By Lauren Bailes, Aim Academy English Teacher I don’t remember quite when it happened. At one point, I was reading phonics books about dogs, boys, hats, and bats. Making meaning from even these simple words was laborious. There was just so much for my mind to hang on to — the long and short vowels, Read More...
Part II by Lauren Bailes, Aim Academy English Teacher (Part I discussed the value of the development jump, when readers go from learning to read to reading to learn. Find it here.) It’s easy to watch children begin their trajectory as emerging readers, but shaping that trajectory is just as important. Until about 3rd grade (8 Read More...
By Kathryn (Bell) Gomes As a senior in high school I was guaranteed a full-tuition scholarship to Eastern University before I even officially applied. It wasn’t because of my rigorous course load, well-written application essay, or volunteer service. The scholarship was based solely on my SAT scores. You might disagree with this snapshot approach Read More...
My kids love to needle me by telling me the best teacher they had in high school was Vicki Dincher. She was also the coolest (she played bass guitar). Her science classes at our high school co-op were always the most popular — and they still are. Well, I know how to capitalize on a Read More...
by Lilianna Serbicki, Aim Academy English Teacher While there are a myriad of writing guidelines and “best practices”, creative writing in particular has a very intuitive element. A delicate balance between discipline and individual expression is required. This is why detailed critiques – from both myself and student peers – are such a vital portion Read More...
by Vicki Dincher Creativity isn’t just for the arts and humanities. It requires a great deal of creativity to think like a scientist. In fact, some of the world’s greatest scientists were also accomplished musicians and writers. One of the best ways to encourage a love of the sciences in your children is to Read More...