From setup to support, HMH will ensure your back-to-school season runs smoothly. Let’s go.

Shaped

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

 

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Featured Posts

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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

Is AI improving learning—or just performance?

AI can make learning faster—but are we improving performance or deep thinking where it matters most?

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The 2026 Educator Confidence Report (ECR) Findings You Might Have Scrolled Past

We break down three data points from the 2026 ECR and what they mean for your AI strategy.

Brenda Iasevoli

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Ottawa ESD school

From Implementation to Impact: How Ottawa ESD Achieved Nearly 90% of a Year's Literacy Growth by Midyear

See how Ottawa ESD partnered with HMH to connect instruction, assessment, and data through HMH Performance Suite Into Reading, helping students achieve nearly a year's expected literacy growth by midyear.

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

Elementary student reading a book during phonemic awareness reading practice

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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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

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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 9–12 ELA Activity Set 7: Memorize and Recite a Poem and More

With these downloadable activities, high schoolers will memorize and recite a poem, take notes as they read a novel, and memorialize a book in memes.

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Grades 9–12 ELA Activity Set 4: Analyze Theme and More

Activities including creating a sketchnote, writing an ode to an everyday item, and analyzing the theme of a short story.

Shaped Staff

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Grades 9–12 ELA Activity Set 10: Write Two-Sentence Stories and More

Have high schoolers find inspiration for stories in everyday objects or events and craft advice columns with these downloadable activities for at-home learning.

Shaped Staff

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Grades 9–12 ELA Activity Set 6: Analyze a Podcast and More

Have your students explore haiku, analyze a podcast, and practice identifying literary terms with these downloadable activities for high 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

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Grades 9–12 ELA Activity Set 3: Evaluate a News Article and More

Have high schoolers continue learning from home by evaluating a news article for reliability, maintaining a dialectical journal, and responding to daily dinner prompts.

Shaped Staff

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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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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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

Middle school student reading a book during reading intervention

7 Middle School and High School Reading Intervention Strategies

Support students with these seven tips to maximize middle school and high school reading intervention and help your students become better readers.

Shelley Branine
Instructional Coach, HMH

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Grades 9–12 ELA Activity Set 9: Write an Unnecessary Sequel and More

High schoolers can sharpen their writing skills with activities including a reflective essay on the past school year and a playlist for a book they read.

Shaped Staff

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.