How to Teach Beginning, Middle, and End | Writing About Reading

Teaching beginning, middle, and end may sound a lot like teaching sequencing, but there is an important difference. When students sequence events, they learn to put what happened in the correct order. When students identify the beginning, middle, and end, they take that thinking one step further by deciding which events matter most.

In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue our Writing About Reading series by looking at how to explicitly teach beginning, middle, and end to young readers and writers.

We'll talk about helping students move from retelling every little thing that happened to identifying the three most important parts of a story: what gets the story started, the big event or events in the middle, and how the story turns out.

You'll also hear practical ideas for modeling this skill, practicing it orally, and helping students move from telling their ideas to writing them.

Because before our students can successfully write about what they read, they need to know how to decide what really matters.

🎧 Join me for How to Teach Beginning, Middle, and End as we continue building the skills young students need to become thoughtful readers and confident writers.

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What does it really mean when we ask first graders to write about the events in a story? Before students can write about what happened, they need to understand plot, identify important events, and put those events in sequence.

In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue the Writing About Reading series with Story Events, Part 1: Understanding Plot and Sequencing. We’ll talk about the difference between plot and sequencing and how to scaffold instruction from sequencing pictures to using oral language and provided sentences.

You’ll learn practical ways to help young readers determine which events matter, put those events in order, and build the comprehension and language they’ll eventually need for a written retell.

Because before we ask students to write about what they read, we have to teach the thinking that comes first.

This episode closes with encouragement from Isaiah 28:10 and a prayer for teachers as we remember that learning happens little by little, one step at a time.

For the FREEBIE that accompanies this episode, click HERE!

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Do you ever feel like you're spending more time correcting behavior than actually teaching? I've been there.

In this episode of The Education Connection, I'm taking a short break from my Writing About Reading series to talk about something that's on every teacher's mind this time of year...classroom procedures.

After 20 years in the classroom, I've learned that classroom management doesn't begin with consequences. It begins with intentionally teaching procedures. I'll share the simple three-step process I use in my first-grade classroom: Explain, Rehearse, and Reinforce. I'll also talk about why it's so important to teach students the why behind our expectations and how taking the time to teach procedures now will save you time all year long.

Much of what I've learned has been influenced by Harry and Rosemary Wong's The First Days of School, and over the years I've adapted those principles to fit my own classroom. I'll share practical examples, encourage you to make procedures fit your classroom, and remind you that teaching procedures isn't taking time away from instruction...

Teaching procedures is instruction.

🎁 As a thank you for listening, I've included my Classroom Procedures Checklist as a free download. I hope it gives you a great starting point as you prepare for a new school year!

If this episode encourages you, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another teacher who could use a little encouragement this back-to-school season.

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How do you teach setting in a way that is simple, meaningful, and easy for young learners to understand?

In this episode of The Education Connection, I'm sharing exactly how I teach setting through my Writing About Reading framework. You'll learn my step-by-step routine for introducing the skill with a mentor text, engaging students in meaningful discussions, modeling the writing process, and gradually releasing responsibility so students can complete the activity independently.

I'll also explain how this routine helps me assess student understanding while creating opportunities to meet with small groups for additional support.

Whether you're a first-grade teacher or work with other primary students, you'll walk away with a practical lesson you can use in your classroom right away.

In this episode you'll learn:

• How to introduce setting with a simple anchor chart
• How to use a mentor text to model thinking
• A four-day gradual release routine for success
• How to use writing as a reading comprehension assessment
• Ways to support students who need extra practice

🎁 Download the free Setting Activity

This episode is part of the Writing About Reading Series, where each episode focuses on one reading comprehension skill and provides practical strategies to help young readers become confident writers.

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How do you teach first graders to write about reading without overwhelming them?

In this first episode of my Writing About Reading Series, I'm sharing one of my classroom routines for teaching students to identify the main characters in a story. This simple strategy naturally blends reading and writing together, helping students strengthen comprehension while building confidence as young writers.

You'll hear how I introduce the routine, why I don't ask students to write too much too soon, and how one simple sentence starter helps reduce writing fatigue so students can focus on thinking about what they read.

I'll also share:

• Why identifying characters is a foundational comprehension skill
• How I model the activity before expecting independence
• How I use individual book baggies with books that match each student's reading needs
• Why we complete this activity every Monday
• How writing about reading naturally becomes part of our reading block
• Tips for supporting struggling writers without taking away their independence

Whether you're a classroom teacher, interventionist, homeschool parent, or tutor, you'll walk away with a practical routine you can begin using with your young readers.

🎁 Coming Soon: I am working on it as we speak!! Free Download: Grab the Writing About Reading Classroom Roadmap, a one-page guide that walks you through exactly how to introduce reading responses in first grade without overwhelming your students. This printable follows the same step-by-step process I share in this episode.

You can download today's free resource using the link in the show notes.

Thanks for listening to The Education Connection! Next week we'll continue our Writing About Reading Series by learning how to teach setting in a simple, developmentally appropriate way for young learners.

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Have you ever finished a read aloud and thought, "Now what should my students write?"

For many first graders, simply saying "Write about the story" is too broad. Young learners need a clear purpose for writing.

In this first episode of the Writing About Reading series, we'll explore two different types of writing after reading: understanding the story and thinking about the story. You'll discover why both are essential, how they work together to strengthen comprehension, and how giving students a specific writing focus leads to more meaningful responses.

Whether you're teaching characters, setting, sequencing, or later moving into comprehension strategies like connections, inferencing, and questioning, this framework will help you intentionally connect reading and writing throughout the year.

If you've ever wondered what students should write after a read aloud, this episode is the perfect place to begin.

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Do your students read the words but struggle to understand what they read?

In this episode of The Education Connection, we're wrapping up our Science of Reading series by focusing on the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension.

I'll share the seven comprehension strategies that have shaped my instruction over the years and explain how I teach them in my first-grade classroom. While my approach has been influenced by the professional book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins, I've adapted these ideas to meet the developmental needs of young readers.

We'll discuss:

🍎 Why background knowledge lays the foundation for comprehension

🍎 How I teach connections through text to self, text to text, and text to world

🍎 Simple ways to encourage questioning during reading

🍎 Helping students create mental images through visualization

🍎 Teaching inferencing by using clues from the text

🍎 How synthesizing helps students grow and change their thinking

🍎 Why monitoring comprehension is an ongoing habit of good readers

Throughout the episode, I'll share practical classroom examples and simple activities you can begin using during read alouds, guided reading, and small-group instruction.

If there's one takeaway from today's episode, it's this:

Good readers don't just read the words. Good readers think while they read.

🎁 Free Download

Be sure to grab this week's free Comprehension Strategies Teacher Reference. This one-page printable includes all seven strategies, a brief explanation of each one, and a simple classroom activity you can use right away.

Resources Mentioned

• 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins

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🎙 If you enjoyed this episode, I'd be so grateful if you would subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another teacher. Your support helps encourage and equip more educators as they help children become confident, lifelong readers.

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How do you effectively teach vocabulary in the primary classroom? In this episode of The Education Connection, we're exploring one of the essential components of the Science of Reading: vocabulary.

You'll learn why vocabulary instruction is critical for reading comprehension, how it differs from sight word practice, and simple classroom activities you can begin using immediately. Robin shares practical, teacher-friendly ideas including preteaching vocabulary before a read aloud, vocabulary scavenger hunts, and a hybrid activity that combines sight words with meaningful vocabulary instruction.

Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, second grade, or work with struggling readers, these strategies will help your students develop stronger language skills and become more confident readers.

Get the FREEBIE that goes along with this episode. Vocabulary Graphic Organizer Activity

In this episode you'll learn:

• What vocabulary really is

• Why vocabulary matters for reading comprehension

• The difference between vocabulary instruction and sight word practice

• Easy vocabulary activities for elementary classrooms

• Practical Science of Reading strategies you can implement tomorrow

Today's Breath of Inspiration comes from 2 John 1:6, reminding us to faithfully walk in God's ways as we teach and encourage the children entrusted to us.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another teacher who loves helping students become lifelong readers.

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