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The Blog


Leadership Matters: Coaching School Leaders to Support Mathematics and Literacy Growth
Strong leadership is the foundation of every successful school. Principals, assistant principals, and instructional coaches guide instructional priorities, nurture teacher growth, and create a culture where both numeracy and literacy thrive. When school leaders receive targeted leadership coaching, they gain the skills and systems needed to drive student achievement in both mathematics and literacy. Why Leadership Coaching Matters Even the most dedicated school leaders can’t
INcompassing Education
Jan 283 min read


Supporting Productive Struggle in Reading
In classrooms everywhere, teachers face a tough decision: when students struggle with a text, should we lower the Lexile level to “meet them where they are”? On the surface, it feels compassionate. But lowering the text too far risks keeping students from the very experiences that build reading strength.
✅ The challenge is not whether students can access grade-level texts. The challenge is how we help them get there.
Dr. Wendy Wells
Dec 1, 20253 min read


5 Big Benefits to Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing helps students retain knowledge and make stronger connections across content.
In this first post of a 4-part series, I’m breaking down five powerful reasons why daily writing belongs in every K–12 classroom—from reading to music. Whether you're just getting started or ready to take content area writing to the next level, these benefits will show you why it matters.
Kimberly Frahm
Oct 13, 20252 min read


The Growing Need to Support Multilingual Families
For multilingual families, language loss is a real and pressing concern. How do we create a bridge between languages instead of a barrier?
Amanda Crecelius
May 5, 20254 min read


Scaffolding Writing Instruction: 5 Tips for Building Skills Without Lowering Expectations
When writing is the specific learning standard, the goal remains clear: students must demonstrate their ability to write.
Dr. Wendy Wells
Mar 17, 20253 min read


Mastering the Just-Right Reading Block: Strategies for Success
Managing a reading block can be challenging. The key is balancing structure with flexibility to ensure effective instruction.
April Connelley
Mar 3, 20252 min read


3 Essential Routines to Boost Reading and Writing Skills
Reading and writing skills are a top priority for teachers everywhere. Even if you teach something other than reading or English.
April Connelley
Feb 3, 20252 min read


3 Effective Actions to Boost Speaking and Listening Skills in Young Children
Strong oral language skills are critical to learning & academic success. Here are three effective actions for parents and educators to take.
April Connelley
Jan 6, 20252 min read


Build Background Knowledge and Vocabulary with these Easy Strategies
Background knowledge is critical to understanding new information. It helps us make connections, improves comprehension, and improves memory
April Connelley
Nov 4, 20242 min read


Exciting News: INcompassing Education Expands Services for Schools and Teachers!
At INcompassing Education, we are thrilled to share some exciting news! We’ve expanded our services to offer even more support for schools.
Dianne McKinley
Oct 25, 20241 min read


Impact Student Learning by Building a Strong Principal and Instructional Coach Partnership
A school culture that focuses on helping everyone understand and take ownership of student learning is facilitated by the principal and IC.
April Connelley
May 6, 20242 min read


Effectively Building Vocabulary
If you want readers to better understand the text they are reading, vocabulary should be part of your plan.
April Connelley
Mar 29, 20244 min read


7 Ideas for Relentless Book Matching
Teachers everywhere know that the only way to increase the reading volume among students is to hook students into reading on a regular and routine basis. It has to become an unbreakable habit, almost ingrained into your daily existence. Harper Lee said this best, “Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.”
April Connelley
Feb 29, 20243 min read


6 Reading Resources for the Teachers of Tweens and Teens
Lately, there has been a big push for early foundational reading skills. I love all the attention the early grades are getting. Nothing is more important than setting kids up for success in the early grades. However, that doesn’t leave much time and attention for the next level.
April Connelley
Jan 29, 20243 min read


Why Morphology Instruction Is Important
Language is a complex system of intricate connections between words and meanings. It is complex code used to communicate. Morphology is the foundation and framework of English spelling (Hegland, 2021) and contributes to the overall sense of a word. Morphology is the study of morphemes. Morphemes are the smallest meaningful unit of language (Hegland, 2021). Morphemes can be standalone words, like “book”, called free morphemes, or they can be parts of words like prefixes, suffi
Dianne McKinley
Jan 8, 20242 min read


6 Steps to Prepare for Powerful Read Alouds
Teachers and students alike often name the time set aside for reading aloud as their favorite time of the school day! There are so many reasons why a powerful read-aloud is so important in classrooms of any age group. Reading aloud to students exposes readers to authentic text representing a diverse range of authors and text types while building students’ knowledge about a topic of study. Reading aloud builds language and vocabulary, sparks curiosity, and provides opportuniti
Dianne McKinley
Oct 29, 20233 min read


The New Digital SAT Suite of Assessments
You probably have heard the PSAT and SAT are changing for the 2023-2024 school year. The New Digital SAT Suite of Assessments includes the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT10, and the PSAT 8/9. The changes will start early this fall with the new Digital PSAT10 and Digital PSAT/NMSQT. It will continue in the Spring of 2024 when all Indiana juniors will take the new Digital SAT. Everyone needs to know about and understand the changes that will be taking place. If they do, they can help stu
William Reed
Aug 3, 20237 min read


Best Book Types For Reluctant Readers
Are you looking for books that help your students WANT to read? Are you trying to match reluctant readers with books they fall in love with? Books that make them keep coming back for me? Here’s my list of 5 types of books that kids just might love, even if they profess to “Hate Reading”. I’ve added some of my favorite titles to each category for you to check out.
Dianne McKinley
Jun 18, 20233 min read


How to Improve Students’ Writing Skills
Writing skills refer to the ability to express thoughts, ideas, and information effectively through written language. This includes the ability to organize ideas, use proper grammar and punctuation, and tailor writing to a specific audience or purpose. Read this article to learn more on how to improve students’ writing skills.
Dianne McKinley
May 24, 20234 min read


Summer Reading Challenge
Most education professionals, regardless of whether they are on a year-round or a school-year contract, think of the summer as a time to rejuvenate and do all the things there wasn’t time for during the school year. For me, that means time to catch up on reading, personal and professional. It also means I have a little time to think about what I’m reading and explore some new things. I don’t want to get stuck in a rut and just keep reading the same author or type of book over
Dianne McKinley
May 23, 20232 min read
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