Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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Reading Teaching Strategies for Students with Dyslexia

Discover evidence-based strategies to help improve the reading skills of students with dyslexia so they can achieve school success.

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

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Teaching Oral Communication Skills: What Student Voice Really Means

Guide students in their oral communication skills with tips from an educator.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

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Using a 5 W’s Graphic Organizer Chart

Introducing the 5 W questions to your classroom is an important lesson to help students think about a topic and what they want to know about it.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

Invention Convention

How to Hold an Invention Convention in Your School

Because research shows engineering can help students understand what they can do with the knowledge they learn in science, encouraging them to invent and create is a natural outcome.

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Integrating Science and Literacy in the Classroom

Learn how integrating science and literacy in the classroom helps students behave and think like real scientists and engineers.

Marjorie Frank
Author, ELD Specialist

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Social and Emotional Learning in Science: Using Collaboration in the Classroom

Productive discourse lends itself well to building a community where social and emotional learning in science is supported.

Dr. Cary Sneider
NGSS Writing Team Leader, Associate Research Professor at Portland State University

SEL Writing Prompts and Journal Prompts

15 SEL Writing and Journal Prompts for Grades 3–12

Introduce your students to the five competencies of SEL with these writing and journal prompts for elementary, middle, and high school.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Technology and Personalized Learning

Discover the benefits of technology and personalized learning in the classroom—and digital tools that can automate the personalized learning process.

Aoife Dempsey
Senior Vice President Product Management, HMH

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8 Fun Spring Activities for Elementary Students

Happy spring! Try these 8 spring activities for elementary students for ideas to celebrate the season!

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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National Poetry Month Activities for Middle and High School Classrooms

From nursery rhymes to absurdist poetry to rap, these activities will help your middle or high school class celebrate National Poetry Month this April.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

Teaching foundational reading skills is one of the most important goals of early grade and reading intervention teachers. Learn more about the key foundational reading skills and other literacy skills students need to become proficient.

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

How to Improve Mental Health in Schools: Mental Health Matters

Learn how to improve mental health in schools. Explore 12 strategies for promoting mental health in schools the support the well-being of students!

Amanda Clark
Shaped Contributor

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True, False, and Open Sentences in Math

In this article, we investigate true, false, and open sentences in mathematics, including how to tell whether a sentence is true and false and how to solve open sentences.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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School Turnaround Through a Thriving Culture and Building Relationships

Creating schools with a thriving culture of positive relationships is truly the foundation of success.

Dr. Lucretia Prince
Principal, Crestmont Elementary School

Podcast cover with Samuel Gonzalez

Podcast: Serving Students, Country & Self with Samuel Gonzalez

Pennsylvania educator Samuel Gonzalez has been teaching for just two years, and all while studying for his doctorate and serving in the National Guard.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Talking to kids about scary news

Talking to Kids about Scary News

Read key tips for teachers and parents on talking to children about troubling events in the news.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

CASEL SEL competencies

Teach the 5 Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Competencies

The 5 social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies developed by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) are crucial to students’ learning and growth. Explore the competencies and strategies for helping students achieve them.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

11 SEL Check-In Questions for Students’ Well-Being

Explore 11 SEL check-in questions for students well-being that can get kids talking and help you identify students needing support.

Brita Sherren
Shaped Contributor

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