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Shaped

The learners of today will shape 

A community-driven blog supporting educators, building lifelong learners,
and shaping the future of education.* 

Latest Posts

Presidents Day Lesson Plans And Activities

9 Presidents' Day Lesson Plans and Activities to Foster Engaged Citizens

Use these 9 Presidents' Day lesson plans and activities for middle and high school classrooms to foster engaged and informed citizens.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Hero Chinese Dragon

10 Chinese New Year Classroom Activities: Throw a Lunar New Year Party

Explore 10 Chinese New Year classroom activities. Celebrate the Lunar New Year in your elementary or middle school class with a focus on cultural awareness, symbolism, and more.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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4 Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary

Discover 4 effective strategies for teaching vocabularly. explicit, direct instruction of vocabulary can empower students for long-term academic success.

Emily Hamm
Shaped Contributor

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Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners

Find instructional strategies to teach vocabulary to English language learners.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

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How and When Should You Transition away from Decodable Texts?

Learn strategies for transitioning students from decodable texts to authentic texts.

Dr. Shane Templeton
Foundation Professor Emeritus, Literacy Studies, University of Nevada, Reno; Into Reading Program Author

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How to Teach Vocabulary to Your Students

Learn how to teach vocabularly to your students. Explore 9 engaging ways to teach vocabulary that will help your students to draw connections.

Emily Hamm
Shaped Contributor

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14 Winter Holiday Activities for School

Celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with 14 holiday classroom activities, games, and crafts for elementary and middle school students.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

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Laurens 55, South Carolina: A Data-Driven Success Story

Find out how partnering with HMH to implement its curriculum, supplemental, and assessment solutions exceeded educators’ expectations and drove student achievement in Laurens County, South Carolina.

HMH Staff

Fun Christmas Activities School

9 Fun Christmas Activities for School

Try our fun Christmas classroom activities for school. 'Tis the season to be jolly—while boosting math, reading, and writing skills, of course!

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Changing Lives Through Intervention in Schools

Intervention in school is defined, and key insights into how to provide effective intervention are provided.

Dr. Bonnie Cochran
Director of Academic Planning and Analytics, HMH

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30 Fun Halloween Writing Prompts & Ideas

Have some spooky fun with your students while exercising their critical thinking skills using these Halloween writing prompts and journal ideas.

Carey Blankenship-Kramer
Shaped Staff

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How to Implement Small-Group Instruction in the Classroom

An elementary educator and HMH Ambassador shares tips and resources on how to implement small-group instruction in the classroom, including a downloadable small-group lesson plan template.

Kayla Dyer
Teacher

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5 Effective Tips for Teaching High School Writing

Ensure students get the practice, feedback, and revision experience they need for success with these tried-and-true strategies for teaching high school writing.

Kristen Eannetta
Instructional Coach

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7 ELL Strategies for Reading Success

Try these 7 ELL strategies for reading success. Help your ELL students to engage with reading and foster a desire to connect with texts.

Rebecca Salinas
Learning Architect, HMH

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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Effective Strategies: Scaffolding for ELL Students That Benefits the Whole Class

What is scaffolding and how does it help ELL students? Read to learn about scaffolding for ELL students, including benefits and best practices.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

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11 Essential 9/11 Activities & Lesson Plans for the Classroom

Looking for ways to help your students understand the September 11 terror attacks and their impact? Use these 9/11 activities and lesson plans designed for middle and high school classrooms.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Don’t Lead with Science Vocabulary—Start with Conceptual Meaning

Get advice on how to incorporate vocabulary into science instruction to ensure students learn science concepts deeply.

Dr. Karen Ostlund
Assistant Professor of Instruction, Emerita, UTeach, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin

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What Is the Role of Vocabulary in Reading Comprehension?

We break down the role of vocabulary in reading comprehension and share strategies that will ensure students learn new words.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.