Chartwell Teaching Institute

08/26/2026

Looking for a simple way to bring deep vocabulary instruction and multi-dimensional language work directly into your K-2 small groups? We’ve got you covered! 🎁✨

We just dropped a brand-new, FREE POSSUM Planning Guide & Graphic Organizer designed to make explicit vocabulary and fluency instruction seamless in your Structured Literacy routine.

Here’s what’s inside the free download:
🧠Teacher Planning Guide: Your personal prep sheet to help you unpack focus words—exploring phonology, orthography, syntax, semantics, and morphology before teaching.
✍️Student Graphic Organizer: A hands-on tool for K-2 students to map out sounds, spelling patterns, sentence contexts, and affixes right alongside you.

🧐Want to dive deeper into why connecting all these language systems works so well for young readers? Check out our latest blog post: "Unlocking Reading Fluency & Deep Vocabulary in K-2: Why the POSSUM Strategy Belongs in Your Structured Literacy Repertoire." 📖💡

👉 Grab your free download & read the full blog post at the link in our bio!

08/26/2026

Looking for a simple way to bring deep vocabulary instruction and multi-dimensional language work directly into your K-2 small groups? We’ve got you covered! 🎁✨

We just dropped a brand-new, FREE POSSUM Planning Guide & Graphic Organizer designed to make explicit vocabulary and fluency instruction seamless in your Structured Literacy routine.

Here’s what’s inside the free download:
🧠 Teacher Planning Guide: Your personal prep sheet to help you unpack focus words—exploring phonology, orthography, syntax, semantics, and morphology before teaching.

✍️ Student Graphic Organizer: A hands-on tool for K-2 students to map out sounds, spelling patterns, sentence contexts, and affixes right alongside you.

🧐 Want to dive deeper into why connecting all these language systems works so well for young readers? Check out our latest blog post: "Unlocking Reading Fluency & Deep Vocabulary in K-2: Why the POSSUM Strategy Belongs in Your Structured Literacy Repertoire." 📖💡

👉 Grab your free download & read the full blog post here: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/possum-strategy-structured-literacy/

08/24/2026

Ever feel like you’re juggling decoding, encoding, vocabulary, and fluency all in one lesson block? 🤹‍♀️

Swipe through to meet POSSUM—a multi-dimensional linguistic framework designed to target both word recognition and language comprehension, so words actually stick! 💡✨

As Maryanne Wolf (2025) emphasizes in her research on the reading brain, deep reading requires building rich, interconnected neural pathways that connect speech sounds, spelling patterns, word meanings, and grammar. The POSSUM framework breaks down those essential layers:
Phonology
Orthography
Syntax
Semantics
Understanding
Morphology

Ready to bring these explicit vocabulary and fluency strategies into your K-2 classroom? Join us for our upcoming FREE workshop! 🎟️

🎓 Playing POSSUM? Vocabulary and Fluency Strategies for K-2 📅 Thursday, September 10, 2026 🕓 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM 📍 Online

👉 Register today: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/playing-possum/

08/18/2026

When we talk about the Science of Reading, phonics and decoding often get the spotlight—but SoR includes ALL strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope! 🧵✨
If you’re looking to strengthen your K-2 students’ vocabulary acquisition and oral reading fluency using evidence-based strategies, this workshop is for you.
Join us as we dive into the POSSUM model—a powerful, structured framework to elevate vocabulary and fluency instruction for all of your students! 📚
🗓 Date: September 10, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM PST
💰Cost: FREE
🔗 Register here: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/playing-possum/ (Link in bio!)
Tag a fellow educator who needs this in their toolbelt! 👇

08/03/2026

Want to turn passive readers into active observers before opening a new book? 🕵️‍♂️✨
Swipe through to see how the See-Think-Wonder routine works in action! ➡️
When introducing a new text or unit—like studying animal habitats—start by showing a rich photograph or illustration and guiding your students through three simple steps:
1️⃣ SEE: Make objective observations, name items, colors, shapes, people, animals, etc. (focus on the details!)
2️⃣ THINK: Activate prior knowledge by asking thoughtful questions that make your students infer.
3️⃣ WONDER: Spark curiosity and inquiry by having students list their questions about the topic.
This quick, 5-minute thinking routine builds crucial background knowledge and levels the playing field for all learners before they even read line one. 🧠💡
🎁 Want the free graphic organizer?
Head to our latest blog post, "The ABCs of Background Knowledge," to read more about activating, building, and connecting schema—and download your FREE printable See-Think-Wonder Graphic Organizer to use in your classroom this fall!
🗓 Free Virtual Workshop Alert:
Ready to dive even deeper into background knowledge and reading comprehension? Join Meghan Sanchez, MEd for our live, free virtual workshop!
📌 The ABCs of Background Knowledge
📅 Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST
💰 Cost: FREE
👉 Tap the link in our bio to grab your freebie and register today! (or visit chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/)

07/31/2026

✏️ Go Back 2 School with Chartwell Teaching Institute! There is a topic for everyone — Background Knowledge, Vocabulary and Fluency, Dyslexia, and Mathematical Sticking Points.

💻️ Hosted Virtually
💸 Cost: FREE
⏰️ 4:00-5:00 pm PST

We hope to see you there! https://buff.ly/HZnTGyA

07/30/2026

Decoding is only half the battle when it comes to reading comprehension. Without background knowledge, even fluent readers struggle to make meaning from text. 💡

In this quick video, we share the three essential steps to level the playing field for all readers:
1️⃣ Activate & Assess: Use anticipation guides or See-Think-Wonder routines to surface prior knowledge.
2️⃣ Build: Get creative with multi-sensory tools, imagery, and interactive experiences.
3️⃣ Connect: Help students anchor new ideas to past lessons and personal experiences.

📲 Explore More Resources & Join Us Live:
📖 Read the Blog + Get a Free Graphic Organizer: Check out our latest post on The ABCs of Background Knowledge to grab your free downloadable See-Think-Wonder tool!

💻 Free Virtual Workshop: Don't miss our live session hosted by Meghan Sanchez on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM PST.
🔗 Register for the workshop and download your freebie here: chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/

07/28/2026

Background knowledge is a foundational pillar of comprehension. 🧠📚
When students bring rich context and prior knowledge to a text, their ability to infer, analyze, and retain information skyrockets. But how do we explicitly activate, build, and connect that knowledge in daily instruction?

In Chartwell Teaching Institute’s latest blog post, we explore The ABCs of Background Knowledge, an evidence-based framework to address all phases of learning. In the post, we break down actionable strategies to help educators:
✨ Activate & Assess what students already know
✨ Build necessary context before reading
✨ Connect new concepts to existing schema

💡 Bonus: The post includes a FREE downloadable See-Think-Wonder Graphic Organizer—a simple yet powerful thinking routine you can use in your classroom right away to spark curiosity and deepen engagement!
👉 Read the blog & download your freebie: https://chartwellteachinginstitute.org/the-abcs-of-background-knowledge-activate-build-and-connect-for-reading-success/

🎯 Want to take this work further?
Join us for a FREE virtual workshop hosted by Meghan Sanchez, MEd:
📌 The ABCs of Background Knowledge
🗓 Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 4:00 PM PST 💻 Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Whether you're prepping for the upcoming school year or refreshing your literacy toolbox, this session will give you practical tools to support all readers.
👉 Reserve your spot for the workshop here: chartwellteachinginstitute.org/event/abc-background-knowledge/

The ABC’s of Background Knowledge: Activate, Build, and Connect for Reading Success by Chartwell Teaching Institute | Jul 25, 2026 | Structured Literacy, Tools & Strategies Imagine two students reading the exact same passage about a baseball game. Student A is technically a “strong reader”—t...

07/27/2026

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05/22/2026

Stop waiting for "maturity" to kick in. 🧠✨

We often hear parents and teachers say, "They’re so smart, if they would just TRY harder they’d get it done."

But here is the truth grounded in neuroscience: Executive Functioning is a set of skills, not a reflection of a child's willpower. Think of Executive Functioning (EF) as the "Air Traffic Control" system of the brain. It manages:
✅ Working Memory (Holding onto instructions)
✅ Inhibitory Control (Resisting distractions)
✅ Cognitive Flexibility (Switching gears when things change)

When a student struggles to start a task or keep their backpack organized, it isn’t "laziness"—it’s a sign that their internal control tower is still under construction. 🏗️
The good news? Because of neuroplasticity, these skills can be taught. At the Chartwell Teaching Institute, we move beyond the "Why won't they?" and focus on the "How can we scaffold?"

By externalizing time, reducing cognitive load, and using predictable routines, we can build the external supports a child needs while their "internal pilot" is still in training.
Want to build a better EF toolkit for your classroom or home?

Check out our upcoming 1-day Workshop where we dive deep into the science of support. 🔗 Link in bio!