Shaped

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

Latest Posts

Teaching Empathy Activitiesfor Middle Schoolers

Teaching Empathy: Activities for Middle Schoolers

Check out a few suggestions for empathy activities for middle schoolers and find new ways for teaching empathy in the classroom.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

WF1497416 100th Day of School Snack Ideas Hero

100th Day of School Snack Ideas

Looking for ways to celebrate the 100th day of school with your students? Check out these themed snack ideas to start.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

WF1497401 Shaped 2021 100th Day Trail Mix Recipe Hero

100th Day of School Trail Mix Recipe Ideas

The 100th day of school can feel like a big milestone—both for students and teachers! Highlight this special day with a celebratory snack like trail mix. We have a few recipe ideas for you to create your own trail mix, including a nut-free version.

Zoe Del Mar
Shaped Executive Editor

WF1503200 math at work olympic edition deedee trotter hero image

Math Meets Sports: How Is Math Used in the Summer and Winter Games?

In a special Olympic edition of the Math at Work web series, paired with activities based on the Olympic Games, students will learn how important math is to the world of sports.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

Differenciated Reading Strategies Hero

5 Strategies for Differentiated Reading Instruction

Check out the latest differentiated reading strategies to help you meet your students' diverse needs.

Ellen Ullman
Shaped Contributor

Timeline Hero

Q&A: Teaching the Holocaust to Middle School and High School Students

Learn how to teach the Holocaust in schools and overcome the challenges of teaching this subject with these insights and guidelines from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

HMH Staff

8 elements of reading literacy instruction hero

8 Elements of Reading & Literacy Instruction

These eight elements of reading and literacy instruction can serve as the foundation of an effective literacy program.

Francie Alexander
Senior Vice President, Efficacy & Consulting Research

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Terry Salinger
Institute Fellow and Chief Scientist for Literacy Research, American Institutes for Research

Toney Jackson Screenshot Writing Rhymes

Writing Rhymes and Raps with Toney Jackson

Teacher and award-winning poet Toney Jackson joins us for a special lesson on how to write rhymes in the classroom.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Digital Writing Program hero

How to Find the Most Effective Digital Writing Program: 5 Considerations

Not all digital writing programs are created equally. Ask these questions when weighing your options.

Meghann Weis
Instructional Technology Coach, Patriot HS, VA

12 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

12 Classroom New Year's Activities for Students

Ready for a fresh start in your classroom? Say goodbye to the old and hello to the new with our fun New Year's activities for students.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Most read shaped blogs of 2021 hero

Our Top 10 Ed Blogs of 2021: The Best of Shaped

Before we say goodbye to 2021, let’s highlight our most-read and favorite Shaped blogs.

Christine Condon
Shaped Editor-in-Chief

12 olympics activities for elementary and middle school students hero

12 Summer and Winter Games Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

These 12 Olympics activities for elementary and middle school students will let them sharpen their math, social studies, and writing skills.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

Science of Reading hero

What Is the Science of Reading? Top 5 Questions

HMH's research team answers commonly asked questions about the science of reading to help educators apply its principles in their classrooms.

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Social emotional learning

For Teachers, Social and Emotional Learning Is a Top Concern

Melissa Schlinger, vice president of programs and practice at CASEL, talks prioritizing students’ well-being and effectively integrating SEL in schools.

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

Podcast Mash Up 2

Podcast Mash Up: Best of Teachers in America 2021

For the season 3 finale of Teachers in America, we've compiled highlights from each episode this year on the theme of teacher love.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Plcs reimagined a fresh approach to teacher collaboration hero

PLCs in Education Reimagined: A Fresh Approach to Teacher Collaboration

What is PLC in education, and what makes professional learning communities effective? Discover best practices for ensuring success with PLCs.

Dr. Lisa Corbin
Instruction & Leadership Coach

Albert Morton
Professional Learning Consultant, HMH

Structured Literacy small group reading

What Is Structured Literacy?

Get the answers to commonly asked questions like, "What is structured literacy and how can I implement the approach?"

Renee Behring
Education Research Director, Core ELA

Dr. Amy Endo
Education Research Director, Supplemental & Intervention Language & Literacy

Global calculations history of pi letters hero image

A History of Pi: Global Calculations

A history of pi is given, showing how mathematicians across the West and East have contributed to our understanding of the constant pi.

Richard Blankman
Shaped Executive Editor

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