Teaching is heavy work. In this episode, Robin unpacks cognitive overload, the emotional weight of student trauma, the pressure of teacher evaluations, and the toll it takes on your heart and mind. With research, honesty, and encouragement from Lamentations 3:24, this episode offers strength and hope for educators in demanding seasonsI

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If this episode encouraged you, I would love for you to leave a five star rating and a quick review. When you do, you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. It is a simple way to support the podcast, and your review helps other teachers and homeschool families discover these conversations. Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your thoughts.

Fluency starts with confidence, and confidence starts with sight words! In this episode of The Education Connection, Robin Wilson shares practical ways to help young readers recognize high-frequency words instantly, freeing their brains to focus on comprehension and meaning.

You’ll learn how sight words support fluency, how many to focus on each year, and why those little words make a big impact. Robin also shares her favorite classroom-tested activities and a free resource to help you put it all into practice.

🧠 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why sight words are the key to building fluent, confident readers
• The difference between Fry and Dolch lists (and how to start if you don’t have a program)
• How the first 100 words make up about 50% of what kids read — and the first 300 words cover 65%

🎯 Try This in Your Classroom:

Sight Word Parking Lot Write words on index cards and let students “drive” toy cars to the ones you call out. This quick, movement-based activity builds instant recognition while keeping learning playful and fun!

Grab Robin’s Free Spelling Practice Pack, perfect for reinforcing sight words and phonics patterns through editable weekly templates. 👉 Download it now at Robin Wilson First Grade Love Spelling Practice First Grade

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9 Every sight word you teach is a seed of confidence that will grow in your students over time.

If this episode encouraged you, please share it with a teacher or homeschool mom—it helps more than you know! And when you leave a 5-star rating and review, you’ll be entered into a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway.

Subscribe to The Education Connection so you never miss a new episode filled with practical classroom ideas and heart-centered teaching inspiration.

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Teachers Pay Teachers:

Find Reading Comprehension Strategies Bundle

Find Genesis Bible Stories Bundle

Your students can decode words — but something’s still missing. They’re reading words but not books, and it’s choppy, slow, and uncertain. That’s where fluency comes in, the bridge between sounding out and real reading.

In this episode, Robin Wilson shares:

• What fluency means
• Why 20 minutes of daily reading changes everything
• Three simple ways to build fluent, confident readers
• How to keep reading time fun with variety and choice

🎁 FREE RESOURCE: Download Robin’s The Read Everyday Challenge. 10 fun ways to practice reading every day! 👉 Click here to download the free guide

⭐ ENTER TO WIN! Leave a 5-star review of The Education Connection on Apple Podcasts, and you’ll be automatically entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card. It’s my way of saying thank you for supporting the show and helping other teachers find it too! 💛

🎧 Listen now and discover how to turn decoding into joyful, fluent reading — one day at a time.