Here are 3 things I did to get 91.5% of my first graders reading on grade level for 10 consecutive years: 1️⃣ I didn’t teach every activity in the district’s adopted curriculum. There was too much stuff, and half of it wasn’t worth the time. I got selective. I taught what mattered and taught it well. 2️⃣ I stuck to one clear structure. Same flow every day. Repetition built momentum and cumulative skill growth. Routines aren’t boring. They’re brain builders. 3️⃣ Small group came after powerful wh