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Tag: student engagement

  • Tips and tools to effectively differentiate learning for student engagement

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    Key points:

    As a paraprofessional for over 3 years and going on my 5th year as a certified special education resource teacher, I’ve learned that no two learners are ever quite the same. Each student brings unique strengths, challenges, and ways of processing the world around them. Each student has their own learning path and rate.

    That’s why differentiation is not just a teaching strategy–it’s the heart of student engagement and student success. When students feel that lessons are designed for them, they become more confident, motivated, and curious learners.

    Research supports this, too. Studies show that differentiated instruction can significantly increase student engagement and achievement, especially when supported by digital tools that allow for flexibility and personalization. Thankfully, today’s technology makes it easier than ever to meet students where they are, while still aligning instruction with grade-level state curriculum.

    Below are two tools that have transformed how I differentiate instruction in my classroom and help my students feel successful every day.

    Personalized practice for mastery

    One of my go-to resources for differentiation is IXL, a digital platform that provides personalized skill practice across multiple subject areas. I love that IXL adapts to each student’s learning level, it meets them where they are and builds from there.

    For example, in math, my students might all be working on problem-solving, but IXL tailors the level of difficulty and types of problems based on their individual performance. Some may start with basic word problems, while others are ready for multi-step reasoning. The immediate feedback helps students self-correct and celebrate their progress in real time.

    IXL also helps me as a teacher. The diagnostic tools identify skill gaps and strengths, giving me insight into how to group students for small-group instruction or how to adjust future lessons. It’s a win-win: Students feel empowered to grow, and I have data-driven insights that make planning more intentional.

    Engaging Resources for All Learners

    Another tool I rely on daily is Discovery Education Experience. This classroom companion is packed with interactive lessons, quizzes, videos, virtual field trips, activities, and so much more that make learning come alive for my students.

    I use Discovery Education Experience to differentiate my instruction based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) standards we’re required to teach, but with flexibility to meet each student’s needs. I can easily find numerous resources that support both teacher planning and student learning, all from one spot. For example, when teaching a reading comprehension skill, I can assign a short video for visual learners, a guided reading passage for independent practice, and an interactive quiz for students who thrive on technology.

    The best part? It allows me to blend digital and print options. Some students work best completing a printed activity, while others enjoy interactive online lessons. That flexibility means every student has an entry point into the learning experience, regardless of ability level.

    Insider tips for differentiating with technology

    Over the years, I’ve learned that differentiation doesn’t have to be complicated–it just needs to be intentional. Here are a few tips that help make it manageable and meaningful:

    • Start small: Pick one lesson or one tool to differentiate and build from there.
    • Use data as your guide: Platforms like IXL and Discovery Education Experience make it easy to see where students need support or enrichment.
    • Offer choice: Let students decide how they show what they’ve learned–through writing, drawing, creating a slide, or recording a short video.
    • Blend print and digital: Not every student thrives on a screen; mixing modalities keeps engagement high.
    • Incorporate positive reinforcement: Celebrate progress often, even in small steps. Stickers, praise, raffles, and/or printable certificates can motivate students to keep working toward their goals. Recognizing effort builds confidence and encourages persistence, especially for students who may struggle emotionally and academically. I also have students track their progress in their interactive journals to motivate and celebrate their successes. A progress tracker holds the students accountable and continues to engage them to work towards their academic goals.

    Differentiation is all about giving every student what they need to succeed. Teachers can create classrooms that are not only more inclusive but also more engaging and empowering.

    Each day, I’m reminded that when we meet students at their level and celebrate their progress, we help them discover their own love for learning. That’s what makes teaching so rewarding, and technology can be one of our best partners in making it happen.

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    Grace Maliska

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  • 12 Reasons Students Don’t Read & What You Can Do About It – TeachThought

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    November 14, 2025 | Updated November 13, 2025

    12 Common Reasons Students Don’t Read & What You Can Do About It

    by Terry Heick

    Why don’t students read more?

    Digital distractions? No books at home? Too much testing? Kim Kardashian? It depends on the student. It depends on illiteracy vs aliteracy. It depends on how you define reading (does reading long-winded character dialogues in Square Enix games count?) So below, I’ve gathered some of the most common reasons students don’t read and provided some ways you can begin to address that issue.

    12 Common Reasons Students Don’t Read & What You Can Do About It

    1. They haven’t found the right book or type of book.

    How do you feel when your principal drops a book in your lap–something well-intentioned but not even a little naturally interesting to you? Do you hate to read because you don’t want to read it?

    Possible solutions: I tell my students that when I walk into a bookstore of 10,000 books, 9200 of them don’t appeal to me. The upside? That means there are 800 books I’m dying to read. No one hates to read. Some of us are just pickier readers than others. We’ve got a collection of books for students who think they don’t like reading, too.

    See also What I Tell Students Who Think They Don’t Like To Read

    2. They need general reading strategies they can turn to from time to time.

    Possible solutions: See here.

    Possible solutions: ‘Market’ reading to them. Take pictures of them reading. Start a ‘Caught Reading’ class instagram feed or #caughtreading hashtag (send it to me and I’ll tweet it). Treat it with the same creativity and passion that marketing agencies successfully market billion-dollar companies.

    3. They need specific reading strategies they can self-select from based on context.

    Possible solutions: Identify their strengths and areas for growth as a reader, help them self-assess in the same way, then work together with them and their parents to create a set of 4-6 reading strategies from the list above (or other) for them to use flexibly depending on what they’re reading.

    4. Reading can be intimidating.

    Reading is fun–until it isn’t. Do I understand it? What will be on the test? Am I at grade level? Above? Below? What if I have to read out loud?

    Possible solutions: Don’t make them read out loud unless what you’re wanting to assess is oral fluency! Don’t put them on the spot. Don’t ask comprehension questions out loud. Don’t always insist that they ‘read on grade level’ (Feel like reading Shakespeare after a long day, or would you rather go home and plop on the couch and watch ‘Bar Rescue’?)

    5. The reading space or ‘vibe’ isn’t right.

    Too noisy. Too quiet. Too many distractions. Too warm, too cold–we all have circumstances we like to read in. I can’t read if it’s not completely quiet–anyone talking and I’m done.

    Possible solutions: Allow students to use white noise apps. Put white noise on in the classroom (they’ll get used to it). Create reading spaces in your classroom. Ask your librarian/media specialist if they have any ideas. Turn the lights down. Buy bean bags–even for high school students!

    6. They need a reason to read.

    And you assigning it isn’t enough.

    Possible solutions: Make reading social. The process, the reflections, and the outcomes. Help them see the value of both the process of reading (critical thinking), and the outcomes of reading (knowledge). Help them see reading as part of the relationship between the life they have and the life they want to have.

    7. They have too much else to do.

    It’s hard to read if you have a million things to do. Who wants to “enjoy a good book” when you’ve got 20 pages of homework to do?

    Possible solutions: Help them create a personalized reading schedule that works for them based on their life.

    8. It’s not a habit.

    Reading is a muscle. The more they read, the more they’ll want to read.

    Possible solutions: They need an at-home library of ‘stuff’ they want to read. Or the Epic reading app.

    9. They have problems with phonemic awareness.

    If they struggle with phonemic awareness, reading is going to be like climbing a mountain.

    Possible solutions: Apps can’t solve every literacy problem, but they’re great for practice. Here are some elementary reading apps that can help. And some apps for struggling readers.

    10. They have a limited sight word vocabulary.

    Limited sight word vocabulary means slow reading speed, which reduces comprehension and makes reading not fun.

    Possible solutions: Use Knowji. Have fun with Frayer Models. Play Vocab games. But more than anything else, help them build a sense of momentum as readers. Encountering words in context is better than on an index card for long-term retention.

    11. They struggle with their own identity as a ‘reader.’

    These students see reading as something that you do at school, rather than an opportunity to make meaning, be entertained, be exposed to new ideas, make friends, etc. Someone that engineers is called an engineer. Someone that writes is a writer. Someone that reads? That’s called a student.

    12. They need to know all of the incredible things about reading–topics, knowledge, genres, authors, etc.

    Possible Solutions: So show them.

    12 Common Reasons Students Don’t Read & What You Can Do About It; image attribution flickr user eugenekim

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    Terry Heick

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  • Student Engagement Is Key, Defining and Measuring it Is the Challenge

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    Student engagement is critical to student success: The more deeply students connect with their learning, the more they see learning as relevant and motivating, and the more likely they are to succeed. But as Discovery Education’s Education Insights 2025–2026 report reveals, engagement is not a simple concept — and often viewed differently depending on point of view and context. 

    Drawing on the responses of 1,400 K–12 superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and students across the United States, the Insights report spotlights the promise and the challenge of keeping students connected to learning.

    More than 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that engagement is one of the most important predictors of student success. Nearly all students (92%) say that engaging lessons make school more enjoyable. And 99% of superintendents rank engagement as one of the top indicators of achievement. 

    But they don’t agree on how to measure engagement – or even how to define it. For example, students report higher levels of engagement than teachers do, but even then, only 63% of students say they feel “highly engaged” in class. There is an almost 20-point gap between students reporting being highly engaged and what teachers believe. 

    And teachers overwhelmingly point to outward indicators of engagement, such as asking thoughtful questions or contributing to discussions. Less obvious signs, like persistence, are often overlooked. 

    This gap in the perceptions between students and teachers is an essential challenge to address. When educators miss the signals of engagement, they may misinterpret students as being disengaged, even when they are fully vested in learning. 

    Superintendents, unsurprisingly, view student engagement from a lens focused on student outcomes. Nearly all surveyed superintendents rate engagement as a top predictor of success and are far more likely than teachers to see test performance as a leading sign of engagement. 

    These differences — leaders equating engagement with performance, teachers seeking observable behaviors and students experiencing quiet or compliance-based engagement — undercut the effectiveness of efforts to increase student engagement. Often, leaders’ emphasis on systems of measurement collides with teachers’ limited time and tools to enact engaging, personalized learning at scale. 

    Students are clear about what fuels their motivation. They want relevance: learning that connects with their lives and future plans. Across all groups surveyed, relevance consistently ranked as one of the most critical factors impacting engagement. Students also seek challenge. Somewhat surprisingly, nearly four out of five say that school often feels easy, while wanting deeper, more meaningful work. Students report that challenging lessons can spark curiosity and engagement, which is consistent with teachers’ views.  

    Educators are aware of the obstacles to greater student engagement. One of the biggest is that engagement can vary by learner, subject and even the day of the week. Teachers also point to the lack of time and resources as a barrier to creating the right conditions.  

    In the Insights report, teachers identify a concern around the lack of tools to measure engagement. While nearly all superintendents say their district has a system for measuring it, only about 60% of teachers agree. This disconnect is a tall hurdle to overcome in fostering more engagement for all students.  

    Alignment across teachers, principals and district leaders can create the clarity needed to recognize different forms of engagement and respond effectively. Students thrive when teachers have the time they need to prepare and personalize lessons.  

    The report’s findings emphasize that engagement isn’t a “nice to have.” It is a precondition for student success. Without it, students may comply but not necessarily thrive. With it, they are more motivated, ready for challenges and more likely to succeed in the present and the future. 

    It is imperative that districts build more coherent strategies that move beyond encouraging engagement to shared definitions, frameworks and measurement. The approach should recognize that quiet, reflective or multilingual learners may demonstrate engagement differently than more outwardly expressive students do. Districts should also provide the time, tools and training for teachers to design relevant, personalized lessons; and harness engaging multimodal content and digital tools to support, not distract from, engagement. 

    Engagement is a prerequisite to learning. However, as the Insights eport shows, engagement doesn’t just happen, and it doesn’t have a widely or universally accepted definition or measurement. Instead, fostering and sustaining engagement requires clarity, alignment, intentional strategies and purposeful resources. Garnering widespread agreement on a definition — and adoption of that definition — will enable engaging and successful learning experiences for all students. 


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    Grace Maliska

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  • What Did You Learn In School Today? 44 Alternatives

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    by Terry Heick

    You care but it’s a tired cliche–limps out of your mouth, barely alive: “How was school?”

    You might use a slight variation like, “What’d you learn in school today?” but in a single sentence, all that is wrong with ‘school.’

    First, the detachment–you literally have no idea what they’re learning or why. (You leave that up to school because that’s what school’s for, right?) This means you know very little about what your children are coming to understand about the world, only able to speak about it in vague terms of content areas (e.g., math, history).

    Then, there’s the implication–they don’t talk about the way that they’ve been moved or impressed upon or changed but in the rarest cases; you have to drag it out of them.

    And there’s also the matter of form–you ask them as if a developing learner will be able to articulate the nuance of their own learning to make for a conversation that will do anything but make it seem like they learned nothing at all. So what to do?

    Well, that idea of form has some legs, doesn’t it? Show me. Demonstrate it. Let’s look at some artifacts that show thought and affection. Let’s see the impact of your work and effort. That’d actually make a pretty good post in itself. But let’s stick to the old questions-on-the-car-ride-home or over-the-dinner-table format.

    What are some alternatives to “What’d you learn at school today?” Here are a few ideas.

    25 Alternatives To “What’d You Learn In School Today?”

    1. When did you notice yourself most interested and curious today?
    2. Was there a time today when you were especially confused? How did you respond?
    3. What is one thing that was hard to believe? Not confusing, but surprising?
    4. If you were more ____ today, how would it have impacted the day?
    5. When were you most creative today?
    6. Tell me one fun thing you learned, one useful thing you learned, and one extraordinary thing you learned.
    7. What does a successful day at school look like to you? Feel like?
    8. What sort of different reasons do your friends go to school?
    9. Who worked harder today, the teacher or the students?
    10. How else could you have learned what the teacher taught?
    11. How do your teachers show they care?
    12. What do you know, and how do you know it?
    13. What would you like to know more about?
    14. What is the most important thing you learned today? The least?
    15. Tell me one chance you took today, and how it ended up.
    16. What is one thing you learned from a book?
    17. What is one thing you learned from a friend?
    18. What is one thing you learned from a teacher?
    19. What still confuses you?
    20. What is something you said or heard that stuck with you for some reason?
    21. Based on what you learned today in ______ class, what do you think you’ll learn tomorrow?
    22. Tell me three facts, two opinions, and one idea you heard today.
    23. What should you do with what you’ve learned?
    24. When did you surprise yourself today?
    25. What’s stopping you from being an (even more) amazing learner?

    More ‘Questions To Ask Students After School’: Alternatives To “How was school?”

    A few readers chimed in with their own alternatives.

    Drew Perkins: “What great questions did you ask today?”

    Heather Braum: “What did you discover?”

    Heather Braum: “What surprised you?”

    Heather Braum: “Where did you travel?”

    Eoin Linehan: “Why are you learning that?”

    Eoin Linehan: “How do you know you are learning?”

    Kristine Kirkaldy: “What did you learn/do that made you smile today?

    Mrs. Moore: “What was your favorite part of school today?”

    Amanda Couch: “Tell me your favorite moment at school today.”

    Deb Gaskin: “If you had been responsible for the lesson, what would you have emphasized or done differently? Why?”

    Robin Smith: “What was your “good” for today? What was your ‘bad’?”

    Laura Cobb: “What did you improve today?”

    Laura Cobb: “What challenged your thinking?”

    Laura Cobb: “How did you contribute to other students’ learning?”

    Jackie Gerstein: “What touched your heart today?”

    Jackie Gerstein: “Did you experience anything at school that motivates you to make a difference in the world?”

    Jackie Gerstein: “Did you experience any “aha’s” today – understanding or seeing something different than you previously had?”

    Jackie Gerstein: “Did you experience any moments of full enjoyment in learning today? If so, when and how?”

    Jackie Gerstein: “Did you invent or create anything new today?”

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    Terry Heick

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  • Effective tools to foster student engagement

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    Key points:

    In my classroom, students increasingly ask for relevant content. Students want to know how what they are learning in school relates to the world beyond the classroom. They want to be engaged in their learning.

    In fact, the 2025-2026 Education Insights Report vividly proves that students need and want engaging learning experiences. And it’s not just students who see engagement as important. Engagement is broadly recognized as a key driver of learning and success, with 93 percent of educators agreeing that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement. What is more, 99 percent of superintendents believe student engagement is one of the top predictors of success at school.

    Creating highly engaging lesson plans that will immerse today’s tech-savvy students in learning can be a challenge, but here are two easy-to-find resources that I can turn to turbo-charge the engagement quotient of my lessons:

    Virtual field trips
    Virtual field trips empower educators to introduce students to amazing places, new people and ideas, and remarkable experiences–without ever leaving the classroom. There are so many virtual field trips out there, but I always love the ones that Discovery Education creates with partners.

    This fall, I plan to take my K-5 students to see the world’s largest solar telescope, located in Hawaii, for a behind-the-scenes tour with the National Science Foundation and Sesame. For those with older grades, I recommend diving into engineering and architecture with the new Forging Innovation: A Mission Possible Virtual Field Trip.

    I also love the virtual tours of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Together as a class or individually, students can dive into self-guided, room-by-room tours of several exhibits and areas within the museum from a desktop or smart device. This virtual field trip does include special collections and research areas, like ancient Egypt or the deep ocean. This makes it fun and easy for teachers like me to pick and choose which tour is most relevant to a lesson.

    Immersive learning resources
    Immersive learning content offers another way to take students to new places and connect the wider world, and universe, to the classroom. Immersive learning can be easily woven into the curriculum to enhance and provide context.

    One immersive learning solution I really like is TimePod Adventures from Verizon. It features free time-traveling episodes designed to engage students in places like Mars and prehistoric Earth. Now accessible directly through a web browser on a laptop, Chromebook, or mobile device, students need only internet access and audio output to begin the journey. Guided by an AI-powered assistant and featuring grade-band specific lesson plans, these missions across time and space encourage students to take control, explore incredible environments, and solve complex challenges.

    Immersive learning content can be overwhelming at first, but professional development resources are available to help educators build confidence while earning microcredentials. These resources let educators quickly dive into new and innovative techniques and teaching strategies that help increase student engagement.

    Taken together, engaging learning opportunities are ones that show students how classrooms learnings directly connect to their real lives. With resources like virtual field trips and immersive learning content, students can dive into school topics in ways that are fun, fresh, and sometimes otherworldly.

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    Leia J. DePalo, Northport-East Northport Union Free School District

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  • Back-to-school success for all: Building vital classroom skills

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    Key points:

    As students and teachers prepare for a new school year, it’s important to remember that success in the classroom isn’t just about academics; it’s about supporting the whole child. From motor skills and posture to organization, focus, and sensory regulation, the right strategies can make the learning process smoother and more enjoyable for everyone. 

    While occupational therapy (OT) is often associated with special education, many OTs like me use and share the supportive tips and tools described below in general education settings to benefit all learners. By integrating simple, classroom-friendly strategies into daily routines, teachers can help students build independence and confidence and see long-term success. 

    Motor skills

    One of the most crucial areas to address is motor skills. Many children entering kindergarten have not yet fully mastered tasks such as cutting or forming letters and shapes correctly. Simple strategies can encourage independence, such as using a “scissor template” taped to a desk to guide proper finger placement or offering verbal cues like “thumbs up” to remind children how to hold the tool correctly. Encouraging the use of a “helper hand” to move the paper reinforces bilateral coordination.

    For writing, providing small pencils or broken crayons helps children develop a mature grasp pattern and better handwriting skills. Posture is equally important; children should sit with their feet flat on the floor and their elbows slightly above the tabletop. Adjustable desks, sturdy footrests, or non-slip mats can all help. Structured warm-up activities like animal walks or yoga poses before seated work also prepare the sensory system for focus and promote better posture while completing these tasks.

    Executive function

    Equally important are executive function skills–organization, planning, and self-regulation techniques–that lay the foundation for academic achievement. Teachers can support these skills by using visual reminders, checklists, and color-coded materials to boost organization. Breaking larger assignments into smaller tasks and using timers can help children manage their time effectively. Tools such as social stories, behavior charts, and reward systems can motivate learners and improve impulse control, self-awareness, and flexibility.

    Social-emotional learning

    Social-emotional learning (SEL) is another vital area of focus, because navigating relationships can be tricky for children. Social-emotional learning helps learners understand their emotions, express them appropriately, and recognize what to expect from others and their environment.

    Traditional playground games like Red Light/Green Lightor Simon Says encourage turn-taking and following directions. Structured programs such as the Zones of Regulation use color-coded illustrations to help children recognize their emotions and respond constructively. For example, the “blue zone” represents low energy or boredom, the “green zone” is calm and focused, the “yellow zone” signals fidgetiness or loss of control, and the “red zone” reflects anger or frustration. Creating a personalized “menu” of coping strategies–such as deep breathing, counting to 10, or squeezing a stress ball–gives children practical tools to manage their emotions. Keeping a card with these strategies at their desks makes it easy to remember to leverage those tools in the future. Even something as simple as caring for a class pet can encourage empathy, responsibility, and social growth.

    Body awareness

    Body awareness and smooth transitions are also key to a successful classroom environment. Some children struggle to maintain personal space or focus during activities like walking in line. Teachers can prepare students for hall walking with warm-up exercises such as vertical jumps or marching in place. Keeping young children’s hands busy–by carrying books rather than using a cart–also helps. Alternating between tiptoe and heel walking can further engage students during key transitions. To build awareness of personal space, teachers can use inflatable cushions, small carpet squares, or marked spots on the floor. Encouraging children to stretch their arms outward as a guide reinforces boundaries in shared spaces as well.

    Sensory processing

    Supporting sensory processing benefits all learners by promoting focus and regulation. A sensory-friendly classroom might include fabric light covers to reduce glare, or subtle scent cues used intentionally to calm or energize students at different times. Scheduled motor breaks during transitions–such as yoga stretches, pushing, pulling, or stomping activities–help reset the sensory system. For students with higher sensory needs, a “calming corner” with mats, pillows, weighted blankets, and quiet activities provides a safe retreat for regaining focus.

    The vital role of occupational therapists in schools

    Employing OTs as full-time staff in school districts ensures these strategies and tools are implemented effectively and provides ongoing support for both students and educators alike. With OTs integrated into daily classroom activities, student challenges can be addressed early, preventing them from becoming larger problems. Skill deficits requiring more intensive intervention can be identified without delay as well. Research demonstrates that collaboration between OTs and teachers–through shared strategies and co-teaching–leads to improved student outcomes.

    Wishing you a successful and rewarding school year ahead!

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    Linda Rini, OTD, MS, OTR/L, CLC, Touro University School of Health Sciences Occupational Therapy Program

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  • New research highlights the importance and challenges of K-12 student engagement

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    This press release originally appeared online.

    Key points:

    While there is wide agreement that student engagement plays a vital role in learning, educators continue to face uncertainty about what engagement looks like, how best to measure it, and how to sustain it, according to a new study from Discovery Education. 

    Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement captures prevailing attitudes and beliefs on the topic of engagement from 1,398 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students from across the United States. Survey data was collected in May 2025 by Hanover Research on behalf of Discovery Education. 

    “Discovery Education conducted the Education Insights report to gain a deeper understanding of how engagement is defined, observed, and nurtured in K-12 classrooms nationwide, and we are thankful to the participants who shared their perspectives and insights with us,” said Brian Shaw, Discovery Education’s Chief Executive Officer. “One of the most important findings of this report is that engagement is seen as essential to learning, but is inconsistently defined, observed, and supported in K-12 classrooms. I believe this highlights the need for a more standardized approach to measuring student engagement and connecting it to academic achievement. Discovery Education has embarked on an effort to address those challenges, and we look forward to sharing more as our work progresses.” 

    Key findings of the Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement report include: 

    Engagement is broadly recognized as a key driver of learning and success. Ninety-three percent of educators surveyed agreed that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement, and 99 percent of superintendents polled believe student engagement is one of the top predictors of success at school. Finally, 92 percent of students said that engaging lessons make school more enjoyable. 

    But educators disagree on the top indicators of engagement. Seventy-two percent of teachers rated asking thoughtful questions as the strongest indicator of student engagement. However, 54 percent of superintendents identified performing well on assessments as a top engagement indicator. This is nearly twice as high as teachers, who rank assessments among the lowest indicators of engagement. 

    School leaders and teachers disagree on if their schools have systems for measuring engagement. While 99 percent of superintendents and 88 percent of principals said their district has an intentional approach for measuring engagement, only 60 percent of teachers agreed. Further, nearly one-third of teachers said that a lack of clear, shared definitions of student engagement is a top challenge to measuring engagement effectively. 

    Educators and students differ on their perceptions of engagement levels. While 63 percent of students agreed with the statement “Students are highly engaged in school,” only 45 percent of teachers and 51 percent of principals surveyed agreed with the same statement.  

    Students rate their own engagement much higher than their peers. Seventy percent of elementary students perceived themselves as engaged, but only 42 percent perceived their peers as engaged. Fifty-nine percent of middle school students perceived themselves engaged in learning, but only 36 percent perceived their peers as engaged. Finally, 61 percent of high school students perceived themselves as engaged, but only 39 percent described their peers as engaged. 

    Proximity to learning changes impressions of AI. Two-thirds of students believe AI could help them learn faster, yet fewer than half of teachers report using AI themselves to complete tasks. Only 57 percent of teachers agreed with the statement “I frequently learn about positive ways students are using AI,” while 87 percent of principals and 98 percent of superintendents agree. Likewise, only 53 percent of teachers agreed with the statement “I am excited about the potential for AI to support teaching and learning,” while 83 percent of principals and 94 percent of superintendents agreed. 

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    Stephen Wakefield

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  • Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

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    by TeachThought Staff

    There are many ways to encourage a child, but for students of any age, honest, authentic, and persistent messages from adults that have credibility in their eyes are among the most powerful.

    The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has put together a graphic below–50 Ways To Encourage A Child. It was designed for younger students (head start/kindergarten), so we thought we’d create another list more diverse in the types of praises and to students of different ages and grade levels.

    You can find our list immediately below and their graphic after.

    Things to say to encourage a child

    See also Need A Lift? Here Are 50 Books That Can Make You Happy


    Things You Can Say to Encourage a Child (By Grade Level + Sentence Stems)

    Short, specific language you can adapt on the fly. Organized by school level and type of encouragement.

    Elementary

    Effort-Focused

    • I noticed that you kept going even when it got tough.
    • Your practice shows—look how much smoother that was today.
    • You tried more than one time and it made a difference.

    Process-Focused

    • You chose a new strategy; tell me what made you pick it.
    • You checked your work carefully and fixed a slip—where did you spot it?
    • The way you explained your steps helped everyone follow along.

    Character-Focused

    • Thanks for waiting your turn—that was patient and respectful.
    • Helping a classmate like that was kind.
    • You were honest about what felt hard; that’s brave.

    Curiosity-Focused

    • Your question helped the class learn something new.
    • That wonder you shared opened up a great idea—what made you think of it?
    • You looked closely and found details we missed.

    Collaboration-Focused

    • You listened first and then added your idea—nice teamwork.
    • Everyone got a turn because you made space for them.
    • You solved it together; what did each person bring?

    Self-Reflection Prompts

    • What part are you most proud of, and why?
    • Where did you get stuck, and how did you get unstuck?
    • What’s one thing you’ll try the same way next time?

    Middle School

    Effort-Focused

    • I noticed you stayed with the plan and finished strong.
    • Your revisions clearly improved this—what changed the most?
    • You set a target and met it; walk me through how you managed that.

    Process-Focused

    • Comparing two approaches helped you choose the better fit.
    • Your notes show how your thinking moved from idea to evidence.
    • Feedback shaped this draft—point to a place where it shows.

    Character-Focused

    • You stayed respectful during a tough exchange.
    • Owning the mistake and correcting it showed integrity.
    • Calm troubleshooting when the tech glitched kept the work on track.

    Curiosity-Focused

    • Your “what if…?” pushed the conversation forward.
    • Looking for evidence before deciding strengthened your point.
    • A follow-up question like that deepens the discussion—ask another.

    Collaboration-Focused

    • Clarifying roles helped the group move faster.
    • You brought quieter voices in; the work improved because of it.
    • Summarizing the group’s thinking kept everyone aligned.

    Self-Reflection Prompts

    • Which strategy helped most today, and why?
    • If you had ten more minutes, what would you refine first?
    • What did this teach you about how you learn best?

    High School

    Effort-Focused

    • You stayed with the hard part instead of bailing—that mattered.
    • Consistency over several days produced this result.
    • You balanced speed and accuracy; how did you plan that tradeoff?

    Process-Focused

    • You set criteria before choosing a solution—smart move.
    • Testing an assumption and revising improved your outcome; talk me through the pivot.
    • Your evidence chain is clear; which counter-example did you rule out?

    Character-Focused

    • Composure under pressure kept the work credible.
    • Advocating for yourself respectfully got you what you needed without drama.
    • Crediting sources and collaborators shows professionalism.

    Curiosity-Focused

    • Connecting the topic to real-world stakes made your point land.
    • Challenging a common assumption is useful—what data backs your angle?
    • Exploring an alternative model clarified what the original missed.

    Collaboration-Focused

    • Facilitating the discussion kept it on target without shutting people down.
    • You negotiated roles and deadlines like a project manager.
    • I noticed how you synthesized opposing views into a workable plan.

    Self-Reflection Prompts

    • If you ran this project again, what would you keep, change, or cut—and why?
    • Where did feedback actually change your mind?
    • Which skill from today transfers to work outside this class?

    50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    See also Sentence Stems To Replace ‘I Don’t Know’ Or ‘I Can’t’

    You inspire me to be a better teacher by the way you…

    70 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

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  • Report Explores Link Between Student Engagement and Learning — THE Journal

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    Report Explores Link Between Student Engagement and Learning

    Over 90% of teachers, principals, and superintendents agree that student engagement is a critical metric for understanding overall achievement, according to a new survey report from Discovery Education. Yet engagement is hard to define, the researchers found, and educators disagree on its top indicators.

    For its “Education Insights 2025-2026: Fueling Learning Though Engagement” report, Discovery Education polled 1,398 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students from across the United States about what engagement looks like, how best to measure it, and how to sustain it. Survey data was collected in May 2025 by Hanover Research.

    Across educator responses, there was broad agreement on the top two indicators of an engaged student: asking thoughtful questions and contributing to classroom discussion. Beyond those measures, however, responses by educator persona tended to differ. For example, while 54% of superintendents identified performing well on assessments as a top engagement indicator, only 29% of teachers said the same. And while just over half of superintendents and principals considered spending extra time on studies a top indicator of engagement, only 22% of teachers agreed.

    School leaders and teachers also disagreed on whether their schools have systems in place for measuring student engagement. While the vast majority of superintendents (99%) and principals (88%) said their district has an intentional approach for measuring student engagement, only 60% of teachers said the same. And about one in three teachers said the absence of a clear, shared definition of student engagement is a key obstacle to effective measurement.

    “One of the most important findings of this report is that engagement is seen as essential to learning, but is inconsistently defined, observed, and supported in K-12 classrooms,” commented Brian Shaw, CEO of Discovery Education, in a statement. “I believe this highlights the need for a more standardized approach to measuring student engagement and connecting it to academic achievement. Discovery Education has embarked on an effort to address those challenges, and we look forward to sharing more as our work progresses.”

    The survey also asked about respondents’ perception of AI in teaching and learning. Key findings there include:

    • 66% of students believe AI could help them learn faster.
    • 57% of teachers said they use AI to complete tasks at school.
    • 98% of superintendents and 87% of principals agree with the statement “I frequently learn about positive ways students are using AI,” compared to 57% of teachers.
    • 94% of superintendents and 83% of principals said they are excited about the potential for AI to support teaching and learning, compared to 53% of teachers.
    • 100% of superintendents agree that AI must be implemented carefully to avoid negative consequences.

    The full report is available on the Discovery Education site here (registration required). In addition, the company is hosting a webinar on Oct. 8 at 2:00 PM ET, in which a panel of education leaders will break down the report findings and share their own insights. Find additional details and event registration here.

    About the Author



    Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].



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  • The Engagement Gap: Discovery Education CEO Brian Shaw on What’s Missing in K–12 Classrooms – EdTech Digest

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    Nearly 1,400 voices—students, teachers, superintendents, and parents—shed light on how engagement is defined, measured, and misunderstood in schools.

    INTERVIEW | by Victor Rivero

    Engagement may be the engine of student success, but new data shows that educators, parents, and students don’t always agree on what it looks like. Discovery Education’s Education Insights 2025–2026 survey highlights surprising disconnects. In this interview, CEO Brian Shaw unpacks the findings with EdTech Digest.

    The report, Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement, reflects the perspectives of 1,398 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students nationwide. Conducted in May 2025 by Hanover Research, the study offers a timely look at how engagement is defined, measured, and supported in classrooms today. Read on for Shaw’s take on the key findings, what they mean for teaching and learning, and how edtech providers can help close the gaps.

    So, let’s get to the interview.

    Good afternoon Brian and great to sit down with you again. First, can you start off by telling readers why Discovery Education conducts this research?

    For the second year in a row, Discovery Education has conducted an in-depth, nationwide research study that explores a timely and relevant topic in K-12 teaching and instruction that requires more attention and exploration.

    This year, we’ve taken a closer look at the topic of student and classroom engagement. We know that student engagement is nuanced, multidimensional, and varies across contexts, age groups, and individual learners. Right now, it seems as if engagement is very top-of-mind for many education stakeholders, so we wanted to take a deeper dive into the subject to gain a greater understanding of how student engagement is defined, observed, and nurtured in classrooms. The results of this in-depth look can be found in Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement, which is available to all education stakeholders today at www.discoveryeducation.com.

    We think that by sharing the insights, opinions, and perspectives of those closest to the classroom—in this case, almost 1,400 superintendents, teachers, parents, and students from across the United States—we can spark new conversations about student engagement, assist stakeholders in creating actionable steps that lead to more challenging, supportive learning environments promoting dynamic instruction, and help every student reach their fullest potential.

    Now, from your perspective, what are the biggest takeaways from this report?

    There were a lot of really interesting nuggets of information that came out of this report, but for me, the biggest takeaway was the finding that, even though engagement is broadly recognized by educators as a key driver of learning, there is disagreement among educators as to what the top indicators of engagement in their classrooms are.

    According to the data we collected, 93% of educators agreed that student engagement is a critical metric to understanding overall achievement, and 99% of superintendents polled believe student engagement is one of the top predictors of success at school.

    ‘According to the data we collected, 93% of educators agreed that student engagement is a critical metric to understanding overall achievement, and 99% of superintendents polled believe student engagement is one of the top predictors of success at school.’

    But while teachers and superintendents agreed that engagement is important to learning, there were differences on what constituted strong indicators of student engagement. 72% of teachers ranked “asking thoughtful questions” as the strongest indicator of student engagement while 54% of superintendents identified “performing well on assessments” as a top engagement indicator. It is interesting to note that teachers ranked standardized assessments as among the lowest indicators of engagement. 

    Another key finding of Education Insights 2025–2026 is that school leaders and teachers disagree on whether their schools have systems for measuring engagement. Overwhelming majorities of superintendents and principals said their districts have an intentional approach to measuring engagement, but only 60% of teachers surveyed agreed with that statement. In addition, nearly 1/3 of teachers say that a lack of clear, shared definitions is a top challenge to measuring interest, motivation and engagement effectively. Taken together these data points paint a picture of confusion as to if schools are actually measuring engagement, and if so, what it is they are measuring, emerges.

    IMAGES: DISCOVERY EDUCATION

    Education Insights 2025–2026 also collected information on students’ perceptions of their own engagement and the results differed from teachers’ perceptions. When asked to rate the degree to which they agree with this statement- “Students are highly engaged in school,” 63% of students agreed and only 45% of teachers and 51% of principals agreed with the same statement. In addition, when we reviewed the data by grade band, the gap between students’ perceptions of their engagement and educators’ perceptions of engagement widened, painting a worrying picture of a perceived “engagement gap” between teachers and students that grows as a child progresses through school. 

    Finally, as we are living in the age of AI, we felt it prudent to include some questions on the topic. Interestingly, we found that proximity to the classroom changed respondents’ impressions of AI. For example, two-thirds of students believe AI could help them learn faster, yet fewer than half of teachers report using AI themselves. Only 57% of teachers agreed with the statement “I frequently learn about positive ways students are using AI,” while 87% of principals and 98% of superintendents agreed. Likewise, only 53% of teachers agreed with the statement “I am excited about the potential for AI to support teaching and learning,” compared to 83% of principals and 94% of superintendents. 

    ‘Interestingly, we found that proximity to the classroom changed respondents’ impressions of AI. For example, two-thirds of students believe AI could help them learn faster, yet fewer than half of teachers report using AI themselves.’

    There is a lot more really interesting data in the report on perceived student barriers to engagement, how students demonstrate disengagement in the classroom, what strategies can improve student engagement, and more, so I’d encourage readers to download the report and review the data and insights themselves.

    What do you see as the main takeaway for educators in this data?

    Here are what I believe are the three takeaways for educators in the Education Insights 2025-2026 report:

    Student engagement is variable, and thus a challenging concept to define and measure. It manifests itself in various forms, and what constitutes engagement for one student, or group of students, may differ by classroom, school or district.

    Better strategies, shared definitions, and effective tools are needed to monitor and foster engagement. Alignment across roles, practical resources, and actionable insights empower teachers to establish engaging learning environments that support the holistic development of all students.

    Barriers to deeper student engagement can be both visible and hidden. Students may complete tasks without fully committing to learning, making it challenging to identify and address passive or withdrawn behaviors.

    Let’s switch gears here and talk about what you believe this report means for edtech. What is edtech’s role in solving the disconnect between Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents that the Education Insights 2025–2026 report uncovered?

    First, I believe edtech providers need to commit to working with students, teachers, principals, and administrators to find agreement on the strongest indicators of engagement in the classroom. The edtech industry can play a major role in surfacing the diverse ways engagement is interpreted, experienced, defined in education today, and in building consensus on those topics.

    I believe that edtech providers should also play a role in developing and supporting effective new ways of monitoring  student engagement. For example, monitoring students behavioral, cognitive, and affective engagement with learning activities and resources will provide actionable insights that can then help create better instructional strategies and solutions. 

    In addition, edtech should seek to research and quantify the relationship between engagement and achievement. Can we predict academic achievement based on engagement indicators? Are some forms of engagement more important to student achievement than others in certain contexts or environments—for instance, what type of engagement is most helpful in a math classroom?  What engagement indicators should a science teacher look for? How could these indicators be best reflected and measured in edtech solutions? These are all questions we, as edtech providers, can help answer.

    ‘…what type of engagement is most helpful in a math classroom?  What engagement indicators should a science teacher look for? How could these indicators be best reflected and measured in edtech solutions?’

    The overwhelming numbers of educators we polled believe student engagement is one of the top predictors of success at school. We need to clarify this linkage, find ways to effectively measure student engagement, and then explicitly connect that measurement to academic achievement.

    Specifically, how will Discovery Education pivot to address these findings?

    Discovery Education has always sought to provide educators and students with high-quality edtech tools and resources that engage students and improve achievement. Through the user experience and product research we conduct, we monitor several student engagement indicators, and with our efficacy research we have been able to demonstrate our products’ ability to support academic achievement.

    Earlier this year, we enhanced our products with more real-world connections, more personalized content, and more innovative instructional strategies as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure our resources continue to fuel student engagement. That work will continue as we enhance our resources.

    But that is not enough.

    As we move forward, Discovery Education will add to its ongoing work to support student engagement and its connections to student success and achievement. In addition to our efforts to create the highest-quality edtech solutions in the market, we will seek to build consensus on the strongest indicators of engagement in the classroom, explore how best to monitor student engagement through our products and services, and begin research on how to quantify the relationship between engagement and achievement.

    ‘…work to support student engagement and its connections to student success and achievement.’

    One of the most important findings of this report—that engagement is seen as essential to learning, but inconsistently defined, observed, and supported in K-12 classrooms nationwide—highlights the need for a more standardized approach to measuring and fostering student engagement across all educational settings—and especially with edtech products and services. Achieving such a standardized approach will be challenge, but it is one that Discovery Education embraces readily.

    Thanks for your time, Brian.  Where can educators interested in learning about this report learn more?

    Education Insights 2025–2026: Fueling Learning Through Engagement is now available at www.discoveryeducation.com.

    —

    Victor Rivero is the Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest. Write to: victor@edtechdigest.com

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    Stephen Wakefield

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  • Creating A Culture Of Reading In Your Classroom – TeachThought

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    creating a culture of reading in your classroom

    contributed by Angela Peery

    Picture a classroom full of youngsters.

    They could be darling, chubby-cheeked kindergartners or swaggering, confident high school seniors – or anything in between. Can you see them?

    Now, picture this class engrossed in reading.

    What does being engrossed in reading look like? What does it sound like? What evidence exists that true, engaged reading is taking place?

    See also What Is Critical Reading?

    In my visualization, I see a room full of freshmen – my classroom of yesteryear. Five or six students are lounging in the reading area, reclining on the sofa or stretched out on floor pillows. A dozen or so students are at their desks with their noses buried in books, their desktops strewn with pencils, highlighters, and sticky notes. A group of four girls sits cross-legged near the doorway, each with their own copy of a provocative young adult novel, whispering about what has happened and what might happen next.

    See also What I Tell Students When They Say They Don’t Like To Read

    They’ve chosen to read the book together and push each other to meet their self-imposed schedule for discussion. Along the sides of the room, near a couple of electrical outlets, are students sitting alone, with headphones, listening to audiobooks. One is lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The other is lying on his side, following along in a hard copy of the book, often stopping, rewinding, and carefully replaying the audio, following the text with his index finger.

    And there I am – I can see myself near the front of the room, sitting in one chair with my feet propped up in another, devouring some current nonfiction, glaring at any student who dares interrupt my concentration or the concentration of a classmate. When is the last time you saw a classroom as I’ve described, not just in your head, but in reality?

    In my consulting work in the past five years, I have seen classrooms that are truly engaged in reading only a handful of times. I remember them vividly because they are exceedingly rare.

    One was a room full of first-graders, spread out at various stations, rotating every 15 or 20 minutes. One group was at a table with a paraprofessional, another was on the floor with books, and yet another on the floor with tablet devices. Lastly, one group was at a table doing some kind of hands-on activity related to their reading. I listened as the adults talked with the children about their reading. These kids could talk about the characters, the events, the whole shebang. They weren’t just regurgitating. They were invested.

    Another was a middle school classroom. The teacher started class with everyone sitting in a circle on the floor. She posed an authentic, no-one-right-answer question about the book they were all reading together. The students eagerly responded to her question and to each other. They posed new questions. The discussion was energizing. After about ten minutes, the students raced to their desks, ready to open their books and continue reading, inspired.

    Much more common in my observations is the room where reading is inflicted upon the students. They sit at their desks, compliant for the most part, waiting for the next worksheet or the next recall-level question. Those who enjoy playing the game of school answer aloud and answer quickly. They sometimes prod their neighbors to participate in the discussion or complete the questions on the worksheet. Those who don’t enjoy the game put their heads down or engage with whoever is on the other end of their cell phones.

    Those who despise the game act out. They might be up, wandering around the classroom, or they might be calling out inappropriate comments. They might be repeatedly asking to go to the restroom, or the nurse, or the guidance counselor. When the drudgery is too much for them to bear, they will do something horrendous enough to warrant the teacher removing them from the room.

    What has become of reading in school? The terms ‘close reading’ and ‘complex text’ have been used enough the past few years to make me visibly cringe when a teacher utters them. Did we ever want students not to read closely? Of course not. Did we ever want the end goal of a lesson or unit to be that students could read simplistic text? No. But have these terms – or possibly our application of them – killed engaged reading in our classes?

    What should an engaged reading culture look like, sound like, and achieve for readers?

    My first thought is to return to Nancie Atwell and her mantra for the reading/writing workshop: we must give students time, ownership, and response. Are we ELA teachers giving students time to read in class? Do we assign reading and then expect it to be done somewhere else? Shouldn’t reading be done when and where we can best help, which is in our classrooms? Does a reader ever become a stronger reader without role models, coaches, and peers to read alongside? I doubt it.

    And what is the role of ownership? I have seen self-selected reading virtually disappear in the age of the national standards. Teachers scurry to cover assigned text after assigned text and spend hours adapting activities to take into account the weak reading skills and the downright resistance of their students. To me, this is not the right path. The right path is to make more time for reading materials of choice to boost the skills (like stamina!) that are needed to tackle assigned (and often boring) materials.

    Given the right conditions, students will tackle extremely complex texts independently. Sometimes peers will help facilitate this; at other times, a caring teacher will. I vividly remember a student who told me he had never read a whole book during our first week of school. He was fifteen. He worked with his father on a commercial fishing boat. What was the first book I put in his hands? The Old Man and the Sea. And I stayed by his side as he lumbered through it. Guess what he tackled later in the year? The Call of the Wild. This is but one tiny example of what a teacher who truly values reading can do.

    This particular student was buoyed by the trifecta of time, ownership, and response. I responded to him as a fellow reader, not as a teacher checking off specific objectives on a record of his reading achievement. When one’s teacher and one’s peers are also engaged readers, it’s hard not to partake in the community.

    So let’s stop the endless worksheets. Let’s end the fake cooperative groups that skim through text merely to find answers to the teacher’s tedious questions. Let’s again make room in the curriculum for an engaged culture of reading, where readers actually sit and read in the company of other readers, because it’s important enough to do so together, in class, in a community. Where readers talk with each other about what they’re reading because they want to, not because they’re being forced to. And where readers tackle the classics and other difficult texts with confidence, because they know they can draw upon authentic reading experiences to help them.

    As Pernille Ripp has noted, “In our quest to create lifelong readers, we seem to be missing some very basic truths about what makes a reader.” We need to restore time, ownership, and response to their rightful status in instruction before we create an entire generation of non-readers.

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  • GameClass Partners with NASEF South Africa to Bring Video Game Education to Over 200 Schools

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    CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., March 6, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    GameClass, the groundbreaking EdTech startup that transforms popular video games into interactive educational lessons and assessments, has officially partnered with the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) South Africa to bring innovative video game education software to over 200 schools across Africa.

    The partnership includes ambitious plans to expand support to up to 500 schools and 10,000 students across Africa by the end of 2025, bringing transformative video game education to even more classrooms.

    “Our visions aligned perfectly,” said Skyler Scarlett, founder and CEO of GameClass, a two-time ABC Shark Tank entrepreneur. “This partnership marks the beginning of rapid global expansion, something rarely seen for early-stage EdTech startups.”

    Scarlett attributes GameClass’s momentum to a world-class team, including CTO Naresh Gupta, who has worked for Microsoft, led research as VP for Samsung Korea, and holds 25 patents.

    “We built GameClass over two years, conducting over 1,000 interviews with teachers and EdTech leaders,” Scarlett explained. “We believe video games are one of the most valuable educational tools in the world. Our platform and software makes integrating video game education extremely applicable, effortless and time-efficient.”

    Imagine learning about potential energy as Spider-Man swings between skyscrapers or discussing ancient civilizations through the landscapes of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. GameClass focuses on popular video games that students love, transforming entertainment into powerful educational experiences that make learning more engaging and memorable. The platform has been tested across all grade levels, and the results are clear: students are more engaged than ever.

    “It’s hard to forget probability when you learn it through Mario Kart,” Scarlett said. “There’s something special about mastering subjects through your favorite games.”

    Marc Joubert, head of NASEF South Africa, emphasized the impact of the partnership:

    “GameClass is a game-changer! It aligns perfectly with the learning experiences we aim to create. Students will be more engaged than ever, platform analytics will help identify learning deficiencies early, allowing for targeted interventions to improve student outcomes and teachers will save time with a platform designed to make their lives easier.”

    Scarlett, who self-funded GameClass, wasn’t actively seeking investment but remains open to opportunities that accelerate adoption.

    “I’ve been blown away by the support,” he said. “Gaming studios and developers are reaching out to support our mission to bring video game education to all students. I believe we’ll partner with several gaming companies to expand GameClass quickly.”

    GameClass is also breaking new ground in inclusivity. The platform includes special education features, sign language integration, and AI-driven lesson creation. The interactive editor empowers students to demonstrate subject mastery through video games, fostering creativity and deeper learning.

    For more information or to connect with Skyler Scarlett, contact:

    skyler@gameclass.ai

    www.GameClass.ai

    www.GameClass.net

    About GameClass
    GameClass is an EdTech platform that turns video games into interactive learning experiences, enabling students to engage with educational content through the games they love.

    About NASEF South Africa
    NASEF, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides scholastic esports opportunities to students and educators worldwide, promoting learning, leadership, and career pathways through gaming.

    Source: GameClass

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  • 50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

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    things you can say to encourage a child

    by TeachThought Staff

    There are many ways to encourage a child, but for students of any age, honest, authentic, and persistent messages from adults that have credibility in their eyes are among the most powerful.

    The National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning has put together the following list, 50 Ways To Encourage A Child. It was designed for younger students (head start/kindergarten), but with the exception of 4, 17, 21, and maybe 40, they’re actually useful for K-12 in general. It all depends on your tone, the situation, and who else is listening.

    In addition, they’ve got a couple of other useful documents under their tips for fostering teacher connections series you can check out as well.

    See also Sentence Stems To Replace ‘I Don’t Know’ Or ‘I Can’t’

    70 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child50 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    See also Need A Lift? Here Are 50 Books That Can Make You Happy

    70 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    Ed note: I started to revise this list and decided to do a follow-up post. I left a few of the sentence stems before the list itself.

    I respect how you…when…

    I noticed when you…and I think…

    You’re improving at…which I can tell is helping you by…

    There are a lot of wonderful things about you but today I’m noticing that…

    I tried…times and failed when I tried to…. Stick with it and you might surprise yourself.

    The way you…and…is allowing you to….

    You inspire me to be a better teacher by the way you…

    • Thumbs up.
    • You’re on the right track now.
    • You’ve worked so hard on that.
    • I heard you say how you feel. That’s great,
    • Oh, that turned out very well.
    • That’s coming along nicely.
    • I’m proud of the way you worked today.
    • You’ve just about got it.
    • That’s the best you’ve ever done.
    • You stayed so calm during that problem.
    • That’s it!
    • Now you’ve figured it out!
    • That’s quite an improvement.
    • I knew you could do it.
    • Congratulations.
    • I love hearing your words.
    • What a superstar you are.
    • You’ve solved the problem.
    • Keep working on it, you’re almost there!
    • Now you have it.
    • Your brain must be working hard, you figured that out quickly.
    • I bet you’re proud of yourself.
    • One more time and you’ll have it.
    • Great idea!
    • You’re amazing!
    • Terrific teamwork!
    • Nothing can stop you now.
    • You have such creative ideas.
    • That’s the way to do it.
    • Sensational!
    • You must have been practicing.
    • You handled that so well.
    • I like how you think.
    • Good remembering.
    • You know just what to do!
    • You really are persisting with this.
    • You expressed yourself so well.
    • You did it!
    • I knew you two could figure it out together.
    • Excellent job saying how you feel.
    • I know it’s hard, but you’re almost there.
    • Fantastic problem-solving!
    • I love hearing about your ideas.
    • I know that was hard for you, but you stayed so calm.
    • Yes!
    • Looked at how you help each other.
    • You finished faster because you worked together.
    • You kept trying!
    • Excellent try!
    • You are a creative thinker.

    20 More Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child

    I believe in you.

    I love how you keep improving with practice.

    You are capable of amazing things.

    You make a difference.

    Your effort is what matters most.

    I love how you keep going, even when it’s tough.

    You are a great problem solver.

    I love seeing you learn new things.

    You have a kind heart.

    You are so creative.

    It’s okay to make mistakes; that’s how we learn.

    I appreciate how you keep challenging yourself.

    Every time you try, you get better.

    I’m so lucky to know you.

    You are so thoughtful and caring.

    You make the world a better place.

    I see how much you’re learning and growing.

    You are important, and you matter.

    70 Things You Can Say To Encourage A Child; image attribution flickr user skokiemonumentpark

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    TeachThought Staff

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  • 5 ways to use crafts to drive deeper learning  

    5 ways to use crafts to drive deeper learning  

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    Key points:

    Who doesn’t love arts and crafts? From the early days of kindergarten, teachers have used crafts as a way to foster students’ curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills. This type of hands-on learning is often more fun than sitting at a desk and taking notes. It can even boost student communication and collaboration when they work in groups.

    Still, classroom crafts have the potential to be something much greater. By adhering to five simple strategies, teachers can elevate the role of crafts in our classrooms, transforming them from simple, aesthetic activities into powerful learning experiences that drive deeper understanding and engagement.

    Let’s dive into the five key strategies that will help foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge in ways that truly resonate with our students:

    1. Optimize: This first strategy is all about taking a simple craft and measuring how it performs. Instead of just making a model, push students to optimize their designs. For instance, rather than students creating a flower out of different materials, teachers could challenge them to design a hand-crafted pollinator that can transfer pollen as effectively as possible from one flower to another. Give the class specific criteria for success, as well as constraints under which they need to operate. This encourages creative thinking and helps students understand the value of efficiency.  
    2. Iterate: In engineering, iteration is everything. We want our students to embrace the process of designing, building, testing, and refining their projects. One common strategy is to have students build the tallest tower they can that will also survive a shake table’s earthquake. Students design a tower, calculate the cost of materials, record its height, and then evaluate how well it performs. Once the test has concluded, they go back and see if they can make the tower even better! It shows students that learning isn’t about getting it right the first time–it’s about learning through the process.    
    3. Explain: It’s crucial that students can articulate their reasoning and understanding behind their creations. When they design something, they should be able to explain why it works and how it relates to the concepts they’re learning. This involves teaching students to think like scientists–make a claim, provide evidence, and explain their reasoning. This process can be used in a variety of activities, from having students share why their tower survived the shake table, to why their artificial pollinator is the most effective. What matters is that it supports the development of strong communication skills and a deeper grasp of the subject matter. 
    4. Evaluate: Critical thinking comes into play when students evaluate their work and the work of their peers. By assessing their designs against specific criteria, they learn to think critically about what makes a project successful and how it can be improved. Like iteration, evaluation and self-evaluation give students an opportunity to refine their work and explore new ideas. The best thing a student can do is to always ask, “Why?”
    5. Impact: Finally, we want our students to think beyond the classroom and consider the real-world impact of their work. There are numerous examples of young people around the world who created astounding inventions to benefit their local community. By sharing these examples in class, students can learn that their knowledge is applicable to their own backyard. Whether it’s designing a solar-powered water heater or a braille printer from LEGO Mindstorms, students should understand how their innovations can make a difference. This strategy also encourages socially and environmentally responsible thinking.

    While there’s nothing wrong with traditional crafts, teachers can leverage these activities and develop the skills our students need to succeed in the 21st century. Now is the time to transform our classrooms with meaningful, hands-on activities that promote deeper learning through creative and thoughtful teaching practices. Let’s make every craft count!

    Latest posts by eSchool Media Contributors (see all)

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    Ben Talsma, Van Andel Institute for Education

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  • Tone In Teaching: 20 Words That Can Change How Students Think

    Tone In Teaching: 20 Words That Can Change How Students Think

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    Tone In Teaching: 20 Words That Can Change How Students Think

    by Terry Heick

    While I often talk about ‘scale’ as one of the primary challenges in education–and have also wondered about curriculum, too–a more subversive concept constantly at play throughout education is tone.

    As an ‘English’ teacher, I always explained tone to students as a kind of  ‘attitude’ that can be expressed in a variety of implicit and explicit ways–from words (said and unsaid) and body language to voice tone, timing, irony, and any other modality used to communicate ideas.

    How Students See Themselves Matters

    Tone affects how students see themselves and their role in the learning process. In fact, a student’s own ongoing internal dialogue and thoughts about themselves and their self-identity as learners isn’t just a ‘factor’ in learning but one of the single most important factors.

    Imagine you were preparing to go on stage to dance in front of some kind of an audience. Consider the possible scenarios:

    Scenario 1: You can’t dance and you know you can’t dance

    Scenario 2: You can’t dance but believe that you can

    Scenario 3: You can dance but believe that you can’t

    Scenario 4: You can dance and you know you can dance

    How many of these scenarios are likely to yield a ‘good’ dancing performance? In addition to being honest with one’s self, internal ‘self-talk’ and your own perception about yourself matters, too. Without the right tone during the ‘interactions of learning described above, everything feels–and often functions–all wrong.

    An Example Of Tone In An Interaction With A Student

    Our underlying assumptions (about everything) impact tone greatly and come across plainly in our phrasing and language choice during our interactions with students.

    Think about the difference between saying, ‘Tyler, what answer did you have for #3?’ and ‘What are some possible responses for #3 that might make sense?’ Suddenly it’s not a matter of ‘Tyler’ and what he ‘has’ as an answer. Nor does he feel as put on the spot. He still may not feel empowered to answer freely and may not have a clue how to answer. But the tone in the latter is completely different, shifting from a matter of accuracy to a matter of possibility.

    Part of this is about using a growth mindset with students so that they are more likely to do so themselves. But while tone is generally a cause, as we stated above, it can also be an effect; that is, the tone of the classroom is created by–in part–the tone and underlying implications of the language used within it. With that in mind, below are some words and phrases that can greatly impact the tone of learning in your classroom.

    To have the desired effect (i.e., establishing a tone to the learning process where students feel supported, empowered, safe, and absolutely integral to their own success), context matters, of course. How this does or doesn’t work varies wildly on everything from the age of the students to your own personality and teaching style and so on. The collection below is only meant to introduce you, as a teacher, to the possibility of language that empowers learners.

    Further, note that these words aren’t necessarily ‘good’ or ‘bad.’  The point is that tone matters and is hugely adjustable through words and phrases, and some of those words and phrases appear below.

    Tone In Teaching And Interactions With Students: 20 Words That Change How Students Think

    Might

    This one was one of the most useful words I use as a teacher. By disarming the question of outright students and only asking students to surmise, ‘might’ can create a tone of accessibility for many questions.

    Consider the difference:

    “Why does so much literature depend on symbolism for effect?”

    “What might literature depend on symbolism for effect?”

    In the latter, you’re not asking for an answer, you’re asking for a hunch.

    Need

    “I need…” or “You need…” can express a kind of sympathy and utility, but often are used instead to make a specific declaration or even accusation “You need to be…” or “I need you to…” Overall, need is an urgent word that, if overused or imprecisely applied, can create a negative tone that decenters actual learning and inquiry in favor of procedure and compliance.

    Obviously, that doesn’t mean that using the word ‘need’ is bad. Like any word, its semantic effect varies wildly depending on application. The point here is to be as intentional (not necessarily as ‘careful’) as possible–to use language by design to promote student growth.

    We

    If you shift from ‘you’ to ‘we,’ the burden and possibility and work of learning also shift, from singular to ‘all of us.’

    Me

    By talking about yourself–or encouraging students to talk about themselves and their role in the learning process–students are better to see those roles while also hearing others discuss how they see their own role, performance, anxieties, goals, habits, preferences, etc. For example, a teacher saying “For me, being on time gives me extra time to organize myself and settle in to new environments” can help students see the teacher reflecting on themselves, their choices, and their preferences.

    In short, the word ‘me’ personalizes thinking–for better or for worse.

    You

    The word ‘you’ immediately centers the student and their role, responsibility, etc. It is not ambiguous or unclear, it creates a tone of specificity and accountability.

    Pronouns

    ‘What if we…’ vs ‘What if you…’ vs ‘What if (no pronoun)…’?

    Whether you use a singular or personal pronoun–or personal or indefinite pronoun–affects tone. Even choosing to use no pronoun at all matters.

    Consider a situation where you’re discussing an upcoming unit and say “We are going to learn how the environment is impacted by…” Saying, “You are going to learn how the environment is impacted by…” is a bit different–more immediate. If you choose no personal pronoun at all by saying, “How the environment is impacted by…is going to be learned,” it sounds funny and likely wouldn’t be used that way, but it’s clear how pronouns affect tone.

    Why

    Why is a great probing, clarifying, and critical thinking question useful in almost any assessment or line of questioning. Why asks the students to consider macro ideas like purpose and function–not just “When was immigration…” but “Why was immigration…”

    Even prefacing the word ‘Why’ with the word ‘But’ creates a slightly more playful tone. “But why?” is a bit more playful than the blank “Why?” If you want that playfulness depends on the desired effect of the question.

    The tone established by the word ‘Why’ is one of inquiry and understanding and also makes room for much of the subjectivity inherent in knowledge. ‘When’ is, more or less, objective; ‘Why’ is, more or less, subjective.

    Cause and Effect

    Using the words ’cause’ and ‘effect’ can impose objectivity and analysis on a situation that’s otherwise emotionally charged. If a student is anxious or overly-confident or confused, by focusing on the cause and effect of a context, it’s easier to remove the emotion and see what’s going on and why. In that why, ’cause’ and ‘effect’ can create a tone that leads to clinical (and sometimes ‘cold’) analysis.

    An example? “The project running six days behind schedules was, in part, caused by…”

    Also, “The effect of your keeping up with your reading journal was…”

    Both emphasize process, while creating an analytical tone, can be useful in helping students develop an understanding of process and procedure.

    Love

    Discussing ‘love’ and affections don’t always have a place in academic learning. They’re also overused (“I love your writing!”) and so become emptied of meaning. But if students are able to talk about what they genuinely love, the classroom, at worst, becomes a warmer place.

    Think

    The shift from ‘know’ to ‘think’ is similar to the shift from ‘Why did…?” to “why might…?”

    It doesn’t ask students to ‘know’ but rather to simply ‘think’: “Why do you think that might have happened?”

    As with many other words on this list, it makes the learning–and any answers, for example–feel more accessible.

    If

    ‘If…then…’ phrasing can help students see the conditional circumstances–cause and effect, for example. You might say, “If you ask for help and work hard, then you’ll have a greater chance of doing well during this course,” or “If you assume the best in others, then you’ll have a better chance of making friends.”

    ‘If you had to guess, what would you say?’

    ‘What’s your hunch?’

    Possible

    What’s possible in this class? What’s possible with gifts like yours? What’s possible with your project?

    ‘What’s possible’ asks students to imagine and dream and think forward–ideally with hope and positive presuppositions. It’s different than ‘What are…’ and ‘What will…’ and other more concrete phrasing that asks students to know rather than speculate or wonder.

    Might can also work together with possible to great effect: “What’s possible…” might works to help the student wonder: “What might happen if…”

    An extreme example of this? “I’m not sure but if I had to guess I might say that…”

    Though uncertain, this approach provides a kind of rope or ladder to a student willing to try in lieu of confidence or certainty. Model this throughout the year and you just might find students using it as well–thus coming to see knowledge as inherently uncertain.

    Tomorrow

    As with all of the words on this list, the tone established by the word ‘tomorrow’ depends greatly on timing and context–and even the tone of voice used to vocalize the word. Ideally, the word ‘tomorrow’ is used to frame today’s learning and tomorrow’s possibility. It asks students to consider what may come and what their role may be in that, not to mention the further-off ‘tomorrow’ of the future.

    No

    This one’s pretty obvious. If you want a certain and unambiguous tone, use the word ‘no’ firmly. There are times where boundaries need to be set and clarity is necessary. This isn’t ‘bad’–just be aware that a tone is being established with all of your language and use it as mindfully as possible.

    Other common words that contribute greatly to tone in learning: Improvement, But, Because, Need, Hello, Good, Bad, Always, Never, Stop, Interesting, Maybe, I wonder…, Next time, Trouble, Help, Believe.

    Tone In Teaching: 20 Words That Change How Students Think

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    Terrell Heick

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  • 10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

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    Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    by TeachThought Staff

    Team-building activities are great–especially for the first day of school or early in the school year,

    Not only can they help establish routines, tone, and expectations, they’re also fun, and can help learners feel comfortable. Though many older students in high school and college may groan at their thought, they’re usually fun, and great ways to help students feel at ease. Before you dismiss them as too juvenile, try one. You might be surprised.

    Note that which game you choose, your rules for the game, and any revisions to the rules depend on the nature of the class you’re using them with. Certain students may feel overly liberated—especially in middle school—with the idea of a ‘game,’ and so expectations must be carefully given to younger K-8 learners—and even 9-12—to ensure that every student is set up for success.

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School

    1. Me Too!

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    The first student gives a fact about themselves—I love basketball, I have two sisters, etc. If that statement or fact is true about another student, they stand up and say “Me too!” They can also stay seated, but simply raise their hand and say “Me too!” 

    2. Park Bench

    Ideal Grade Levels: 6-20

    Two chairs are placed together to resemble a park bench. Two students volunteer—or are selected—to act out ‘what happened’ in a fictional news story. They are given one minute to prepare a scene where they discuss the ‘event’ without ever actually saying what happened. After given time period (1-5 minutes), peers guess ‘what happened,’ but they must give up all four important details: Who, What, Where, and When, e.g.:

    What: College Basketball game

    Who: Any two college or professional sports teams

    When: Early April

    Where: New Orleans

    3. Fact or Fiction

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-12

    In a circle, the first student offers two facts and one piece of fiction about themselves. Others raise their hand or are called on to identify which were facts, and which were fiction. The correct guesser goes next. Play is completed when all students have gone.

    4. Green Door

    Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

    A leader chooses a topic, but keeps it quiet, only saying that “You can bring a ____ through the green door.” Students are then forced to deduce the topic by asking if other things can be brought through the green door as well, e.g., “Can I bring a _____ through the green door?”

    The leader can only reply yes or no. When a topic is identified, topic resets. Topics can be content-related, such as parts of speech, colors, geometric figures, historical figures, etc.

    5. One Minute Talk

    Ideal Grade Levels: 5-20

    Students are chosen to give 60-second talks on anything, from self-selected topics they are passionate about, have specific expertise in, etc., to topics given from teacher. Classmates can then follow-up with one thing–no matter how innocuous–that they can ‘connect’ to or is somehow related to their life.

    6. Count to Ten

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

    All students stand in a circle. The first student says ‘1,’ or ‘1, 2.’ The next student picks up where that student left off and can say a maximum number of 2 numbers. The movement continues clockwise until it gets to 10, where that student has to sit, and the game starts back over at 1 at the next student.

    Note that there can be no pausing or silent counting—any pauses or indications the student is counting/calculating forces them to sit. Also, pouting or talking during counting results in elimination from future rounds. The big idea is to count strategically so that you can keep from saying ’10.’

    You can read more about How To Play The Count To Ten Team-Building Game.

    7. I Never

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    Students form a circle. The first student says something they’ve never done. Each student that has done the thing the other student has not steps briefly into the center. The game continues until every person has stated something they’ve done.

    8. Magic Ball

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-20

    Students form a circle. The first student is ‘given’ an imaginary magic ball. The student sculpts an imaginary ball into a new shape, handing it to the person to their right. The activity is silent. Any talking/noise results in student sitting. After the game, guessing may be done to predict what ‘sculpture’ was.

    9. Silent Line

    Ideal Grade Levels: K-8

    Students are given criteria, and must silently put themselves in a line as quickly as possible, to meet a goal, compete against other classes, or receive some reward (free reading time, no homework, etc.) The criteria can simple (birthdays), or slightly more complicated (alphabetical order of college or career ambition).

    10. Inside-Outside Circle

    Ideal Grade Levels: 3-20

    Students form a circle within a circle with (ideally) an equal number of students in both circles. Inside circle members pair with outside circle members. Activity leader (usually teacher, but can be a student) presents a topic, prompt, or question.

    Partners share for 10 seconds (or less), the leader asks inside the circle to move clockwise a certain number of spaces to collaborate with new partners directly across from them. This is usually content focuses and helps spur quick discussion on content-related topics, or even current events.

    10 Team-Building Games For The First Day Of School; Source ‘The Advisory Book’ by Linda Crawford

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    TeachThought Staff

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  • The 33 Best Books For Students Who Don’t Like To Read

    The 33 Best Books For Students Who Don’t Like To Read

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    best books for students who don't like to read

    “Let’s get out our [independent/book club/whole class] books and open to page __!”

    At least one student in the room experiences a shudder of disdain and a wave of despondency each time such words are uttered (many more students are likely experiencing this emotional response to the dread of reading on the inside).

    Why Do Students Hate Reading?

    Some students are revolted by the prospect of reading. Several common findings show up from teachers’ reports:

    • They haven’t found a book, author, or genre yet that they like, and they don’t know where to begin
    • They would prefer to occupy their time with different forms of media or more kinesthetic activities
    • They find reading boring — not long after they start reading, they lose track of their place, get annoyed by having to reread difficult passages, or tune out when the author goes on and on about seemingly insignifcant details
    • They have been ‘forced’ to read books in middle school that they didn’t enjoy, either because the books were neither interesting, relevant, nor accessible
    • Their grades in ELA are somewhat dependent on scores from AR (accelerated reader) tests/quizzes, the questions of which mainly prompt students to recall basic information about the plot

    See also What Are The Best Novels In Verse For Middle & High School Readers?

    Here’s the thing — all of these reasons are totally valid. It can be physically and mentally challenging to decode a text that may be full of difficult vocabulary, unfamiliar cultural references, background/historical knowledge, and more. It can be emotionally straining to tackle controversial or sensitive topics. Additionally, teachers who engage students in reading through whole-class novels alone (as opposed to including independent reading or smaller book club groups) risk isolating and turning off readers for the sake of what feels like efficiency. At some point between elementary school and high school, many students fall out of love with reading, an act that used to involve play and imagination and risk and creativity and fun. Add in multiple-choice exams and reading timelines and annotations, and the magic is understandably less apparent.

    In What I Tell Students When They Say They Don’t Like to Read, Terry Heick shares with a hypothetical student: “If you say you ‘hate reading,’ that means you hate ideas and emotions. Feeling things. Exploring things. Achieving things. Next time you say you hate reading, say instead, ‘I hate feeling things,’ or ‘I hate stories and ideas written with words on pieces of paper that can help me achieve anything I’ve dreamed and can help me dream if I haven’t.’”

    Such a statement might warrant a good chuckle to a student who is struggling with reading. As educators, sharing one’s own challenges with reading — as a child, teen, and adult — can help reluctant readers feel like they’re less alone and reduce the pressure to appear like they’re engaged in a book they can’t stand. What comes next? An awesome book to reignite enjoyment in reading. Here’s where we can help.

    We’ve compiled a list of 33 of the best books for students who don’t like to read. How did these books make it onto our list?

    • The books are often told by multiple narrators
    • The books are written by diverse authors
    • The books are written in different forms
    • The books are accessible for readers of all levels
    • The books touch on topics that are relevant to students’ lives today
    • The books touch on topics that adults often try to shield teens from reading (even though teens are experiencing them vicariously or in real life)

    See Also 12 Reasons Students Don’t Read And What You Can Do About It

    Upon finishing these books, students are likely to ask an ELA teacher’s five favorite words, “What should I read next?” The great thing about these books is that many of them are part of a series, many are written by authors who have since published additional books, and many can act as a bridge to a new genre (like historical fiction, mystery, poetry, or memoir). The more a student can find and read books that are enjoyable and meaningful, the more confident they will become in identifying books they think they will like.

    We hope these books are catalysts for your students and for teachers, who might benefit from venturing outside of the traditional canon and experimenting with new ways of fostering a love of reading in their classes.

    Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy here.

    The Best Books for Students Who Don’t Like to Read

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

    Xiomara ‘X’ Batista shares her challenges with relationships, dealing with her overbearing mother, and using her voice in a world that wants her to be silent. Students will relate to X’s passion and attitude, as well as her bravery in saying difficult things out loud. As a novel written in free verse, The Poet X is accessible to students who may be intimidated by longer texts written in prose.

    The Crossover Series by Kwame Alexander

    Start with The Crossover — Book 1 in this series — and students will be clamoring for the sequels once they’ve finished! Twin brothers Josh and Jordan Bell are twin ballers in middle school who compete on and off the court. Their father’s illness becomes a game-changer for the family, which both boys deal with in different ways. Also written in free verse, this series promises to boost the confidence of readers who generally avoid longer novels.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

    Junior is one of the most entertaining and relatable protagonists from the books on this list. As a teenage boy growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation, Junior is shunned when he leaves his school to attend an all-white school on the other side of town to play basketball. Junior self-deprecatingly shares his daily struggles in navigating two cultures and forging his own path.

    13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

    After his friend Hannah Baker takes her own life, Clay Jensen is surprised to discover a package with thirteen cassette tapes on his porch. In the first tape, Hannah shares that there are 13 reasons why she decided to end her life and that Clay is one of them. As he listens to each tape, he learns more about the pain Hannah endured on a regular basis, as well as the people in her life who harmed her. Students enjoy the multiple perspectives and suspense within this novel, which keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

    Fast-paced, action-packed, and full of themes that teens are grappling with in the present — dystopian novels tend to be a popular genre with reluctant readers. This trilogy is no exception. In this dystopian setting ‘the Society’ makes choices for its citizens: what to read, what to watch, what to believe, and the person with whom they’re most compatible. When Cassia witnesses a glitch in her matching ceremony, she becomes determined to find out which of two options might be best suited for her.

    Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

    Readers get hooked with Maze Runner — a dystopian novel where a teenage boy named Thomas wakes up in a strange place with unfamiliar boys, and a towering maze full of deadly predators. The only want to get out is through the maze, but no one has ever made it out alive. Readers will quickly become hooked to the engaging plot — thank goodness there’s a series!

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Gym Candy by Carl Deuker

    Gym Candy is particularly attractive to students who are also athletes. It tells the story of a high school football player who is extremely competitive (with others and himself), and who encounters an option to give him even more of an edge — steroids. Readers will be drawn in by Mick’s inner dialogue and drive to be the best.

    House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

    Matteo is a monster — at least, that’s how society views him. Harvested in the womb of a cow by his father, El Patrón (lord of a country called Opium), Matteo is a teen when this novel commences. He knows that he must escape the dangerous confines of his father’s estate to avoid power-hungry family members, but how will he survive on the outside?

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

    Alan Gratz might be the best kryptonite for students who don’t like to read, and Prisoner B-3087 is a great entry point to Gratz’s style. Yanek is a Jewish boy living in Poland during the Nazi takeover. Once he is taken prisoner, the words PRISONER B-3087 are tattooed on his arm. From that point, he travels to ten different concentration camps, where he experiences terrible forms of torture, starvation, and forced labor.

    The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

    This one’s not your average love story! Hazel feels defined by her cancer diagnosis. When she meets Augustus Waters in a Cancer Kid Support Group, her outlook on life and her own future change rapidly. Readers will fall for the authentic characters and the devastating conclusion that leaves them with a choice — to keep letting the negative things in life define us, or to persist.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Trilogy by Jenny Han

    Why is it so fun to read about embarrassing things that happen to people? At the beginning of this series, Lara Jean’s five crushes all receive the love letters that she has written to them in private over the last several years. What a nightmare! Readers will enjoy watching how Lara Jean navigates the relationships simultaneously and want to move quickly on to the next books in the series.

    Crank by Ellen Hopkins

    Crank is one of over ten books written by Ellen Hopkins, whose books are all written in verse, and whose difficult topics include drug abuse, sexual assault, suicide, and depression — all things that 21st-century teenagers are exposed to, in various ways. In Crank, Kristina Snow starts out as a reserved, people-pleasing high school junior, but after she spends the summer at her father’s house and gets addicted to crystal meth, everything changes. As dark as Hopkins’ books can be, they provide an opportunity for readers to vicariously experience the destructive nature of drugs.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    White Smoke by Tiffany Jackson

    Students who have moved from place to place (or family to family) might relate well to Marigold, who finds herself living in a haunted house (despite its picture-perfect appearance). Weird things keep happening — harmless at first — but then Mari starts to hear voices and smell foul odors. Readers will soon discover that the secrets of the house on Maple Street are an extension of the town of Cedarville’s secrets.

    All-American Boys by Brendan Kiely & Jason Reynolds

    16-year-old Rashad is arrested for shoplifting. But here’s the thing — he didn’t do anything wrong. Quinn (Rashad’s white classmate) watches the cop assault and arrest Rashad at the bodega. Here’s the other thing — the cop has raised Quinn since Quinn’s father died in Afghanistan. As the entire community takes sides on the encounter, Quinn is the only witness who struggles with doing the right thing and what that might mean for his relationships. Readers will enjoy hearing this story, which is told from the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Books 1-4) by Jeff Kinney

    If you teach a group of high school students who don’t like to read and ask them if there were any books they enjoyed in middle school, it’s likely that Diary of a Wimpy Kid was that sole book. Greg is an extremely relatable protagonist attending middle school and dealing with bullies, hormones, puberty, and social dynamics. When his friend Rowley starts to become more popular, and Greg tries to ride Rowley’s coattails to middle school elite status, hilarity ensues. The novel features funny drawings on each page, making it an accessible selection for students who are intimidated by longer prose novels.

    Restart by Gordon Korman

    Ever since Chase fell off the roof, odd things are happening. His memory is wiped out. He can’t even remember his own name, at first. People at his school start to treat him differently upon his return, and Chase sets out to discover who he was before the fall, and who he wants to be now that he has a second chance.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

    Who doesn’t love a story of a dysfunctional family? The family in We Were Liars is full of secrets. Four sisters (plus their spouses and children) all vacation together on a private island for the summer. Four of the sisters’ children forge what feels like an unbreakable bond until lies and secrets are revealed. Students will be desperate to learn which family member is responsible for a devastating event that happens on the island, and who will survive the aftermath…

    One Of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

    We’re not going to lie…the plot of this book starts off very similar to The Breakfast Club. On a random afternoon, five high school students have detention. One is a nerd, another a beauty, another a rebel, another an athlete, and another an outcast. Before the end of the detention session, one of them dies. How? Is it an accident? Or did someone have a motive? What about the fact that the outcast was going to spill the tea on all four of peers in detention? Readers will love trying to figure out who is guilty in this page-turner.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

    There is a monster living in Conor’s backyard. The same monster from his nightmares that have plagued him since his mother became ill. The monster tells Conor that it will tell him three true stories and that Conor must then tell his own true story. If Conor lies, however, the monster will consume him. Among those stories, readers learn about Conor’s loneliness, his deadbeat father, his aloof grandmother, and the bullies that torment him at school.

    The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

    In this thrilling tale, a court nobleman recruits four orphans (including a rebellious boy named Sage) to impersonate the king’s long-lost son and become a ‘puppet prince.’ Readers will enjoy watching Sage and his three friends compete against one another, only to discover that they are all being taken advantage of. Even better, there are three more books that follow in the saga!

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

    Many of our reluctant readers seem to enjoy books with multiple narrators — especially unreliable ones! This is Where It Ends is set in the middle of a school shooting and is told from multiple perspectives over the span of 54 minutes. Tyler is the gunman. His sister Autumn (and her secret girlfriend Sylv) try to stay calm. Tomás (Sylv’s brother) tries to help a group of students and teachers who are trapped in a room with Tyler. Claire (Tyler’s ex-girlfriend) feels helpless outside of the school walls. While there’s no happy ending, students will be captivated by this gripping, emotionally charged selection.

    Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older

    Something strange is going on in Brooklyn. After a dead body breaks up Sierra’s first party of the summer, and the murals in her neighborhood start to cry literal tears, Sierra soon discovers the magic of shadowshaping — an art that instills the spirits of ancestors into artwork. As someone starts killing shadowshapers, Sierra must protect herself and the generations of future shadowshapers.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

    The protagonist of this novel — 13-year-old Brian — is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. Left with only the clothes on his back and a hatchet from his mother, Brian must learn how to survive. As he learns how to build a shelter, hunt, forage, and make fire, he must also come to terms with his mother’s infidelity and the relationship he wants to have with his father. Will he ever be rescued? And if he is, how will he face his parents?

    Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

    We haven’t heard of a student who started reading this book and failed to fall in love with it. Even the most resistant readers will relate to the protagonist — Will — who deliberates taking revenge on the person he believes murdered his older brother. Written in verse, and taking place within the span of an elevator ride down several floors, Long Way Down compels readers to think about the pros and cons of revenge.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

    At 12 years old, Jerome is killed by a cop who assumes that his toy gun is an actual weapon. Jerome returns as a ghost to witness the aftermath of his death — on his family and his community. During this time, Jerome meets the ghost of Emmett Till, who died under similar circumstances, and Sarah, the daughter of the cop.

    Percy Jackson & the Olympians Boxed Set by Rick Riordan

    Students love Percy Jackson books! Percy is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. From The Lightning Thief to The Last Olympian, readers will enjoy accompanying Percy on his hilarious and adventurous journeys alongside monsters, beasts, demigods, and other tricksters from Greek mythology.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

    Eleanor and Park are two 16-year-old misfits who meet on a school bus on Eleanor’s first day of 10th grade at a new high school in the year 1986. Brought together by a bullying incident, they begin to connect through their mutual interests. As they grow closer, Eleanor fears that Park will realize what she deals with at home — a drunk, abusive stepfather. Readers will enjoy getting to know these well-developed characters and following what happens to Eleanor after Park attempts to rescue her from her abusive home situation.

    Denton Little’s Death Date by Lance Rubin

    If you knew the exact date when you would die, how would that change how you lived out the rest of your life? In Denton’s world, everyone knows their death date. Unfortunately for Denton, a high school senior, his death date is scheduled for the day of his senior prom. Readers will laugh out loud at the embarrassing, awkward, and befuddling situations that Denton gets involved in prior to prom night.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

    15-year-old Lina is living in Lithuania with her family, until Soviet officers barge into her home, separate her father, mother, and younger brother onto crowded trains leading to Siberian work camps, and force them to survive the elements. Linda and her mother and brother are desperate to find their father but losing hope. As Linda documents the upheaval of her life, she hopes that the art she leaves behind will find its way into her father’s hands. Students who enjoy learning and reading about the Holocaust will enjoy learning about this lesser-told tale of the genocide of the Baltic people of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union.

    Unwind by Neal Shusterman

    Set in a dystopian society where abortion is outlawed, parents have the legal option to send their teenager to be ‘unwound’ upon reaching a certain age. You can be unwound for various reasons, but most are condemned to the unwinding facility for being rebellious, delinquent, or in rare cases, a religious sacrifice. What does it mean to be unwound? In a surgical procedure, doctors remove each part of the body — while the person is still conscious — until nothing remains. These parts get distributed to people who need them in the outside world. One of the most intriguing scenes of the book details the process of unwinding from a person experiencing it in real-time. Readers will root for the three main characters who share their perspectives and unite to topple the authority behind the unwinding system.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

    Here we have the only book on our list that is narrated by a dog — Enzo, to be exact. Enzo operates under the belief that a dog who is ‘prepared’ will be reincarnated as a human in its next life. Enzo absorbs as much knowledge as he can from the TV, specifically about his owner’s passion for race car driving. He witnesses his owner get married, have a child, deal with a terminal illness, and engage in a custody battle. Students who love dogs or have dogs as companions will fall in love with this tearjerker.

    Dear Martin by Nic Stone

    On the night of a big party, Justyce spots his ex-girlfriend attempting to start her car and drive home while intoxicated. A copy passing by assumes that Justyce is attempting to assault her, and arrests him in front of his classmates. To deal with the taunts and judgments from his peers, Justyce begins writing letters to the deceased Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Not too long after, Justyce and his best friend Manny are involved in another intense altercation with a cop, and shots are fired. Justyce is a compelling character, whose struggles are revealed through introspective letters to MLK.

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

    The Hate U Give is one of those books that everyone should read before graduating high school. Its protagonist — Starr Carter — does her best to navigate two worlds: her poor neighborhood and fancy prep school. When Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her (unarmed)childhood best friend at the hands of a cop, she is afraid that people will find out she was the only witness. It is unbearable to hear the media and schoolmates label her deceased friend as a thug who ‘deserved it,’ and as the pressure mounts, Starr decides to speak up.

    The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

    Natasha and Daniel are two teenagers living in New York City who meet on the day Natasha finds out her family is being deported back to Jamaica. Daniel is additionally struggling to meet the rigid and high expectations of his parents, who own a convenience store. Natasha is determined, wary, and practical. Daniel is outgoing, idealistic, and easy-going. In this case, opposites definitely attract, but how can they stop Natasha’s family from being deported to Jamaica, where Natash has never stepped foot?

    best books for students who don't like to readbest books for students who don't like to read

    Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi

    Based on Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, Pride tells the story of Zuri Benitez, daughter of a proud, Afro-Latino family in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn. When the wealthy Darcy family moves next door, Zuri comes to loathe them and their two teenage sons — Ainsley and Darius. As Zuri battles the expected trials of high school, she also has to balance pressures from her four sisters, attention from curious suitors, and dreaded college applications…not to mention, a growing shift in feelings toward Darius, the youngest Darcy brother. Readers will enjoy this classic tale retold in a modern, relatable voice.

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    TeachThought Staff

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  • 14 Ways To Help Students Build Confidence

    14 Ways To Help Students Build Confidence

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    Once it’s begun, it’s difficult to fully separate the person from the task. 

    When the artist is painting, the painter and the act of painting become a single ‘thing.’ The painting becomes a part of it all, too.

    As a teacher, your ‘self’ is embedded within your teaching—which is how it goes from ‘job’ to craft. The learning results are yours. You probably call them ‘your’ students. The same goes for students as well. There is a pleasing kind of string between the 8-year-old playing Minecraft and his or her digital creation.

    This is the magic of doing.

    But this also presents some problems. Students’ work and performance—both what they can and can’t do—are a part of who they are, and they are keenly aware of this. Even our language reflects this idea.

    Did you do your best on your homework? (As opposed to “Was the best work done on the assigned homework?”)

    Are you an A student? (As opposed to students who usually receive As on their report card.)

    Are you confused? (As opposed to awkward sounding but entirely logical “Do you have confusion?”)

    1. Recognize and adapt feedback loops.

    2. Emphasize mindset as central to success

    3. Improve metacognition/offer metacognitive strategies

    Other Ways To Build Confidence In Students

    4. Celebrate small victories (and don’t always call them small victories)

    5. Normalize (short-term) struggling (or call it a different word–like ‘grinding’)

    6. Let them see others struggle–but people credible to that student: entertainers, athletes, artists, etc.–and see them emerge from that struggle stronger for having endured.

    7. Help them understand that we all struggle with many things, and it’s our response to that struggle, not the struggle itself, that will dictate our suffering and ultimate success.

    8. Put them in positions to succeed, surprise themselves, etc.

    9. Consider additive grading (points go up through the grading period rather than down)

    10. Convince them that you truly believe in them (you saying it and them believing it can be different).

    11. Build knowledge. ‘Believing in them,’ of course, isn’t enough. They must have sufficient knowledge or experience with ideas and skills (‘content’) to ‘do well in school’ no matter how much you believe in them and how much they’re willing to buy into the struggle of human (cognitive) growth.

    12. Emphasize knowledge/learning as a marathon rather than a series of sprints. This ‘big picture’ perspective can help disarm short-term anxiety and help them settle in for the long haul of lifelong learning.

    Learning is personal.

    The Habits Your Students Retreat To

    So it makes sense that self-defense mechanisms kick in when they’re challenged. This can create all sorts of messes in the classroom that you could spend the entire year chasing down.

    Lack of apparent curiosity.

    Apathy.

    Refusal to take risks.

    Decreased creativity.

    Defeated tones.

    Scrambles for shortcuts.

    It just might be that these are all symptoms rather than causes. That is, symptoms of not wanting to make mistakes, fail, be corrected, or be thought of less by peers. As teachers, though, we tend to see them as causes of the mediocre work we can sometimes see.

    How we feel and think of ourselves matters in learning. Confidence, self-knowledge, interdependence, curiosity, and other learning abstractions are all as critical as reading level and writing strategies.

    See also How Project-Based Learning Can Promote Social-Emotional Learning Skills

    When students confront new content (e.g., a lesson with new ideas), circumstances (e.g., a collaborative project with students from another school), or challenges (e.g., self-direction in the face of distraction), their responses may not always be ideal.

    But as teachers, we do the same thing. We may begin an open-ended unit that attempts to use a learning simulation to allow students to toy with STEM concepts, but the minute things don’t work out, we can often retreat to bad habits.

    Scripted work. Negativity. Essays as assessment.

    Talktalktalktalktalktalktalk.

    Confidence, interdependence, curiosity, and other abstractions are all equally critical as reading level and writing strategies.

    4 Questions For Self-Knowledge & Reflection For Students

    So in the face of a challenge, what do your students ‘retreat to’? Below are four questions they can use to begin this kind of reflection and self-awareness.

    1. How do I respond when I’m challenged–intellectually, emotionally, physically, etc.? Do I see the difference in each of these categories of response?
    2. Which resources and strategies do I tend to favor, and which do I tend to ignore?
    3. What can I do to make myself more aware of my own thinking and emotions?
    4. What happens if I don’t change anything at all?

    5 Ways To Create More Confident Students: Promoting Self-Awareness & Metacognition In The Classroom

    So if these are the kinds of questions we face as educators, and the reality students face as emerging independent thinkers, how can we begin to promote this kind of behavior in the classroom? And further, how can we establish these actions as habits—thoughtless actions that students initiate on their own with little to no prompting?

    Like anything, it is first a matter of visibility—understanding what is necessary, seeing it when it happens, emphasizing and celebrating it, etc. In the classroom, this might be stopping during an especially teachable moment when you sense students struggling—or responding well—and having them journal, share thoughts with elbow partners, or somehow reflect on both the challenge and their response. To improve student confidence, you must first find the source of their lack of confidence.

    See Statement Stems To Help Students Develop A Growth Mindset and Metacognitive Prompts For Students.

    Second, it is a matter of practice. Anything complex or unnatural requires repetition. The more students see themselves face major and minor challenges in the classroom and then see the effects of their responses, the more conditioned they’ll be to respond ideally on their own.

    There is also the reality of the many feedback loops student interact in and through in our classrooms. (You can read more about that in What Is A Feedback Loop?) Creating more confident students means seeing and practicing (see above) feedback loops that tend to create opportunities to establish confidence and tend to not create opportunities that reduce confidence. For example, if a student is losing confidence in math because of test anxiety, we should consider that goal is to master math skills and concepts, not ‘do well on tests.’

    While we want students to perform well on any assessment, lacking confidence will obscure and/or invalidate assessment data. Put another way, their test scores may not reflect their grasp of content. To help this student develop more confidence in math, we’d first have to see this feedback loop for what it is (students worry about math –> perform poorly on math test –> their belief about themselves as this loop seemingly reinforces math students), then adjust or remove the loop: alter the assessment in some way (form, duration, complexity, etc.) or move to exit slip teaching for a short period of time to remove the punisher (i.e., bad test scores).

    Of course, learning to fail is a part of life and learning. The idea here is not to avoid negative events that may hurt confidence as this may have the opposite effect and reduce the likelihood that students will develop strength, perseverance, and the kind of mindset that will support them inside and outside of your classroom.

    Lastly, there is the possibility of some mindfulness coaching for students. Help them separate themselves from their work and related performance. Help them understand that our lives aren’t single decisions but a vast tapestry of connections, with any single moment, performance, or failure barely visible and only important as it relates to their lives as a whole.

    Closely related here are student mindset (including what they assume about themselves and any given assignment they might struggle with) and metacognition (seeing their own thinking, internal dialogue, etc.) and making adjustments as necessary.

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    Terrell Heick

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  • PROOF POINTS: How to get teachers to talk less and students more

    PROOF POINTS: How to get teachers to talk less and students more

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    Silence may be golden, but when it comes to learning with a tutor, talking is pure gold. It’s audible proof that a student is paying attention and not drifting off, research suggests. More importantly, the more a student articulates his or her reasoning, the easier it is for a tutor to correct misunderstandings or praise a breakthrough. Those are the moments when learning happens.

    One India-based tutoring company, Cuemath, trains its tutors to encourage students to talk more. Its tutors are in India, but many of its clients are American families with elementary school children. The tutoring takes place at home via online video, like a Zoom meeting with a whiteboard, where both tutor and student can work on math problems together. 

    The company wanted to see if it could boost student participation so it collaborated with researchers at Stanford University to develop a “talk meter,” sort of a Fitbit for the voice, for its tutoring site. Thanks to advances in artificial intelligence, the researchers could separate the audio of the tutors from that of the students and calculate the ratio of tutor-to-student speech.

    In initial pilot tests, the talk meter was posted on the tutor’s video screen for the entire one-hour tutoring session, but tutors found that too distracting. The study was revised so that the meter pops up every 20 minutes or three times during the session. When the student is talking less than 25 percent of the time, the meter goes red, indicating that improvement is needed. When the student is talking more than half the time, the meter turns green. In between, it’s yellow. 

    Example of the talk meter shown to tutors every 20 minutes during the tutoring session. Source: Figure 2 of Demszky et. al. “Does Feedback on Talk Time Increase Student Engagement? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial on a Math Tutoring Platform.”

    More than 700 tutors and 1,200 of their students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one where the tutors were shown the talk meter, another where both tutors and students were shown the talk meter, and a third “control” group which wasn’t shown the talk meter at all for comparison.

    When just the tutors saw the talk meter, they tended to curtail their explanations and talk much less. But despite their efforts to prod their tutees to talk more, students increased their talking only by 7 percent. 

    When students were also shown the talk meter, the dynamic changed. Students increased their talking by 18 percent. Introverts especially started speaking up, according to interviews with the tutors. 

    The results show how teaching and learning is a two-way street. It’s not just about coaching teachers to be better at their craft. We also need to coach students to be better learners. 

    “It’s not all the teacher’s responsibility to change student behavior,” said Dorottya Demszky, an assistant professor in education data science at Stanford University and lead author of the study. “I think it’s genuinely, super transformative to think of the student as part of it as well.”

    The study hasn’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal and is currently a draft paper, “Does Feedback on Talk Time Increase Student Engagement? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial on a Math Tutoring Platform,” so it may still be revised. It is slated to be presented at the March 2024 annual conference of the Society of Learning Analytics in Kyoto, Japan. 

    In analyzing the sound files, Demszky noticed that students tended to work on their practice problems with the tutor more silently in both the control and tutor-only talk meter groups. But students started to verbalize their steps aloud once they saw the talk meter. Students were filling more of the silences.

    In interviews with the researchers, students said the meter made the tutoring session feel like a game.  One student said, “It’s like a competition. So if you talk more, it’s like, I think you’re better at it.” Another noted:  “When I see that it’s red, I get a little bit sad and then I keep on talking, then I see it yellow, and then I keep on talking more. Then I see it green and then I’m super happy.” 

    Some students found the meter distracting.  “It can get annoying because sometimes when I’m trying to look at a question, it just appears, and then sometimes I can’t get rid of it,” one said.

    Tutors had mixed reactions, too. For many, the talk meter was a helpful reminder not to be long-winded in their explanations and to ask more probing, open-ended questions. Some tutors said they felt pressured to reach a 50-50 ratio and that they were unnaturally holding back from speaking. One tutor pointed out that it’s not always desirable for a student to talk so much. When you’re introducing a new concept or the student is really lost and struggling, it may be better for the teacher to speak more. 

    Surprisingly, kids didn’t just fill the air with silly talk to move the gauge. Demszky’s team analyzed the transcripts in a subset of the tutoring sessions and found that students were genuinely talking about their math work and expressing their reasoning. The use of math terms increased by 42 percent.

    Unfortunately, there are several drawbacks to the study design. We don’t know if students’ math achievement improved from the talk meter. The problem was that students of different ages were learning different things in different grades and different countries and there was no single, standardized test to give them all. 

    Another confounding factor is that students who saw the talk meter were also given extra information sessions and worksheets about the benefits of talking more. So we can’t tell from this experiment if the talk meter made the difference or if the information on the value of talking aloud would have been enough to get them to talk more.

    Excerpts from transcribed tutoring sessions in which students are talking about the talk meter. Source: Table 4 of Demszky et. al. “Does Feedback on Talk Time Increase Student Engagement? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial on a Math Tutoring Platform.”

    Demszky is working on developing a talk meter app that can be used in traditional classrooms to encourage more student participation. She hopes teachers will share talk meter results with their students. “I think you could involve the students a little more: ‘It seems like some of you weren’t participating. Or it seems like my questions were very closed ended? How can we work on this together?’”

    But she said she’s treading carefully because she is aware that there can be unintended consequences with measurement apps. She wants to give feedback not only on how much students are talking but also on the quality of what they are talking about. And natural language processing still has trouble with English in foreign accents and background noise. Beyond the technological hurdles, there are psychological ones too.

     “Not everyone wants a Fitbit or a tool that gives them metrics and feedback,” Demszky acknowledges.

    This story about student participation was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Proof Points newsletter.

    The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.

    Join us today.

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    Jill Barshay

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  • Friday 5: Teaching strategies for classroom success

    Friday 5: Teaching strategies for classroom success

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    Key points:

    All classrooms are different and require different teaching strategies to address various concerns, goals, and learning trends. Plus, it takes a dedicated teacher to employ the right teaching strategies for desired outcomes.

    What teaching strategy is the best?

    Various types of learning strategies are needed to boost student engagement and bring it to its highest levels.

    According to the Van Andel Institute for Education, every teacher hopes to ignite, empower, and engage the students who walk through their classroom door. Ample research has shown that student engagement is crucial to overall learning and long-term success. However, implementing this is easier said than done. To better ignite student curiosity and interest, teachers should consider trying at least one of these five strategies that help make student engagement second nature.

    What is the most effective method of teaching?

    Effective teaching strategies for gamification are possible–when implemented correctly and when learning goals are prioritized.

    Students don’t have to be video game fanatics to appreciate a gamified classroom lesson. When teachers turn a lesson or tough-to-teach concept into a motivational gamed or use a fun competition to teach new concepts, students become immersed in their learning and are often more engaged–meaning they’re more likely to retain information. Still, there’s an art to gamifying a lesson and ensuring that students are actually learning instead of just playing a game for points.

    Here’s how educators across the country are using tools–from Minecraft: Education Edition to Roblox and easy-to-access online resources–to gamify their lessons and help students engage with learning.

    What is an example of a good classroom strategy?

    A deeper look into teaching methods and strategies driving high academic growth has revealed 10 instructional strategies that use small changes to teaching practices leading toward growth outcomes for students.

    The findings come from a new study from K-12 assessment and research organization NWEA. The strategies fall into three main categories: optimizing instructional time, exposing students to more content, and empowering students.

    What is the most effective strategy for teaching?

    A one-size-fits-all approach to instruction doesn’t work when you want to empower everyone to succeed in the classroom, according to Samsung education industry experts. Many educators were forced to rethink how to keep students engaged, and pandemic-era learning has only further highlighted the importance of differentiated instruction.

    The forced disruption was also the catalyst for students and teachers to quickly acquire digital skills that are ripe to be amplified, taking them from consuming skills to creating skills. As teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans, they’re discovering various teaching methods and classroom tools effective in reaching and enriching the minds of all types of students—from visual and auditory to kinesthetic learners.

    Which teaching strategy would be most helpful?

    When it comes to special education classrooms, effective teaching methods can make all the difference. Two-thirds of schools with staffing shortages said special education is the hardest area to staff, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The demands on special education teachers are unlike any other position in schools, and because of shortages, you may be asked to tackle a bigger role than expected when you start.

    Still, there are five strategies that can help first-year special education teachers achieve success.

    Laura Ascione
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    Laura Ascione

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