Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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

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

Teamwork Sugarland

A School's Transformation Through Transparency, Teamwork, and Tenacity

Two education leaders from Sugarland Elementary discuss their school's journey from "focus school" to "model school."

Dr. Gail Brady
Principal, Sugarland Elementary School, Virginia

Dr. Gregory Mihalik
Assistant Principal, Sugarland Elementary School, Virginia

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

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

3 Cinco de Mayo Classroom Activities

Here are some Cinco de Mayo classroom activities to help you celebrate with your students and teach them the true history of this important holiday.

K. A. Jagai
Writer, Girls Write Now

Title Impact Studies Troup County Asbury Park2

Tips to Develop an Impactful K–3 Literacy Solution in Your District

HMH conducted impact studies on increasing K–3 literacy and the efficacy of varying teaching practices and pulled together three tips to help your district.

K. A. Jagai
Writer, Girls Write Now

Two children reading

Breaking the Cycle: Have Intervention Students Practice Reading Aloud

Having intervention students practice reading aloud to younger children can improve literacy for both kids.

Donna Pappas
Regional Consultant, HMH

Leadto Literacy

4 Takeaways From Our Leadership Talks Every Teacher Should Know

How can we effectively lead students to reading and writing proficiency? We had four experts weigh in.

Shaped Staff

Coding K12

Coding in Classrooms: Why Computer Science Education Matters

Given the importance of computing knowledge today, every student deserves the opportunity to learn computer science, including coding.

Stevin Smith
Senior Vice President of Technical Services, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

History Books Steinway

Explore the Past: Historical Nonfiction Books for K-12 Students

HMH has published a lot of compelling nonfiction books for children of all ages. Here are a few to consider.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Read Alouds1

Interactive Read-Aloud Strategies: Build Strong Relationships With Students

What is an interactive read-aloud? Learn interactive read-aloud strategies to build strong student-teacher relationships in the classroom.

Monica Fitzgerald
Reading AIS Teacher, Gillette Road Middle School

2News Roundup 1 Glass

K-12 Recent News Roundup: October 12, 2018

Stay up to date on the education issues that matter to you.

Julia Roch

Fblive Msc2

Facebook Live Recap: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships

A Nevada school principal expands on the importance of relationships to address the needs of the whole child.

Powerof Shush2

Fostering Participation in the Math Classroom: The Power of 'Shush'

A math teaching expert explains what "shushing" entails and how it encourages students to participate in class.

Dr. Juli K. Dixon
Professor of Mathematics Education; Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Post-Secondary Mathematics Education

Coaching3

What Is Student-Centered Coaching? Consider These Examples

What is student-centered coaching? To meet students’ individual needs, teachers may consider coaching that analyzes data and formulates student-centered goals.

Michelle Smith
Professional Services Consultant, HMH

Fblivestill2

Facebook Live Recaps: Diversifying Reading Materials and Practices

It’s powerful and necessary for children to see themselves represented in literature.

Julia Roch

Jdfblive

Recap: Facebook Live With Math Education Expert Dr. Juli K. Dixon

Julia Roch

Math Larson 4

How to Recognize High-Quality Mathematics Content

Dr. Matthew R. Larson
Past President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM); Senior Fellow, Math Solutions

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