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Shaped

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

 

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Closing the Gap Between Data and Decisions: From Scattered Data to One Clear Picture

Tier 1 instruction is where learning happens, but too often, data doesn’t translate into action. Discover how HMH Pulse turns assessment insights into clear, next-day instructional decisions teachers can trust.

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How to align multilingual instruction with the science of reading

What Does the Science of Reading Mean for Multilingual Learners?

Discover how research-based literacy practices and language support work together to help multilingual learners build strong reading skills and thrive in the classroom.

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Middle School Classroom Management

12 Middle School Classroom Management Strategies That Work

Create a healthy and happy learning environment with middle school classroom management strategies that are rooted in brain science.

Dr. Michael Vea

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Science of Reading Lesson Plan Templates for K–5

Get free, printable science of reading lesson plan templates to help you plan evidence-based instruction across grades K-5 and learn more about what makes a lesson science of reading–aligned.

Onalee Smith

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2026 Back-to-School Articles for Educators

Bookmark this page featuring our 2026 back-to-school articles for educators. It’s filled with the resources you need to start the school year off strong, from prepping for the first day, to classroom management strategies, and more.

Shaped Staff

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Latest Posts

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35 Back-to-School Writing Prompts for Middle and High School

School's back in session, which means it's time for a fresh batch of writing prompts for the new year. Have your high school or middle school students try these back-to-school prompts this fall.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

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Research-Based Phonemic Awareness Interventions

Discover why research-based phonemic awareness interventions matter—and get strategies, sample intervention plans, and activities for K–12 students.

Amber Silverman
Shaped Contributor

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National Poetry Month Activities for Middle and High School Classrooms

From nursery rhymes to absurdist poetry to rap, these activities will help your middle or high school class celebrate National Poetry Month this April.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

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6 Components of Structured Literacy: What Every Teacher Should Know

Discover the six essential components of Structured Literacy and why they matter for every classroom.

Miah Daughtery, EdD
NWEA VP, Content Advocacy-Literacy, HMH

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8 Fun Writing Activities for Middle School Students

These fun writing activities for middle school students address the critical writing skills students need for high school and beyond.

Stephanie Nash
Product Marketing Director, K–12 ELD and Multilingual Learners

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How to Teach Creative Writing

Asari Beale, writer, educator, and executive director of the Teachers & Writers Collaborative, shares tips for how to teach creative writing to students.

Asari Beale
Writer, Educator, and Executive Director of the Teachers & Writers Collaborative

WF2167411 Shaped 2025 Blog Post Miami Dade Customer Stories

Becoming Students’ Champion: How Miami-Dade Educators Support Student Success with Read 180

Miami-Dade educators share how they guided and empowered students in becoming better readers with Read 180.

Jennifer Corujo
Shaped Editor

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2026 International Literacy Day Activities for All Ages

Get students reading, writing, and learning more about the importance of literacy with these 2026 International Literacy Day activities.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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8 Creative Book Project Ideas to Replace the Traditional Book Report

Try these 8 creative book project ideas to engage your students! Motivate students to read while offering a refreshing break from traditional assignments.

Amanda Clark
Shaped Contributor

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 4: Explore Haiku and More

Have your middle schoolers write their own haikus, identify themes in works of literature, and create a character's social media profile.

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 7: Synonyms and Antonyms Crossword Puzzle and More

Teach students about synonyms and antonyms and have them create a How-To Tech Guide with these activities for middle schoolers.

Shaped Staff

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22 Valentine’s Day Writing Prompts and Ideas

No matter what your middle school or high school class is reading, these writing prompts about love will get them ready for Valentine's Day.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Teaching How To Write An Email

You’ve Got Mail: How to Teach Email Writing to Students

Learn how to teach email writing to students and focus on proper email etiquette so they can ask questions and send greetings to teachers, school staff, and even parents.

Sally Doulton
Teacher, Manhasset Secondary School, New York

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Conferring Is Differentiated Instruction: How to Hold Student Writing Conferences

Writing conferences are one-to-one conversations and give teachers a crucial opportunity to meet each student’s individual needs.

Carl Anderson
Author and Literacy Consultant

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Free Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehension

Try these free graphic organizers for reading comprehension for all grade levels to help students visually organize their thoughts about literature.

Shaped Staff

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Interactive Read-Aloud Strategies: Build Strong Relationships with Students

What is an interactive read-aloud? Learn interactive read-aloud strategies to build strong student-teacher relationships in the classroom.

Monica Fitzgerald
Reading AIS Teacher, Gillette Road Middle School

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ELA Halloween Activities for Middle School and High School Students

Get your ELA class into the spirit with these fun Halloween activities for middle school and high school students, and learn from a few masters of horror how to really make those spines tingle and those bones shake.

Ali Habashi
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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Teaching Students How to Write a Persuasive Paragraph

Teaching kids how to write a persuasive paragraph consisting of their opinion and supporting sentences puts them on the right track to being an effective communicator.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

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Shorty Awards

Audience Honor, 2023, Shaped

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Digiday Content Marketing Awards

Finalist, 2023, Shaped

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People’s Choice Podcast Awards

Finalist, 2021 & 2023, Teachers in America

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