Shaped

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

 

OVER 10 MILLION READS

Latest Posts

WF1705367 Hero

Learn about orthographic mapping, the cognitive process that we use to store and retrieve words by connecting their pronunciation, spelling, and meaning automatically.

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

WF1714365 Graphic Organizers for ELL Students hero

Find a collection of graphic organizer to help ELL students build vocabulary, compare and contrast, and activate prior knowledge.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

How to Promote Kindness in Our Kids

Former teacher and current HMH Chief Academic Officer Francie Alexander offers educators some tips on how to create a kindness movement in their classrooms and communities.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

WF1686700 Hero Image

Try these public speaking activities for middle and high school students to improve their speaking skills.

Erik Palmer
Program Consultant, Into Reading and Into Literature

Groundhog Day Activities for Elementary Students Hero

Try these fun 2025 Groundhog Day activities for elementary students in your classroom.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

WF1594121 Hero Option 1

Support your ELL students with writing strategies to build confident and capable writers.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

The Science in Science Fiction A Strategy for Integrating Science and ELA HERO

Teaching sci-fi in the classroom can help students understand the importance of science in their daily lives.

Ann Pearson
Shaped Contributor

WF1622206 Shaped 2022 Blog Post Science of Reading Sound Walls in the Classroom test

Based in the science of reading, sound walls in the classroom help educators reinforce the importance of explicitly teaching the skills of letter-sound correspondence.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

Tips for Teaching Middle School Writing

Teaching middle school writing can help students learn the value of their words.

Jennifer Prescott
Shaped Contributor

WF1593701 Hero

Try these phonological awareness strategies and phonics strategies in the classroom to help support developing readers

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Fall activities and lesson plans for elementary students hero

Try these fall activities for elementary students in your classroom that put a twist on common fall themes.

Shaped Staff

Hero Banner

Teacher and author of "I Wish My Teacher Knew", Kyle Schwartz, discusses how she helps students feel empowered to make a difference.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

How to Integrate Writing Across the Curriculum hero

Whether you’re teaching math, science, social studies, or ELA, writing can be a great way to assess students’ learning and deepen their thinking on a subject. Here's how to incorporate writing across the curriculum in your classroom.

Dr. Troy Hicks
Professor of English and Education, Central Michigan University

First-Day-of-School Get-to-Know-You Activities

Try these back-to-school getting-to-know-you activities to help students discover more about their classmates on the first day of class.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

illustrated stack of books with science items like a beaker and magnet around them

Get book recommendations to learn more about the science of reading and see how children learn to read and develop as strategic readers.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Writing Feedback for Students

Save time with these effective feedback strategies for improving student writing.

Owen Bondono
Shaped Contributor

Hero Banner Autumn Dvorak

From a museum to a bakery to a carnival, Autumn Dvorak's classroom transformations use hands-on projects and games to get her students excited about learning.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

girl looking at ipad

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

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

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