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PODCAST

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public Private and Homeschool Teachers

Are you a teacher looking for practical strategies to create engaging lesson plans and improve student comprehension? Whether you teach in public school, private school, or homeschool, The Education Connection is here to support you!I’m Robin Wilson, a veteran first-grade teacher and with over 32 years of experience in Sunday School, a successful Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) seller in the 97th percentile, and a passionate educator helping teachers simplify lesson planning. Each episode delivers

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All Episodes

17:24

How to Teach Text to Self Reading Comprehension |...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/09/28

How do you teach text-to-self connections in first grade in a way young readers can really understand?In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson continues the Writing About Reading Series with a simple, classroom-tested approach to teaching text-to-self connections.Learn how to introduce the strategy with a Book → Me anchor chart, model your own connection, and help students connect events and feelings in a story to experiences from their own lives. Robin also shares how she moves

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12:00

How to teach Text-to-Text Comprehension Strategy |...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/09/21

How do you teach text-to-text connections in first grade without making the strategy too complicated for young readers?In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson shares the simple, step-by-step way she teaches first graders to connect one text to another as part of her Writing About Reading series.You'll hear how Robin uses a simple anchor chart with two books and a large arrow, chooses books with easy-to-find connections, and spreads the lesson across two days. She also shares why

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11:49

How to Teach Background Knowledge for Reading...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/09/13

How to Teach Background Knowledge for Reading Comprehension in First Grade | Writing About Reading SeriesHow do you teach first graders to use background knowledge while reading? In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson shares a simple, first-grade-friendly way to introduce background knowledge, also called schema, as a reading comprehension strategy.Robin shares how she begins with a big-brain anchor chart and asks one simple question: “What do you know?” As students share

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26:12

Retelling a Story for Reading Comprehension | Writing...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/09/07

How do you teach retelling in first grade without students telling every tiny detail—or barely telling you anything at all?In this episode of The Education Connection, we're wrapping up Part One of the Writing About Reading series with a simple approach to teaching students how to retell a story using the most important details.I'll share how I use a four-square graphic organizer to help first graders plan their thinking before they begin writing. We'll talk about what to include on the graphic

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17:06

Teaching Main Idea, Central Message, and Moral of the...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/08/31

What’s the difference between main idea, central message, and moral of the story—and how do we teach those differences to first graders without making it complicated?In this episode of The Education Connection, we’re breaking down all three skills and looking at simple, developmentally appropriate ways to teach each one.Using The Tortoise and the Hare as a familiar example, we’ll look at:• Main Idea: What is the story mostly about? • Central Message: What does the author want us to understand or

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18:21

How to Teach Problem and Solution | Writing About...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/08/22

How to Teach Problem and Solution in First GradeIn this episode of The Education Connection, we're continuing our Writing About Reading series by looking at how to introduce problem and solution to our youngest readers and writers.First graders are expected to understand plot, retell stories, and identify important events. Learning to recognize a story's problem and how it is solved can help build that understanding.And first grade doesn't always have to be about mastery. Sometimes we're planting

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7:32

How to Teach Beginning, Middle, and End | Writing...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/08/17

How to Teach Beginning, Middle, and End | Writing About ReadingTeaching beginning, middle, and end may sound a lot like teaching sequencing, but there is an important difference. When students sequence events, they learn to put what happened in the correct order. When students identify the beginning, middle, and end, they take that thinking one step further by deciding which events matter most.In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue our Writing About Reading series by looking at how

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24:54

How to Teach Events and Sequencing | Writing About...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/08/10

What does it really mean when we ask first graders to write about the events in a story? Before students can write about what happened, they need to understand plot, identify important events, and put those events in sequence.In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue the Writing About Reading series with Story Events, Part 1: Understanding Plot and Sequencing. We’ll talk about the difference between plot and sequencing and how to scaffold instruction from sequencing pictures to using

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29:11

Classroom Procedures for Elementary Teachers | How to...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/08/02

Do you ever feel like you're spending more time correcting behavior than actually teaching? I've been there.In this episode of The Education Connection, I'm taking a short break from my Writing About Reading series to talk about something that's on every teacher's mind this time of year...classroom procedures.After 20 years in the classroom, I've learned that classroom management doesn't begin with consequences. It begins with intentionally teaching procedures. I'll share the simple three-step

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18:24

How to Teach Setting | Writing About Reading Series

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/07/26

How do you teach setting in a way that is simple, meaningful, and easy for young learners to understand?In this episode of The Education Connection, I'm sharing exactly how I teach setting through my Writing About Reading framework. You'll learn my step-by-step routine for introducing the skill with a mentor text, engaging students in meaningful discussions, modeling the writing process, and gradually releasing responsibility so students can complete the activity independently.I'll also explain how

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22:40

How to Teach Characters: Writing About Reading Series

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/07/20

How do you teach first graders to write about reading without overwhelming them?In this first episode of my Writing About Reading Series, I'm sharing one of my classroom routines for teaching students to identify the main characters in a story. This simple strategy naturally blends reading and writing together, helping students strengthen comprehension while building confidence as young writers.You'll hear how I introduce the routine, why I don't ask students to write too much too soon, and how one

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19:21

Writing About Reading: Beyond "Write About the Story"

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/07/13

Have you ever finished a read aloud and thought, "Now what should my students write?"For many first graders, simply saying "Write about the story" is too broad. Young learners need a clear purpose for writing.In this first episode of the Writing About Reading series, we'll explore two different types of writing after reading: understanding the story and thinking about the story. You'll discover why both are essential, how they work together to strengthen comprehension, and how giving students a

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25:56

Comprehension Strategies Every K–3 Teacher Should...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/07/06

Do your students read the words but struggle to understand what they read?In this episode of The Education Connection, we're wrapping up our Science of Reading series by focusing on the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension.I'll share the seven comprehension strategies that have shaped my instruction over the years and explain how I teach them in my first-grade classroom. While my approach has been influenced by the professional book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins,

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14:41

Teaching Vocabulary in the Science of Reading: Simple...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/06/27

How do you effectively teach vocabulary in the primary classroom? In this episode of The Education Connection, we're exploring one of the essential components of the Science of Reading: vocabulary.You'll learn why vocabulary instruction is critical for reading comprehension, how it differs from sight word practice, and simple classroom activities you can begin using immediately. Robin shares practical, teacher-friendly ideas including preteaching vocabulary before a read aloud, vocabulary scavenger

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15:54

Phonics Explained: Why It Matters in the Science of...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/06/22

In this episode of The Education Connection, we're continuing our Science of Reading series by exploring one of the most important building blocks of reading success: phonics.What is phonics, and why has it become such a major focus in reading instruction? Join me as we discuss how phonics helps students connect letters and sounds, decode unfamiliar words, and become confident readers.You'll learn:• What phonics is and how it fits into the Science of Reading• Why phonics instruction is receiving

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17:27

Science of Reading Part 3: Fluency – The Bridge...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/06/15

In this episode of The Education Connection, we continue our Science of Reading series by exploring fluency and why it is such an important bridge between phonics and comprehension. Learn the three components of fluency: accuracy, rate, and prosody, and discover simple classroom strategies that help students become confident, expressive readers. Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, or beyond, you'll walk away with practical ideas you can use right away to support reading success.• The 5

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10:24

What Is Phonemic Awareness? Science of Reading Explained

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/06/08

What is phonemic awareness, and why is it so important for beginning readers?In this first episode of our Science of Reading series, I break down what phonemic awareness is, why it matters, and how you can teach it in your classroom, tutoring sessions, or homeschool lessons.We'll discuss: • What phonemic awareness is (and what it is not) • Examples of blending, segmenting, deleting, and manipulating sounds • Simple phonemic awareness activities you can use right away • How phonemic awareness

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27:27

What Is the Science of Reading? Let's Talk About It

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/06/01

Have you been hearing the term Science of Reading and wondering what it actually means?In this episode of The Education Connection, I share my perspective and explore what the Science of Reading is and how it connects to the five essential components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.As I learned more about the Science of Reading, I realized that many of these components have been part of reading instruction for years. At the same time, the conversation

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11:24

Why Teachers Can’t Shut Their Brains Off After School...

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/05/25

Summer break is finally here… so why do so many teachers still feel mentally exhausted?In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson talks honestly about the emotional and mental shift that happens during the first week after school ends. From overstimulation and teacher exhaustion to guilt over resting and struggling to “shut your brain off,” this episode is a real conversation for teachers who are trying to slow down after a long school year.Robin shares encouragement for educators who

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15:00

How I Survive the Last Week of School in First Grade

The Education Connection with Robin Wilson | Public... ·

2026/05/18

In this episode of The Education Connection, I’m sharing how I survive the last week of school in first grade while still keeping students engaged, calm, and learning. If you are looking for last week of school tips for elementary teachers, simple end of year classroom ideas, or ways to keep structure during the final week of school, this episode is for you.I talk about why I keep our classroom schedule as normal as possible during the last week of school, how I use gentle spiral review in reading

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