Drawing: The 8th Literacy
When we think about school and learning to read and write, automatically we think that first we must learn to read (decode), then we must learn to write (encode), and then if we get our work done before time is
Let’s Just Table it…
In English, as in other languages, abstract ideas are built upon concrete ideas. For example, if I say “table” or “chair” then the ideas that come to mind are the physical objects, one to sit at and the other to
Spelling is like cooking a new recipe!
If you’re anything like me, you have been trying new recipes while at home due to the pandemic. I have added new ingredients to my pantry and spice drawer, expanding my repertoire of meals along the way. Now that I
The Wiggles. Watching Them Disappear
In the thirty years of teaching, I have seen my fair share of the “wiggles” in my elementary students. I have also seen SO many variations of tricks, tools and strategies being pushed by schools and companies to help kids
Paraphrasing a Life Skill Visual Learners can ACE!
I remember in high school being reminded over and over how important it was to avoid plagiarism, defined as using an author’s own words or ideas as your own in writing assignments. It was sometimes a challenge for me to
Don’t Buy the Charts, Posters or Flash Cards. Why They Don’t Work.
As a teacher, I spent a lot of money buying colorful charts and posters with alphabet charts, math facts and word lists to put on the walls in my classroom. I assumed they would help my students, just as when
Learning is Socio-Cognitive. What Does That Mean?
If you think about a time when you have been really engaged in learning a new topic, subject or skill, it is likely that you have interacted with other people in that process. Maybe you remember a project you worked
How we look at behavior at INSL LLC
Behavior has become a term fraught with negative connotations, but what is behavior exactly? According to the theory we implement at INSL LLC, it is simply a form of communication, which we all use all day long. Yet how we
We get to know our students so we can build on their strengths
When learners come to INSL LLC, we spend time getting to know them as people, not just as clients. We spend time with the family and ask what the student likes, what they do on a typical day, and what
Language names our thinking! The theory behind our work at the INSL LLC
When we want to communicate ideas to others or understand within our own brains what we are learning, we use language to name our thinking. Language is the highest level of learning, according to Dr. Ellyn Arwood, who created the