Shaped

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

Featured Posts

Wayne Westland SD teachers in a classroom

A Fresh Approach to Intervention Is Boosting Achievement in a Michigan School District

Hear from educators about a new approach to intervention that’s raising student achievement in the Wayne-Westland Community School District, outside Detroit.

Read More
Best of 2023 Teachers in America podcast

Podcast: The Best of Teachers in America Season 5

We've complied some of our favorite moments and memorable words of wisdom from our season five Teachers in America podcast guests.

Read More
Fun Black History Month Activities For Kids 2

14 Fun Black History Month Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Download these fun Black History Month activities for elementary and middle school students to teach your class about African American history.

Jordan Friedman

Read More
Presidents Day Lesson Plans And Activities

9 Presidents' Day Lesson Plans and Activities to Foster Engaged Citizens

Use these 9 Presidents' Day lesson plans and activities for middle and high school classrooms to foster engaged and informed citizens.

Brenda Iasevoli

Read More
WF1877983 Shaped 2024 Blog Post Math 180 Research Study

Math Intervention That Works: A Math 180 Case Study.

A case study of Math 180 is described and explained as part of the research that HMH conducts to test its intervention products

Richard Blankman

Read More

Latest Posts

How to Teach Writing to Elementary Students without Fear

An instructional coach shares tips on how to teach writing to elementary students without the fear that teachers can feel when faced with such a huge undertaking.

Kristen Eannetta
Instructional Coach

10 Chinese New Year Classroom Activities: Throw a Lunar New Year Party

Explore 10 Chinese New Year classroom activities. Celebrate the Lunar New Year in your elementary or middle school class with a focus on cultural awareness, symbolism, and more.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners

Find instructional strategies to teach vocabulary to English language learners.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

How and When Should You Transition away from Decodable Texts?

Learn strategies for transitioning students from decodable texts to authentic texts.

Dr. Shane Templeton
Foundation Professor Emeritus, Literacy Studies, University of Nevada, Reno; Into Reading Program Author

14 Winter Holiday Activities for School

Celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with 14 holiday classroom activities, games, and crafts for elementary and middle school students.

Jordan Friedman
Shaped Editor

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

Laurens 55, South Carolina: A Data-Driven Success Story

Find out how partnering with HMH to implement its curriculum, supplemental, and assessment solutions exceeded educators’ expectations and drove student achievement in Laurens County, South Carolina.

HMH Staff

9 Fun Christmas Activities for School

Try our fun Christmas classroom activities for school. 'Tis the season to be jolly—while boosting math, reading, and writing skills, of course!

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Changing Lives Through Intervention in Schools

Intervention in school is defined, and key insights into how to provide effective intervention are provided.

Dr. Bonnie Cochran
Director of Academic Planning and Analytics, HMH

30 Fun Halloween Writing Prompts & Ideas

Have some spooky fun with your students while exercising their critical thinking skills using these Halloween writing prompts and journal ideas.

Carey Blankenship
Shaped Staff

How to Implement Small-Group Instruction in the Classroom

An elementary educator and HMH Ambassador shares tips and resources on how to implement small-group instruction in the classroom, including a downloadable small-group lesson plan template.

Kayla Dyer
Teacher

5 Effective Tips for Teaching High School Writing

Ensure students get the practice, feedback, and revision experience they need for success with these tried-and-true strategies for teaching high school writing.

Kristen Eannetta
Instructional Coach

9 National Hispanic Heritage Month Activities for Students: A Celebration of Culture

Use these National Hispanic Heritage Month activities and lesson ideas to honor Hispanic American contributions and influences in our society.

Daniel Poremba
Senior Tier II Specialist, HMH

7 ELL Strategies for Reading Success

Try these 7 ELL strategies for reading success. Help your ELL students to engage with reading and foster a desire to connect with texts.

Rebecca Salinas
Learning Architect, HMH

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Effective Strategies: Scaffolding for ELL Students That Benefits the Whole Class

What is scaffolding and how does it help ELL students? Read to learn about scaffolding for ELL students, including benefits and best practices.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

Don’t Lead with Science Vocabulary—Start with Conceptual Meaning

Get advice on how to incorporate vocabulary into science instruction to ensure students learn science concepts deeply.

Dr. Karen Ostlund
Assistant Professor of Instruction, Emerita, UTeach, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin

What Is the Role of Vocabulary in Reading Comprehension?

We break down the role of vocabulary in reading comprehension and share strategies that will ensure students learn new words.

Dana Leon
Shaped Contributor

What Is Phonemic Awareness?

Learn about phonemic awareness and how it relates to phonological awareness.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

11 Fun Summer Learning Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

As the school year ends, keep kids engaged with these fun summer school activities for elementary and middle school students.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

…

*The views expressed in our blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.