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For striving readers, the journey toward literacy can feel overwhelming. However, when given the right tools and guidance, these students can unlock their potential and find joy in reading and writing. One effective approach to empowering struggling readers is by using powerful prompts for written expression, which not only enhance comprehension but also foster creativity and self-expression. In this blog post, we'll explore strategies for using comprehension questions, scaffolding writing for struggling writers, and inspiring teens to use creative writing as a tool for self-expression.

As we gear up for the launch of our 2024 Writing Contest, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on some of our brilliant former winners. Let’s hear from a two-time finalist, Kugu Scott.

For part four of our “Tuesday Tidbit” structured literacy series, we’ll discuss effective (and easy to implement) fluency activities for older readers.

As we gear up for the launch of our 2024 Writing Contest, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on some of our brilliant former winners.

As we gear up for our 7th annual writing contest at Storyshares, it is amazing to reflect on where it all began: a single writing contest – an experiment to test the waters. The very first Storyshares contest launched in 2013. It was, and still is, a project designed to address the lack of engaging and culturally relevant texts for adolescents and young adults whose reading levels lagged behind their ages and interests. We sought to answer a key question: could we inspire a community of authors to develop a new kind of book designed specifically to support and empower older, striving readers?

For part three of our “Tuesday Tidbit” structured literacy series, we’ll discuss decoding and spelling interventions for older readers.

For part two of our “Tuesday Tidbit” structured literacy series, we’ll discuss powerful reading comprehension strategies for older striving readers.

A newcomer’s experience in the big city reflects the intricacies of learning to read. Literacy is amazingly complex, relying on multifaceted and interwoven layers, which build on and influence each other as we make meaning from written language. So what does this process look like?

This week we’re launching a five-part “Tuesday Tidbit” series, which will provide you with a practical approach to structured literacy with older, striving readers. In this series, we’ll discuss engaging approaches to vocabulary building, reading comprehension strategies, phonics & spelling routines, fluency activities, and prompts for written expression.