Educator's Playbook Kelly Harmon

I hope this message finds you thriving and energized! This year is brimming with opportunities to refine and adapt instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students. As we enter a critical time in the school year, I’m working with teachers to develop just-in-time interventions tailored to student needs.

In this newsletter, I’ll share practical strategies for math interventions, along with ideas to strengthen vocabulary and build background knowledge. Mark your calendar for a half-day, online Reading Interventions Workshop on February 11th—details are included below.

I’d love to connect with you in person or on Zoom to explore how you can implement effective interventions in your classroom. Don’t hesitate to reach out—let’s collaborate!

Happy teaching,
Kelly

In this newsletter, let's take a look at interventions and a few extensions for students learning multiplication and division. I've create a playbook with evidence-based strategies and tools teachers, as well as MTSS and RTI teams, can use to plan and implement best practices for Tier 1 and Tier 2 math instruction.

The Multiplication & Division Playbook is a comprehensive resource designed to support teachers in helping students in grades 3-5 develop a strong conceptual understanding and procedural flexibility in multiplication and division. This tool provides actionable strategies, techniques, and scaffolds tailored to meet the diverse needs of learners who struggle with these foundational math concepts. Click here to read more and download the resource.

Front-loading content is an instructional strategy where teachers introduce key concepts, vocabulary, or background information to students before they engage with new learning material. This approach aims to prepare students by providing the necessary context and tools, enabling better comprehension and retention of new information.Read more....

Prior knowledge, or background knowledge, is essential for making logical assumptions, conclusions, and claims. Many children lack the prior knowledge related to topics in the texts they are asked to read in school. As educators, we must plan to build and use prior knowledge to help students make sense of new learning.

One effective method to encourage critical thinking in young children is through educational games like "Guess in 10" or "Hedbanz." These games can significantly enhance their world knowledge while teaching them that retrieving and comprehending concepts and facts form the basis of logical reasoning. Read more...

The "Person of the Week" strategy is a powerful tool for building students' world knowledge by introducing them to diverse individuals from various cultures, professions, and historical contexts. Each week, a selected individual is explored through activities such as reading age-appropriate biographies, watching multimedia content, and engaging in discussions about their life and contributions. Students participate in interactive activities like role-playing, creating timelines, or drawing portraits to deepen their understanding. This approach fosters cultural awareness, expands vocabulary, promotes critical thinking, and inspires empathy. By learning about influential figures, students not only gain insights into different perspectives but also connect their learning to their own lives and current events​. Get activity details here.

Math Resources

UPSE Problem Solving Model

Small Group Protocol for Tier 1 and 2 Math

Two Step Word Problems

Mild, Medium, or Spicy? What kind of problem is this?

RTI/MTSS Resources

RTI MTSS Team Action Plan

How do we define Tier 1 in our building?

How do we define Tier 2 intervention in our building?

How do we define Tier 3 interventions in our building?

January 29-30

Learn how to better lead your school or district Title I team in this strategy packed, two-day institute led by Kelly Harmon. You will discover how to work with teachers to identify and implement the most effective, cutting edge, research based instructional strategies to increase school and district-wide student achievement. You will learn how to develop teacher expertise in working with struggling students along with ways to continually monitor and adjust instruction based on student results.

This is a unique opportunity to evaluate your own Title I program in light of current research that identifies the most effective instructional practices, and gain an in depth look at the key components of highly successful Title I programs and how these can be applied to your own Title I school or district model. Take an intensive look at what works for struggling learners and how you can adapt it to meet the needs in your school or district. You will walk away with dozens of practical strategies and an extensive digital resource handbook to help you lead and teach your teachers.

Join Kelly and your colleagues for two, fast paced days packed with the best research?based strategies to increase reading and math achievement for your at risk students. Click here for more information.

February 11

This interactive three-hour virtual seminar offers actionable interventions for immediate application in Tier 1 and Tier 2 reading instruction. Kelly Harmon will present effective literacy-based strategies and micro-interventions tailored for at-risk learners, providing authentic methods to enhance literacy achievement. Learn how to foster a growth mindset in your learning community and implement effective strategies for planning instruction and interventions.

For more information, click here.

February 28

March 13

Don’t miss this strategy-packed seminar by international educational consultant Kelly Harmon, designed specifically for Grades 3-5 teachers. Discover cutting-edge science of reading and learning strategies to help your students catch up and thrive. Kelly will share dozens of practical, easy-to-implement ideas for accelerating learning and monitoring progress. You’ll leave with renewed enthusiasm for teaching, a digital resource handbook, and access to online tools to support your students' success. This fast-paced day will equip you with everything you need to catch up your students who have fallen behind. Click Here for more information.

March 11-12

Specifically Designed for Staff Development Trainers, Literacy Coaches, Reading Specialists, General Education Teachers, Curriculum Directors, Title I Staff, and Administrators Serving Grades K-6

• Train your teachers and interventionists to implement the key components of an effective Response to Intervention (RTI) Reading model in Grades K-6 for Tiers 1 and 2
• Learn proactive approaches to share with your staff for supporting students with reading needs before they "fail enough" to qualify for special education
• Learn how to more effectively intervene with students before they fall too far behind
• Tips, tools and practical strategies that you and your staff can use immediately in your RTI reading program

Practical Ideas and Strategies

For years, many schools and districts only served students when a "need" was shown based on a "discrepancy"; an outdated model that looks at the difference between a child's ability and the child's actual achievement. The "discrepancy" model is dependent upon a child falling "behind enough" to qualify for special education services. It is a "wait for failure" model that no longer needs to be used. Now schools and districts can use the Response to Intervention (RTI) model, focused on providing a child with the assistance when the student needs it. To help strengthen the training of your teachers, Kelly Harmon, a national presenter on RTI has developed an exciting, cost-effective train-the-trainer opportunity you won't want to miss.

This two-day train-the-trainer institute focuses on practical ideas for implementing and strengthening RTI in your reading program with ready-to-use strategies for your classroom and school. Participants who complete this two-day institute will be able to better train Grades K-6 educators at their school site(s) on ways to implement and strengthen RTI in their reading program at Tier 1 and Tier 2.

For more information, click here.

April 29-30

Join us for the Helping Your First Graders Shine! conference, a two-day live online event designed exclusively for first-grade teachers on April 29 and 30, 2025. With 21 strategy-packed sessions to choose from, you'll gain practical tools and innovative ideas to enhance your classroom instruction. Led by nationally recognized trainers, this engaging conference offers extensive digital resources and opportunities to earn CEUs or graduate credits. Don’t miss this chance to connect with fellow educators and leave inspired with strategies you can implement immediately. Register today to reserve your spot!

Choose from 21 Strategy-Packed Conference Sessions

• Outstanding Trainers
• First Grade Teacher Resources
• Hundreds of Practical Strategies

… and Much More!

For more information, click here.

We provide on-site and online seminars for schools and districts. Our trainings can be customized to meet the specific needs of your students and staff. Contact us for more information about our training options and rates at 210-218-1723.

Email: kelly@kellyharmon.net
Website: www.kellyharmon.net
Phone: 210-218-1723
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/txliteracy
Twitter: @texasliteracy