Shaped

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

Latest Posts

Diverse Books Hero Whiterose

Helping Children Read the World: Stories From History

Author and teacher Carol Jago suggests books for your classroom library that situate social-emotional issues within real-world settings, both past and present.

Carol Jago
HMH Author and Associate Director, California Reading & Literature Project at UCLA

Sancha Gray Hero

Strengthening the Core: Leading Transformation in My School District

Sancha Gray, Superintendent of Schools for the Asbury Park School District, offers her advice to prioritize leadership and literacy in K-12 schools.

​Sancha Gray
Asbury Park Superintendent

July Differentiated Instruction 1

Conferring Is Differentiated Instruction: How to Hold Student Writing Conferences

Writing conferences are one-to-one conversations and give teachers a crucial opportunity to meet each student’s individual needs.

Carl Anderson
Author and Literacy Consultant

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E3: Equity, Evidence, and Efficacy—Practices for English Learner Success

Dr. Elena Izqueirdo addresses how educators can build equity into their instruction with English learners.

Dr. Elena Izquierdo
Author, Escalate English; Author ¡Arriba la Lectura!; Associate Professor, Dual Language Education / Biliteracy / ELL Education, University of Texas, El Paso

June Writing 1

How to Teach Writing to Elementary Students: 6 Key Areas of Focus

Research and state and national standards pinpoint six critical goals for all of our students when it comes to developing their identities as writers.

Dr. Karen Harris
Mary Emily Warner Professor, Teachers College, Arizona State University

Girl reads at the front of a classroom

How to Empower Reading Intervention Students to Present Oral Arguments

By presenting in front of their class, literacy intervention students can find their voice as they articulate their ideas and build confidence.

Donna Pappas
Regional Consultant, HMH

May Listening 4

When Teaching Literacy, Our Definition of Listening Is Too Narrow

It's time for more educators to start focusing on teaching listening and speaking skills in the language arts classroom, one expert writes.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

May Betty Lewing 3

A 24-Year Career in Reading Intervention: Q&A With Former Teacher Betty Lewing

Shaped spoke with an educator with more than two decades of experience about her career and timeless reading intervention strategies.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Blythe1

Don't Stop Believin' in Literacy: A School's Path to Reading Proficiency

Learn how a lifelong high school educator pulled a struggling Title I elementary school to the heights of glory.

Blythe Carpenter
Principal, Jinks Middle School

Asian American Hmhcovers

Explore HMH Asian American Writers and Their Cultures With These Books

For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, let's celebrate the HMH authors who write about what it means to them to be Asian American.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Bookstores

Please, Come In: Using Local Bookstores to Get Students Excited About Reading

Teachers can utilize bookstores as a resource to get their students more enthusiastic about reading for fun.

Danni Green
Writer, Girls Write Now

May Memorial Day 7

9 Memorial Day Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Use these Memorial Day classroom activities for elementary and middle school students to honor those who sacrificed for their country.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Teacher Winners

HMH Honors Five Educators Who Helped Striving Students Succeed

These winners showed that with perseverance and persistence, you can help students overcome personal and academic challenges.

Shaped Staff

Rachel Swartz Classroom Teachers In America

Podcast: Spotting Signs of Bullying with Rachel Swartz on Teachers in America

On the Teachers in America podcast series, Rachel Swartz—a teacher in the Bronx, New York—talks bullying, SEL, and inspiring teachers

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Podcast Hero Amand Rack2

Podcast: Recognizing the Needs of Students with Amanda Rack on Teachers in America

On the Teachers in America podcast, Amanda Rack—a teacher in Southern California—opens up about the struggles of being a teacher mom.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Mmf1 Copy

How a Middle School ELA Teacher Shaped My Career—and Changed My Life

HMH's Matthew Mugo Fields recently reunited with the seventh-grade language arts teacher who greatly impacted his life. Here's his story.

Matthew Mugo Fields
General Manager, Supplemental and Intervention Solutions and President of Heinemann

April Repurpose Excelln Ed Content 2

Does Your District Have a Comprehensive K–3 Reading Policy?

A checklist to help determine if your district has a comprehensive K–3 policy and what else you can be doing to help struggling readers.

K. A. Jagai
Writer, Girls Write Now

Title Impact Studies Troup County Asbury Park

Breaking Down Literacy Myths With Facts

Educators know there are misconceptions around K-3 literacy. Here are some facts to help shed light on the truths around student literacy.

Ireen Hossain
Writer, Girls Write Now

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