Let's Talk About Reading!

If you are able to read this blog, you probably had at least one outstanding teacher who invested a lot of time and energy into helping you develop your ability to understand the basic principals of reading.  If you are able to understand this blog, you probably had at least one teacher who taught you the fundamentals of comprehension. If you are really enjoying reading this blog, you certainly had an amazing team of teachers who instilled in you the value of acquiring knowledge via the written word. This blog will be a platform for me to share all of the wonderful teaching methods and strategies I learn through my role as Reading Specialist at an elementary school in suburban Dallas, Texas.  I am so lucky to have been mentored, trained, and given feedback by dozens of amazing teachers over the last 12 years and I've also been blessed to serve in this coaching capacity for the last 6 years, which has allowed me to visit the classrooms of outstanding educators and to participate in critical conversation about what works and what doesn't work.  I will be discussing phonics, decoding strategies, guided reading, comprehension techniques, project based-learning, technology and apps,  best practices in teaching and a number of other topics designed to help educators and parents assist the children they love in improving their reading skills and become life-long lovers of literature.
I will also be inviting you to join in the discussion!  Through your comments, questions, and even guest posts, you will become the architect of this blog and a valued contributor.  I love the saying, "What seems obvious to you is amazing to everyone else!"  You are an expert in many things and your contributions will always be valued here so please feel free to join the conversation.
Follow me on twitter, if you'd like at AmyVanHornCISD and be involved in the amazing conversations the teachers at CISD are having as we create the 21st Century Learner.  Education is growing more and more exciting each day and we all need to do our part to keep the momentum moving forward!
Tomorrow, I will be posting about the TCEA conference I am currently attending in Austin, TX.  Today's sessions were full of amazing apps, websites, tips, and strategies that can help our students not only learn at a faster rate but have fun while they are doing it!  I am very excited about the prospects this blog will provide and I hope you will follow along and join in!