child’s reading ability- if you are not sure let me know. All that is required is for your child to have their own copy of the book while the circle is running. Your child does not have to be online at any particular time. I will post reading response questions and focuses each day, and whenever your child is able they should post their responses online.

Once I receive your email, I will send you the link and have you added to the site. It is all password protected. If you have any questions, please let me know.

****Update 12/3/14: I am no longer able to add additional students- we are at max. Thanks so much for your interest!

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New fonts for dyslexics…..

Dyslexie typeface by Christian Boer. Fantastic new product! Great story on how an entrepreneur with dyslexia develops a font to eliminate (or greatly reduce) reversals with twin letters.

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Everyone can be an author… with Nick Bruel

Today our LS had a visit from local author/illustrator, Nick Bruel- famous for Bad Kitty and Poor Puppy. The children really enjoyed his exercises in developing plot, as well as learning how the smallest detail can have a big impact on the story. IMG_1534 IMG_1536 IMG_1532

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Why some kids can’t spell and why spelling tests won’t help

One of my colleagues, Michelle Foerder (2nd Grade), spotted this post : Why some kids can’t spell and why spelling tests won’t help. This does a great job in highlighting some reasons why rote memorization of spelling lists probably is not the best instructional strategy:)

I love this quote from the author… “The only people who benefit from spelling tests are those who do well on them – and the benefit is to their self-esteem rather than their spelling ability. They were already good spellers.”

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LibriVox | free public domain audiobooks

Looking for free audio recordings of books? This is a great resource for you! @librivox

LibriVox | free public domain audiobooks.

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Homepage – Differentiation Central

Fantastic resource for learning more about differentiated instruction! #differentiatedinstruction @cat3y

Homepage – Differentiation Central.

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LS Parent Coffee 9/30

I’m looking forward to seeing our Hackley parents tomorrow at the HPA coffee. Eva VanBuren (Math Coordinator) and I will each be giving a short overview of our curriculums. If you are unable to attend but have any questions, please let me know!

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