Tammys Teaching Tools

10 Powerful Activities to Improve Visual Discrimination Skills

In my experience, I have found that struggling readers often have weak visual discrimination skills, and this must be addressed first in order for them to become better readers. When students practice and improve their visual discrimination skills, then practicing phonics, sight words, and decoding is more meaningful and successful. The good news is that this is a skill that can be learned and improved upon with explicit teaching and practice. Today, I’m going to […]

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Growth Mindset Tips for a New School Year

Growth Mindset Tips for a New School Year It’s back-to-school time which is also the perfect time to introduce students to growth mindset. We often take the first few weeks of school to establish rules and routines and build classroom community. Teaching students about growth mindset at the beginning of the year is a great way to create a community of learners who are willing to take risks.  They will be able to learn from

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Top 10 Must-Have Classroom Decor Items

With summer coming to an end and back to school right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about classroom décor. The way we set up and decorate our classrooms is essential. After all, it’s where we and our students will spend 35 hours per week learning, laughing, and growing together over the course of the year. Although there are countless ways to decorate a classroom, I believe there are 10 must-have classroom decor items

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3 Ways to Support Struggling Readers

3 Ways to Support Struggling Readers When it comes to supporting struggling readers, it can be hard to know where to start. After all, every child learns in unique ways and not all strategies work for all children. Today I’m going to share with you three ways to support struggling readers in your classroom. Plus, I have a few freebies for you along the way! 1. The First Strategy to Support Struggling Readers is to

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What You Need to Know About Dyslexia and Orton-Gillingham Instruction

It is heartbreaking to watch a child struggling to read, and It can be overwhelming to know how to help.  As a reading tutor, I often get questions on what’s the best way to help students with dyslexia. To help answer those questions, I made this quick overview of the most common reading disability and the Orton-Gillingham method that not only helps those with dyslexia but all struggling readers.

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