.jpeg)
All stories begin somewhere, and sometimes those stories have a very hard truth of where they started from. It has taken me a whole year to find my strength, get my bearings, and grow my voice. Yet here I am.
I am figuring my way forward, and welcome any other parent who finds themselves with more questions than answers. This blog is simply a gathering of my thoughts, my research, my findings, my failures and my successes. It is a blog about being a mom to two boys who everyday fill my house with loud sounds and lots of crazy energy. Being a mom to a child who was diagnosed with Epilepsy and takes anti-seizure medication every day. Being a mom to a boy who was diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD two years ago, and since then has grown so much in his studies. Being a mom to his neurotypical brother, who is growing up in his own right and is creating adventures along the way.
When you are new to this world of special education, of diagnosis, of deficits and setbacks- you don’t know where to even take the first step. I remember those first few days still, and remember how much I researched to try and find others who were working through the same struggles. My hope is that once you find your way here, you never feel like you must walk this path alone because you have found your village.
So this is where we begin….
![When we talk about comprehension instruction, we often focus on what students should do while reading.
Ask questions.
Annotate.
Make predictions.
But strong comprehension work usually starts before students even begin reading with how we prepare the text.
Scarborough (2001) reminds us that:
“Skilled reading [is] the fluent execution and coordination of text comprehension and word recognition.”
That coordination doesn’t happen by accident.
It happens when we plan instruction that helps students interact with the language, ideas, and structure of a text.
In this carousel, I’m sharing 6 ways I prepare a text for deeper comprehension work. The kind that gets students:
📖 dissecting how the text works
🧠 building coherent mental models
💬 talking through ideas
📚 expanding vocabulary in context
If you want more evidence-based activities you can use in your classroom, I created a free guide for teachers.
Comment STRATEGY and I’ll send it to you.
Save this for the next time you’re planning a lesson—and share it with a teacher who loves digging into text.
Xo, Kat
📩Psst want to go deeper with me?
If you’ve ever wished someone would just tell you the truth about what works, that’s what I send to my newsletter every month. Real talk, research, and resources teachers can actually use.
→ Comment ADD ME to join!](https://simpleandwild.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)