Discover the truth beyond tracking words per minute in reading progress. Explore why comprehension matters more than speed, especially for struggling readers. Learn strategies to empower comprehension over speed in literacy education.

Explore the significance of R-Controlled Syllables in our latest blog! Understand why teaching syllable types is vital for reading and spelling mastery. Discover how to effectively teach R-Controlled Syllables and help students recognize patterns in words. Dive into practical tips and strategies for systematic instruction. Empower your students with the tools they need to decode and spell with confidence!

Working Memory refers to a part of our short-term memory.  When information enters this part of our memory, we only have about 5 seconds to interpret it.  This means that we have only seconds to process the information, and categorize it into Long-Term Memory in order to be able to remember it later. 

Discover the importance of VCE Syllables in our latest blog! Learn how to effectively teach this syllable type and guide students to understand the transition between short and long vowel sounds. Explore practical strategies and engaging activities to reinforce learning. Elevate your reading instruction with VCE syllables today!

Have you ever sat down to work, and realized it took you a while to get started?  Or, have you ever asked your child to do something and came back 30 minutes later and nothing you had asked for has been done?  These are instances that have happened to all of us in one form or another and refer to the Executive Functioning skill, Task Initiation.

Discover the power of closed syllables in decoding words! Our blog delves into the significance of teaching the six syllable types, starting with closed syllables. Learn how to break down words effectively and anticipate vowel sounds for improved reading and spelling. Unlock the secrets of syllable types today!

When we look at a child’s Time Management abilities, the first problem we often think of is procrastination.  While this can be a huge issue for many of our kids, being able to avoid procrastination is only a small piece of having good time management skills.  

When most people think about organization, having their work materials in order or keeping their clothes put away are some of the first things that come up.  While these are two important pieces, this Executive Functioning (EF) skill goes much farther than just being a clean person. 

Our students often need a lot of practice with welded sounds. So we created this fun game to practice with them. Typically when we play, we set a timer for 3-5 minutes (depending on how much time we have allotted for review).

Discover concrete strategies for improving nonfiction comprehension in older students, especially those with dyslexia. Learn how to navigate dense texts, decode information, and use text features effectively. Empower students to read to learn and gather information with confidence!

Do you ever go to the store without a list and walk out with a bunch of things you don’t need, only to realize you forgot to buy the one thing you needed?   How about when you receive an invitation in the mail and forget about the event until right before it starts?  

Uncover the crucial components of effective literacy instruction. Discover how weaving authentic literature into lessons enhances decoding skills. Learn to balance decoding work and text application in small groups, adapting to each group's unique needs. Foster daily exposure to real books, promoting silent reading and read-aloud sessions for a comprehensive literacy approach.

Executive Functioning (EF) skills are skills we use every single day, but often don’t realize we are using them.  For example, when you make your lunch in the morning, you are planning a meal for later in the day.  When you sit quietly in class or at work, you are exhibiting self-control.  Most of our daily activities can be tied back to executive functioning in some way.

It can be really difficult to hit all the core components of a lesson when you are trying to wrangle your small groups or hold the attention of your 1:1 students. One of the best ways to get massive results without the overwhelm is to have organized binders and materials where you can hold all of your intervention activities for your students. We have a streamlined process we use for every student so we aren’t living in a constant state of overwhelm.

So here at Ascend, we LOVE all things fall. As you can probably guess we were so excited to be able to throw some Halloween activities into our mix. Most of the students we work with really struggle with phonological awareness and while we have phonological awareness built into our lessons we know that some of our students need extra practice with it. So we have some fun phonological awareness practice activities for you.

Discover how to handle students struggling with reading and spelling concepts. Learn when to explain concepts differently, review with engaging games, or move on. Find the balance between building a strong foundation and progressing effectively in intervention. Don't let students get stuck - adapt instruction for optimal learning outcomes!

The wonderful thing about this very simple game is that you can use it in so many different ways depending on the skill you are trying to target. It's also truly NO PREP. If you don't have this grid it's so easy to just write out the tic-tac-toe lines on a whiteboard or piece of paper and students love this game.

Far too often we see children waiting until the night before a test to start reviewing, causing undue stress. By getting into the habit of chunking (breaking down the workload into smaller, more manageable pieces) you can not only help your child get through their tests now but also set up better study habits for the rest of their lives.