I.F.S. Worked For Me!

People ask me what works when teaching children to read.  I answer trial and error, and to never give up.  I personally don't believe that people exist on this planet that don't like to read.  I'd rather think they just haven't met the right text yet.

My children read.  Believe me, it's not by accident, but more by design.  They started to read EARLY.  I wish I could take complete credit.  I cannot.

We were Hooked on Phonics.  I found a second hand set for my eldest after reading Why Johnny Can't Read.  We used it in our daily homeschooling.  When my youngest was reading ready, HOP had created a newer version sans audio cassettes.  Again, we chose this program.  Except she kind of taught herself.

This whole notion of what works led me to do the thing I do best.  Ask the babies.  A m a z i n g l y, they remembered!


One remembered the Bob Books and the Scholastic Sight Words Readers.  The other joyously recalled Starfall.

What, they didn't yell in unison, "Hooked On Phonics Worked For Me!"

Hey, wait a minute!

What I thought worked was completely different from the learner.  We had different objectives!  My objective leaned more in the direction of reading rule information distribution.

Their objective was reading fun and success!

I.F.S. are necessary!  Information + Fun + Success = Engagement.

Voila!  The info part includes a lot of particulars, but e n g a g e m e n t is what works!  My new answer!

Quote from Educational Leadership, February 2011 p24

"It starts with a school and classroom philosophy of sharing, with the idea that without sharing, there is no education (Wiley, 2010).  A culture of sharing doesn't mean just providing content for others to read and learn from; it means sharing to connect with other people with whom we can learn as well."

Cotton Trivia

Should we pay kids for grades, test scores or to go to school?

Freakonomics Asks: Can you pay students to get better grades?

Cotton Seed #8

Label Maker

If you don't own a label maker grab some sticky notes.  Label up your house.  Be age appropriate- if you need to label the window, label it.  If you need to advance- label the credenza or the armoire.  Try different languages.  

One, Two, Three - GO!

Check the Cotton Seeds Section for Elaboration.  Stay tuned.  New 'seeds' on Tuesdays & Thursdays!

TheStar Welcome to Global Voices

TheStar Welcome to Global Voices

Cotton Seed #7

Play Read

Pick a play, assign parts and perform! 

One, Two, Three - GO!

Check the Cotton Seeds Section for Elaboration.  Stay tuned.  New 'seeds' on Tuesdays & Thursdays!

Sir Ken Robinson: Bring on the learning revolution!

Technolearning! Cotton Trivia

While visiting with a parent the other day, I watched her son prepare for an algebra test using flashcards self created with powerpoint.  One slide displayed the study term.  The following stated the definition of the term from the previous slide.  He enjoyed this technique!  

How are you using technology to enhance learning?

Thirty Minutes a Day / Cotton Seeds

While attending my child's basketball practice this past Monday a parent announced to me that she actually read to her child thirty minutes a day.  She couldn't believe that other parents did not.  Confession, I don't.  My tastes are not identically aligned with my children's and their's are not aligned with each other.  I imagined a parent of four spending two hours a night trying to meet the quota or beating themselves up for not.

Obviously, I'm not a purist when it comes to this nationally mandated read to your child thirty minutes a day.  I think what we as educators are intending to say or ought to be intending to say is expose your child to literature thirty minutes a day.  Create an environment that loves the read.  That's what the 'cotton seeds' section is all about.  


Check out the 'cotton seeds' page!  

Ocoee Middle School - Gotta Keep Reading