Spelling Tips That Stick

Is your child struggling with spelling, mixing up letters, or dreading weekly word tests? Spelling is one of the building blocks for reading and writing, and many little learners have difficulty properly putting letters together. The good news is that with the right...

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Fluency Fun

Many young readers hit bumps in the road on their journey to reading fluency, the ability to read with accuracy, speed, and expression. There are fun and simple ways to help your child develop stronger fluency skills that you can do right at home. Get ready for...

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The Building Blocks of Reading Success

Imagine your child clapping their hands along to the rhythm of a song or playing with the sounds in a word, stretching out the syllables. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear words and manipulate individual sounds in spoken language. This ability is one of...

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Bridging the Gap

For children struggling with reading, the classroom becomes a place of frustration, not discovery. While other students eagerly pore over stories and lessons, these children are left looking at the words that seem to linger just beyond their reach. The joy of learning...

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Unwrap the Magic of Stories This Season

There’s something magical about unwrapping a book during the holidays. Books are a gift filled with adventures, lessons, and a lifetime of memories, making them a perfect present to put under the tree this year. Get ready to go on a reading adventure this season with...

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Multisensory Magic

Learning to read and write doesn’t have to be a one-dimensional experience. Multisensory learning, which involves engaging multiple senses at once, can help children connect with letters and words so they stick. By utilizing sight, sound, and touch, kids can improve...

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Give the Gift of Reading

There’s something magical about unwrapping a book during the holidays. Books are a gift filled with adventures, lessons, and a lifetime of memories, making them a perfect present to put under the tree this year. Get ready to go on a reading adventure this season with...

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Literacy Support Starts Here

It’s hard to believe the school year is already halfway through, with the end of classes and final assignments approaching. As a parent, you may notice signs that your child is struggling to keep up with their classmates regarding reading and writing. This can be a...

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Celebrate Your Young Reader’s Journey

As your child goes on a literacy journey, every reading milestone is worth celebrating, no matter how small. From sounding out their first word to reading an entire page, all those lightbulb moments can add up when it comes to your young reader's confidence. Whether...

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A Confident Start to the School Year

Dear Reading Ranch families, I see it happen every summer — children who have worked so hard during the school year start to slip behind. It’s not because they are incapable; sometimes, reading takes a backseat during the summer learning slide. Developing reading...

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Real Stories From The Reading Ranch

Nothing makes us prouder at The Reading Ranch than seeing young readers grow their confidence and abilities — and we love hearing from parents who have witnessed that transformation firsthand. From struggling with letters to reading and writing whole sentences...

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Is Your Child Ready to Shine?

Little learners are capable of big things, and here at The Reading Ranch, we’re always finding new ways to help them shine! This year, we have three exciting new programs designed to build confidence, sharpen their skills, and inspire a love of reading and writing....

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Red Flags: Recognizing When Your Child Needs Help

As parents, we always want the best for our children, especially when it comes to their growth and happiness. It can be tough to know when a child’s behavior is a sign of needing extra help.

Critical Analysis & Reading Skills: Elevate Your Child’s Cognitive Abilities at Reading Ranch

Critical Analysis & Reading Skills, or CARS, is an interactive 50-minute class crafted specifically for 5th through 7th graders to enhance their critical thinking abilities and academic prowess.

First Day of Kindergarten: A Smooth Transition for Excited Little Learners

The first day of kindergarten is a significant milestone in a child’s life, marking the beginning of their formal education journey. Parents and children may feel excitement, anticipation, and anxiety as they prepare to embark on this new stage.

Choose the Right Reading and Literacy Tutor

As parents, one of the top priorities is ensuring the success of your child’s education. This occasionally involves finding a suitable reading tutor to help your child improve their reading, spelling and comprehension. 

The Summer Slide:
Sizzling Tips to Combat Brain Drain!

The summer break is nearly upon us, students and educators alike have one thing on their minds: fun in the sun. But while beach balls, sunglasses, and sunblock await, so does the notorious, sneaky intruder known as the summer slide. 

Tips for Building Your Child’s Vocabulary Skills

A strong vocabulary is essential for a child’s academic success and practical communication skills. Children begin to acquire new words and expand their understanding of language from an early age.

Effective Strategies for Developing Strong Writing Skills in Elementary Students

Developing strong writing skills is an essential part of elementary education. Writing is not only a tool for communication but also a means of self-expression and learning. However, many students struggle with writing, and it can be challenging…

The Benefits of Multisensory Reading Instruction for Dyslexic Children: A Proven Approach

As awareness surrounding dyslexia grows, educators and parents alike have searched for effective strategies to help children face this challenge. One particularly beneficial approach is multisensory reading instruction.

Second Grade Reading Standards: What Your Child Needs to Know

After some requests from our clients, here is some information on 2nd-grade standards.  I hope you enjoy. Second-grade reading standards are designed to build on the skills that students learned in…

1st Grade Reading Standards: What Your Child Should Know

First grade is a crucial time for developing reading skills in children. Children at this age typically learn how to read and comprehend simple texts. To ensure that first-grade students are on track with their reading skills…

Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness

Phonemic awareness and phonological awareness are two critical skills that children need to develop to become successful readers. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. 

Fostering a Love of Reading: Creative Ideas for Making Reading Fun

Reading is an essential skill that is crucial for academic success and personal growth. However, encouraging children to read can be challenging, especially in today’s digital age, where screens often dominate our attention.

What is Explicit/Direct Phonics Instruction

What is explicit phonics instruction? Explicit phonics instruction is used in teaching to describe how skills are fully and clearly expressed, not implied. These skills are directly taught to the student.

Tips for Better Comprehension

There are several characteristics we associate with good readers and good comprehension skills. Understanding the message the author is trying to share when you read is essential, and we call this comprehension. If young readers can’t understand what an author is saying…

The Critical Role of Phonological Awareness in Reading Education

Phonological awareness is one of the most critical aspects of reading education. It is the ability to hear and manipulate the individual sounds that make up spoken words. Phonological awareness skills are essential for learning to read…

Orthography: Why does it matter for reading?

You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered about the connection between spelling and reading. The field of orthography—the study of letters and letter combinations in a language—can seem confusing at first glance. However, orthography is a critical component…

Decoding and Reading Instruction

Decoding is the ability to apply knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to pronounce written words correctly. Decoding involves translating print into speech by rapidly matching a letter or combination of letters to their letter sounds (phonemes)…

A Guide to Reading Aloud to Your Children

As a parent, you have the opportunity to instill a love of reading in your child from a young age. Reading aloud to your child has many benefits, including building bonds, increasing academic skills, addressing tough topics, and many more.

What To Expect From a Third Grader’s Writing

The writing skills of third graders, like all aspects of literacy, differ. In general, third graders must learn to extend their writing. In contrast to first and second grades, when they may have written 1-2 sentences and perhaps a short paragraph in 2nd Grade

Five Key Literacy Skills for PreK Children

Some parents may wonder what they can do to help their children prepare for kindergarten and develop strong literacy skills. Here are five critical skills that PreK children should be working on:…

Easy and Effective Strategies to Help Build Fluency

There are a variety of ways to help develop fluency skills. Here are seven fun and simple activities and strategies that you can use with your child to help them improve their fluency.

All About Prosody: What it is, Why it’s Important

Last week we discussed what reading fluency means in reading and how we measure fluency. This week’s post will take a deeper look into prosody. What is prosody? Why do we need to focus on it when teaching reading to students?