The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public Private and Homeschool Teachers

How do you teach first graders to write about reading without overwhelming them?

In this first episode of my Writing About Reading Series, I'm sharing one of my classroom routines for teaching students to identify the main characters in a story. This simple strategy naturally blends reading and writing together, helping students strengthen comprehension while building confidence as young writers.

You'll hear how I introduce the routine, why I don't ask students to write too much too soon, and how one simple sentence starter helps reduce writing fatigue so students can focus on thinking about what they read.

I'll also share:

• Why identifying characters is a foundational comprehension skill
• How I model the activity before expecting independence
• How I use individual book baggies with books that match each student's reading needs
• Why we complete this activity every Monday
• How writing about reading naturally becomes part of our reading block
• Tips for supporting struggling writers without taking away their independence

Whether you're a classroom teacher, interventionist, homeschool parent, or tutor, you'll walk away with a practical routine you can begin using with your young readers.

🎁 Coming Soon: I am working on it as we speak!! Free Download: Grab the Writing About Reading Classroom Roadmap, a one-page guide that walks you through exactly how to introduce reading responses in first grade without overwhelming your students. This printable follows the same step-by-step process I share in this episode.

You can download today's free resource using the link in the show notes.

Thanks for listening to The Education Connection! Next week we'll continue our Writing About Reading Series by learning how to teach setting in a simple, developmentally appropriate way for young learners.

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Have you ever finished a read aloud and thought, "Now what should my students write?"

For many first graders, simply saying "Write about the story" is too broad. Young learners need a clear purpose for writing.

In this first episode of the Writing About Reading series, we'll explore two different types of writing after reading: understanding the story and thinking about the story. You'll discover why both are essential, how they work together to strengthen comprehension, and how giving students a specific writing focus leads to more meaningful responses.

Whether you're teaching characters, setting, sequencing, or later moving into comprehension strategies like connections, inferencing, and questioning, this framework will help you intentionally connect reading and writing throughout the year.

If you've ever wondered what students should write after a read aloud, this episode is the perfect place to begin.

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Do your students read the words but struggle to understand what they read?

In this episode of The Education Connection, we're wrapping up our Science of Reading series by focusing on the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension.

I'll share the seven comprehension strategies that have shaped my instruction over the years and explain how I teach them in my first-grade classroom. While my approach has been influenced by the professional book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins, I've adapted these ideas to meet the developmental needs of young readers.

We'll discuss:

🍎 Why background knowledge lays the foundation for comprehension

🍎 How I teach connections through text to self, text to text, and text to world

🍎 Simple ways to encourage questioning during reading

🍎 Helping students create mental images through visualization

🍎 Teaching inferencing by using clues from the text

🍎 How synthesizing helps students grow and change their thinking

🍎 Why monitoring comprehension is an ongoing habit of good readers

Throughout the episode, I'll share practical classroom examples and simple activities you can begin using during read alouds, guided reading, and small-group instruction.

If there's one takeaway from today's episode, it's this:

Good readers don't just read the words. Good readers think while they read.

🎁 Free Download

Be sure to grab this week's free Comprehension Strategies Teacher Reference. This one-page printable includes all seven strategies, a brief explanation of each one, and a simple classroom activity you can use right away.

Resources Mentioned

• 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins

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🎙 If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you would subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another teacher. Your support helps encourage and equip more educators as they help children become confident, lifelong readers.

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How do you effectively teach vocabulary in the primary classroom? In this episode of The Education Connection, we're exploring one of the essential components of the Science of Reading: vocabulary.

You'll learn why vocabulary instruction is critical for reading comprehension, how it differs from sight word practice, and simple classroom activities you can begin using immediately. Robin shares practical, teacher-friendly ideas including preteaching vocabulary before a read aloud, vocabulary scavenger hunts, and a hybrid activity that combines sight words with meaningful vocabulary instruction.

Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or work with struggling readers, these strategies will help your students develop stronger language skills and become more confident readers.

Get the FREEBIE that goes along with this episode. Vocabulary Graphic Organizer Activity

In this episode you'll learn:

• What vocabulary really is

• Why vocabulary matters for reading comprehension

• The difference between vocabulary instruction and sight word practice

• Easy vocabulary activities for elementary classrooms

• Practical Science of Reading strategies you can implement tomorrow

Today's Breath of Inspiration comes from 2 John 1:6, reminding us to faithfully walk in God's ways as we teach and encourage the children entrusted to us.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another teacher who loves helping students become lifelong readers.

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In this episode of The Education Connection, we're continuing our Science of Reading series by exploring one of the most important building blocks of reading success: phonics.

What is phonics, and why has it become such a major focus in reading instruction? Join me as we discuss how phonics helps students connect letters and sounds, decode unfamiliar words, and become confident readers.

You'll learn:

• What phonics is and how it fits into the Science of Reading

• Why phonics instruction is receiving renewed attention in education

• The typical sequence of phonics skills from simple to complex

• Practical classroom activities such as word building, word sorts, and decodable texts

• How phonics works alongside phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension to develop skilled readers

Whether you're a classroom teacher, interventionist, homeschool parent, or literacy enthusiast, this episode will provide a clear overview of phonics and practical ideas you can use right away.

Click here for the FREE poster that accompanies this episode. Phonics Poster FREE

Scripture Focus: 1 John 5:20 (CSB)

Thank you for listening to The Education Connection. Be sure to subscribe and join us next time as we continue our Science of Reading series with a discussion on vocabulary and its role in reading success.

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In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue our Science of Reading series by exploring fluency and why it is such an important bridge between phonics and comprehension. Learn the three components of fluency: accuracy, rate, and prosody, and discover simple classroom strategies that help students become confident, expressive readers. Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, or beyond, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can use right away to support reading success.

• The 5 components of the Science of Reading

• What fluency is (and what it isn't)

• Accuracy, rate, and prosody explained

• Simple fluency activities for the classroom

• Encouragement for teachers from Galatians

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What is phonemic awareness, and why is it so important for beginning readers?

In this first episode of our Science of Reading series, I break down what phonemic awareness is, why it matters, and how you can teach it in your classroom, tutoring sessions, or homeschool lessons.

We'll discuss:

• What phonemic awareness is (and what it is not)

• Examples of blending, segmenting, deleting, and manipulating sounds

• Simple phonemic awareness activities you can use right away

• How phonemic awareness connects to phonics instruction

• Why reading skills should be taught systematically and revisited throughout the year

I'll also share a resource that many teachers use for structured phonemic awareness instruction and explain how these skills fit into the bigger picture of reading success.

As always, we'll end with a scripture and prayer for educators.

Be sure to download the free Phonemic Awareness Sample Activity linked in the show notes and scan the QR code to connect with future episodes in this Science of Reading series.

Next week-Phonics: Connecting Sounds to Print

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Have you been hearing the term Science of Reading and wondering what it actually means?

In this episode of The Education Connection, I share my perspective and explore what the Science of Reading is and how it connects to the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

As I learned more about the Science of Reading, I realized that many of these components have been part of reading instruction for years. At the same time, the conversation has encouraged me to reflect on my own teaching practice and consider how all five components work together to help children become successful readers.

In this episode, we'll:

• Define the Science of Reading

• Explore the five essential components of reading

• Look at practical classroom examples of each component

• Discuss why all five components matter

• Reflect on what the Science of Reading means for educators today

This episode is about learning, growing, and keeping our focus on helping children become confident, capable readers.

Over the next several weeks, we'll dive deeper into each of the five components of reading and explore practical strategies that teachers, tutors, homeschool parents, and caregivers can use to support young readers.

Whether you're a classroom teacher, reading interventionist, tutor, homeschool parent, or simply someone who wants to better understand how children learn to read, this episode is for you.

Scripture: Proverbs 4:7

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Summer break is finally here… so why do so many teachers still feel mentally exhausted?

In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson talks honestly about the emotional and mental shift that happens during the first week after school ends. From overstimulation and teacher exhaustion to guilt over resting and struggling to “shut your brain off,” this episode is a real conversation for teachers who are trying to slow down after a long school year.

Robin shares encouragement for educators who are still replaying classroom moments, thinking about students, mentally planning next year, and learning how to truly rest again after months of constant responsibility.

If you’ve ever felt like your body is on summer break but your mind is still in classroom mode, this episode is for you.

In this episode:

• Teacher mental exhaustion after the school year
• Why teachers struggle to relax during summer break
• Emotional decompression after teaching
• Teacher guilt and productivity pressure
• Learning how to rest without guilt
• Faith-based encouragement for weary teachers
• Matthew 11:28 and finding rest in God

Whether you teach elementary school, middle school, high school, homeschool, or work with children in any setting, this episode will remind you that rest is not laziness and that you are not alone.

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In this episode of The Education Connection, I’m sharing how I survive the last week of school in first grade while still keeping students engaged, calm, and learning. If you are looking for last week of school tips for elementary teachers, simple end of year classroom ideas, or ways to keep structure during the final week of school, this episode is for you.

I talk about why I keep our classroom schedule as normal as possible during the last week of school, how I use gentle spiral review in reading and math, and how I turn memory books into meaningful reading and writing activities instead of just filler time. We’ll also talk about keeping students emotionally regulated during the excitement of the end of the school year and why teachers do not need Pinterest-perfect plans to make the final week special.

Inside this episode:

• Last week of school tips for elementary teachers
• End of the school year classroom management ideas
• First grade reading and math review ideas
• How to keep structure during the last week of school
• Memory book ideas for elementary classrooms
• Low stress end of year teaching strategies
• Encouragement for tired teachers during the final week of school

If the last week of school feels overwhelming, chaotic, emotional, or exhausting, I hope this episode encourages you and reminds you that calm, connection, and consistency matter more than perfection.

For an End of Year Memory Book, click on the following link.

End of Year Memory Book

Be sure to subscribe to The Education Connection for more elementary teaching ideas!

Get Ready for next year with these ultimate resources.

Get Ready for Kindergarten

Get Ready for First Grade

Get Ready for Second Grade

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