Shaped

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners, and shaping the future of education.* 

 

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Formative Reading Assessment & Usable Data

Formative reading assessments measure what students have learned so far—and the data help inform teachers’ instruction.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

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12 Valentine’s Day Activities for Middle and High School Students

Get your whole class feeling the love this February 14. Try these Valentine’s Day activities for middle school and high school students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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5 Strategies for Differentiated Reading Instruction

Check out the latest differentiated reading strategies to help you meet your students' diverse needs.

Ellen Ullman
Shaped Contributor

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8 Elements of Reading & Literacy Instruction

These eight elements of reading and literacy instruction can serve as the foundation of an effective literacy program.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

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Writing Rhymes and Raps with Toney Jackson

Teacher and award-winning poet Toney Jackson joins us for a special lesson on how to write rhymes in the classroom.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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How to Find the Most Effective Digital Writing Program: 5 Considerations

Not all digital writing programs are created equally. Ask these questions when weighing your options.

Meghann Weis
Instructional Technology Coach, Patriot HS, VA

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12 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

Ready for a fresh start in your classroom? Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new with our fun New Year's activities for students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Our Top 10 Ed Blogs of 2021: The Best of Shaped

Before we say goodbye to 2021, let’s highlight our most-read and favorite Shaped blogs.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

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12 Summer and Winter Games Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

These 12 Olympics activities for elementary and middle school students will let them sharpen their math, social studies, and writing skills.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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Pearl Harbor Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Give a lesson on the significance of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day with these Pearl Harbor activities for elementary and middle school students.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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2024 National Novel Writing Month: Turning Students into Excited Writers

In November, National Novel Writing Month begins for thousands of writers around the world. At the same time, many teachers introduced their classrooms to the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program, and found their students developing a new-found passion for creative writing.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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4 Tips for Teaching Media Literacy in the Classroom

How media literate are you? Take our quiz, then try our four tips for teaching media literacy in the classroom.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

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Classroom Library Organization Tips

Get students excited about reading by organizing your classroom library with relevant books and updated displays.

Ellen Ullman
Shaped Contributor

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Teaching Fact vs. Opinion: Tips, Activities, and Resources

Get tips for teaching fact versus opinion with these resources, insights, and activities from journalist and educator Esther Wojcicki.

Esther Wojcicki
Journalist and Teacher; Founder, Palo Alto High Media Arts Program

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Structuring the Literacy Block

The most productive literacy block schedules include various reading and writing activities and instruction to help build foundational skills.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

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National Dyslexia Awareness Month 2024

Honor 2024 National Dyslexia Awareness Month this October by better understanding how learning differences can affect your students' social and emotional learning.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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How to Build a Classroom Library

Get tips on how to build a classroom library—and where to find books for elementary and middle school students.

Lisa Sims
Former HMH Consultant

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29 Back-to-School Writing Prompts for Middle and High School

School's back in session, which means it's time for a fresh batch of writing prompts for the new year. Have your high school or middle school students try these Back-to-School prompts this fall.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.