Before I share my thoughts, I must make a disclaimer. If you’re looking for a magic solution to classroom challenges, the following will be helpful, but don’t expect major changes overnight. And please remember that a strong instructional philosophy (i.e., how one believes students best learn) and a well-thought-out lesson plan form the foundation for effective student learning. With all that said, the following are four must-haves for a successful classroom.

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A few months ago, I noticed an increased amount of discussion around the notion of blended learning. Many of these conversations started on a similar note: “We’re blended—all of our teachers use Google Classroom” (or Edmodo, Schoology, Canvas, Moodle, etc.). However, in probing further, I often discovered that these tools had merely digitized existing content and classroom procedures.

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Students who struggle with reading often lack the thinking skills, such as memory, planning, and the ability to shift focus when necessary, that seem natural to skilled readers. For many teachers, the process of reading is so familiar that they often have difficulty explaining it to students. Much like riding a bicycle, we know we can do it, but explaining how it happens is another story entirely!

Recently, I had a conversation with a reading specialist colleague who was worried about a young reader who didn’t seem to have the memory skills to understand text.

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