Shaped

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

 

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How Has Technology Changed Education?

Here we take a deep dive into the question, “How has technology changed education?” and uncover tech’s role in opening up new possibilities for teaching and learning.

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[Podcast] Ed Trends Minisode: Education Predictions for 2025 with Shawn Young

[Podcast] Ed Trends Minisode: Education Predictions for 2025 with Shawn Young 

What will be trending in education in 2025? Host Kailey Rhodes sits down with Classcraft cofounder and HMH’s SVP of product management and strategy Shawn Young to discuss 2025 education predictions. 

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7 Fun Spring Activities for Elementary Students

Happy spring! Try these 7 spring activities for elementary students for ideas to celebrate the season!

Alicia Ivory

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WF2093761 Shaped 2025 Blog Post What Is RTI in Elementary School Final

What Is RTI in Elementary School? A Powerful Tool, Reimagined

This blog post explores the question, “What is RTI in elementary school?” and how RTI serves as a powerful framework to ensure all students have the right support they need to succeed.

Dr. Bonnie Cochran

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How One District Uses Data to Drive Student Success

Learn about how Blue Springs School District in Missouri recognized the urgent need to address learning gaps and reduce the burden of catch-up while providing support and actionable data to inform teaching and better meet students' needs.

Onalee Smith

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Latest Posts

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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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.

Presidents Day Lesson Plans And Activities

9 Presidents’ Day Lesson Plans and Activities to Foster Engaged Citizens

Use these 9 Presidents’ Day lesson plans and activities for middle and high school classrooms to foster engaged and informed citizens.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped Editor

Brenda Iasevoli
Shaped Executive Editor

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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

May Memorial Day

9 Memorial Day Activities for Elementary and Middle School Students

Use these Memorial Day classroom activities for elementary and middle school students to honor those who sacrificed for their country.

Jordan Friedman
Former Shaped 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

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Teaching Students How to Write an Expository Paragraph

Want to help your students develop their organizational, analytical, and research skills? Teach them how to write an expository paragraph.

Alicia Ivory
Shaped Editor

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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

Student reading

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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All About Me Activities: Celebrate What Makes You ‘Different’

Explore “All About Me”​ activities for elementary and middle school students. Help your students to celebrate what makes them different.

Onalee Smith
Shaped Contributor

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 9: Invent a Board Game and More

Help your middle schoolers sharpen their writing and critical thinking skills with activities including a poetry scavenger hunt and an opportunity for them to invent a board game.

Shaped Staff

Student reading

Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 1: Poetry Scavenger Hunt

Sharpen your writing, language, critical thinking, and reading skills with these instructional resources for Grades 6-8, including a poetry scavenger hunt.

Shaped Staff

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Grades 6–8 ELA Activity Set 3: Identify Figurative Language and More

Have middle schoolers identify figurative language, start a dialectical journal, and respond to daily dinner prompts.

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.