In today’s episode of The Education Connection, Robin shares exactly how she teaches the r-controlled vowels er, ir, and ur in her classroom — and why her students absolutely love it. After hearing Katie Garner explain that all three make the same “errrr” sound, Robin completely shifted her approach. Now she teaches the patterns, using a playful, hands-on activity with toy cars that instantly grabs kids’ attention.

You’ll hear how Robin labels cars with er, ir, and ur, lets students “drive” around the carpet, and then park their cars on matching word cards to build automatic recognition of spelling patterns. She also explains orthographic mapping in a simple, teacher-friendly way and walks through additional routines that help young readers truly understand these tricky vowel combinations.

If you want an engaging way to teach r-controlled vowels — one that feels fun, makes sense, and sticks — this episode will give you the exact ideas you can use tomorrow.

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In this Thanksgiving week episode, Robin offers a gentle heart to heart for every teacher who feels tired, stretched thin, or simply ready for a moment to breathe. Together, we pause to reflect on gratitude, acknowledge the reality of the season, and prepare our hearts for the next three busy weeks leading up to Christmas.

Robin shares encouragement for finding calm, noticing the wins that matter, giving yourself grace for the messy moments, and stepping into December with intention instead of overwhelm. This episode is a reminder that you do not have to conquer the holidays. You only have to be present, steady, and grounded in the work you already do so well.

If you need a peaceful reset before the Christmas countdown begins, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin shares one of the most important turning points in her teaching journey. Long before she became a confident and successful reading teacher, she remembers the season when she struggled, prayed for guidance, and felt unsure of how to help her students grow. God answered that prayer through an unexpected path that became the foundation of her reading instruction today.

Robin teaches how glued sounds work and why they matter, and she breaks them into simple steps that any teacher can use. You will hear three practical activities you can implement right away to help your students master am, an, all, ing, ang, ong, ung, ink, ank, onk, and unk with confidence. She also shares how rhythm and routines make phonics learning natural and joyful.

This episode blends the heart of a mentor with the experience of a seasoned teacher. Robin has spent years refining her practice, and her passion is helping other educators finally feel confident with the parts of reading that used to feel overwhelming.

If this podcast encourages you, please share it with another teacher or homeschool mom.

And if you leave a 5-star rating and review on the podcast platform you use, you will be entered into a monthly drawing for a $25 gift card. Your support helps more teachers discover simple and effective ways to grow strong readers.

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