Shaped

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

Latest Posts

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Even Published Authors Get Stuck: How to Overcome Writer’s Block

To celebrate HMH’s Spark a Story contest, we turned to some of our authors and novelists to get their tips for how to overcome writer’s block.

HMHCo

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Five Effective Practices For Teaching Reading

What works when teaching reading? Here are five strategies that are proven to work.

HMHCo

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The Write Stuff: How to Get Your Story Noticed (and Published)

HMH gives educators and aspiring writers a sneak peek into the publishing world, with advice about how to get manuscripts noticed, thoughts on the current trends in the industry and more.

HMHCo

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Icons & Inspirations: HMH’s Presidential Past

With the National Conventions under way, HMH Archivist Susan Steinway thought this was the perfect time to take a look back at HMH’s presidential history and the five presidents who published books with us.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

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What Does Brain Science Research Say Students Should be Reading?

Dr. Laurie E. Cutting
Professor, Vanderbilt University

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There’s No Such Thing as an Ordinary Day

HMH Content Author Carol Jago shares highlights from the 2016 International Literacy Association Conference.

Carol Jago
HMH Author and Associate Director, California Reading & Literature Project at UCLA

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Icons & Inspiration: To HMH With Love - Dispatches From Vacationing Authors and Editors

Summer is the time for travel: school’s out, temperatures are heating up, beach towels and chairs are ready to go, and the open road beckons. HMH Archivist Susan Steinway takes a look through HMH history to find out how past authors and editors spent their vacation days.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

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HMH’s Curious World Tour Hits the Road

HMH announces Curious World Tour, an immersive, playful learning experience for kids and families in communities nationwide.

HMHCo

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Introducing the "HMH Customer Spotlight"

HMH EVP of Global Sales and Field Marketing, Lee Ramsayer, kicks off the new Spark series, the HMH Customer Spotlight, with the first customer spotlight falling on Moreno Valley Unified School District in southern California.

Lee Ramsayer
Executive Vice President, Global Sales

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Calling Young Writers to Spark a Story with HMH

HMH launches Spark a Story, a creative writing contest to find, celebrate and publish the best original short stories written by high schoolers.

Bruce Nichols
Senior Vice President and Publisher, HMH

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Icons & Inspiration: Bearded Men & Strong Women, Great Poets of our Past and Present

HMH archivist Susan Steinway celebrates National Poetry Month with two of HMH’s greatest poets: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Natasha Trethewey.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

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Getting It by Heart: The Value in Memorizing Poetry

In celebration of National Poetry Month, HMH ELA Program Author Carol Jago explains the value in memorizing poetry and the importance of uninterrupted reading.

Carol Jago
HMH Author and Associate Director, California Reading & Literature Project at UCLA

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An ‘Out of This World’ Interdisciplinary Lesson

Sherry Mitchell and Matt DiGioia, teachers at Harry M. Bailey Middle School in West Haven, CT and second place winners of the HMH Curious Classroom Contest, reflect upon their passion for teaching, as well as their involvement with the Contest and the HMH Marketplace.

HMHCo

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Attentive Listening: An Overlooked Component of Academic Interaction

HMH program author Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. offers insights and strategies to support English learners in becoming focused listeners in the classroom.

Dr. Kate Kinsella
Author, English 3D; Co-Author, Read 180®; Teacher Educator, Researcher; CEO, Dr. Kate Kinsella & Associates

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Icons & Inspiration: The Four Bestselling Female Authors You’ve Never Heard Of

March is Women’s History Month and the perfect time to honor the hundreds of wonderful female authors published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

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Icons & Inspiration: What Do “Field of Dreams” and “Deliverance” Have in Common?

Just in time for the Oscars, HMH archivist Susan Steinway takes a look back at HMH’s impact on Hollywood’s biggest night.

Susan Steinway
Archivist, HMH

Book Covers Don Brown

On Writing About Tragedy for Young Readers

I have written two-dozen non-fiction history books for kids over as many years. My latest books recount an environmental disaster and a killer hurricane, neither of which is an easy topic for readers regardless of age. The question I often face is how to present difficult material to kids?

Don Brown
Author and Illustrator

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Beyond the Written Word Close Readings of Complex Visual Texts

Visual artists approach their work with the same purposes as writers: to persuade, to explain, and to convey experience real or imagined. The difference is in their tools. While writers employ diction, syntax, and imagery to establish a tone and convey their message; visual artists use color, line, shape, object, and scale.

Carol Jago
HMH Author and Associate Director, California Reading & Literature Project at UCLA

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