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The Productive Teacher
I help teachers and parents build knowledgeable, skilled readers based on research findings within the Science of Reading.
Explore the Parts of Literacy
Decoding Words
phonological awareness, phonics, syllables, orthographic mapping,
Vocabulary
morphology (Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, suffixes), word meanings and relationships, connotation, academic vocabulary
Grammar
parts of speech, sentence structure, syntax, punctuation, usage
Writing
sentence construction, paragraphs, organization, composition, written expression
Background Knowledge
science, history, geography, culture
Elementary Math
Explore Topics
Elementary Science
Middle School Science
Elementary Social Studies
U.S. History
World History
Elementary Culture
About Me
Hi, I’m Cate, a teacher, literacy researcher, writer, and mom of four. I have taught elementary and middle school since 2012 and am currently a Ph.D. student in Literacy, Language, and Culture at Texas Woman’s University.
As the mother of two children with dyslexia, I am passionate about making learning to read accessible to as many children as possible by empowering teachers and parents with knowledge and practical resources grounded in literacy research.
You can reach me anytime at Cate@TheProductiveTeacher.org!
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The Productive Teacher
Explore my Teachers Pay Teachers store, where more than 8,600 teacher reviews have earned The Productive Teacher a 4.9 out of 5 rating. With 700+ resources and more than 3,000 followers, you'll find practical, engaging materials designed to help students build knowledge and strengthen their reading, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and more.
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Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker VCE Long U
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker VCE Long O
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker VCE Long I
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker VCE Long A
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker Games
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker Short U
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker Short O
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker Short E
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
Free Short U Word Families Word Lists
Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short e sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short u word families word lists. My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing p
2 min read
Free Short O Word Families Word Lists
Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short e sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short o word families word lists. My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing p
2 min read
Free Short I Word Families Word Lists
Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short i sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short i word families word lists. My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing p
2 min read
Free Short E Word Families Word Lists
Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short e sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short e word families word lists. My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing p
2 min read
Free Short A Word Lists
Are you teaching your students how to read and spell words with the short a sound? You could be working with cvc words, ccvc words, cvcc words, or even ccvcc words. I like to start with cvc words, but then I move into digraphs and blends as quickly as possible so that my students can read more words faster. That is why I include all of those word types in my short a word families word lists. My favorite tool for small group instruction is a word list. When we are practicing p
2 min read
Expanding Reading and Spelling Using Word Families: Word Maker Short A
How We Learn to Read Our brains learn to read using a consistent process. The speed at which people learn how to read may differ, but the process is the same. We learn to associate symbols (letters) with sounds. We then learn to combine these symbols that represent sounds (phonemes) into words. Just like we have to learn that 2 + 2 = 4, we have to learn that the letter f makes the /f/ sound. I would argue that reading is even harder than math because each symbol can represent
2 min read
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