Incorporating sensory activities into writing lessons can significantly enhance students' descriptive abilities, educator Donna Paul writes. Activities such as sensory walks, using nature trays and playing the "Guess the Object" game can prompt students to engage their senses, making their writing more vivid and detailed, Paul writes.

Music education plays a crucial role in early childhood development and literacy, experts say. Stephanie Benischek from the National Association for Music Education and Ryan Greene from the Music Teachers National Association highlight that learning music helps students with vocabulary, attention span and social skills, while also boosting self-confidence and pattern recognition.

As the new school year begins, educators are prioritizing student health to combat absenteeism, which remains high post-pandemic. Lynn Nelson, president of the National Association of School Nurses, highlights communicable diseases and mental health issues as primary concerns and advises schools to teach health hygiene, maintain clean environments and use telehealth for mental health support.

Educators can support middle-school students within their zone of proximal development by adjusting the level of assistance as students grow, writes teacher Timothy Montalvo. Montalvo emphasizes the importance of gradually releasing responsibility, using tools such as self-assessment rubrics and formative checkpoints, and highlights the need to avoid both over-scaffolding, which can lead to learned helplessness, and under-scaffolding, which can cause students to disengage.

Educators in San Antonio are increasingly integrating AI into classrooms to enhance efficiency. Experts like Deepti Tagare from the University of Texas at San Antonio highlight its benefits for lesson planning, instructional material creation and tutoring. However, both Tagare and high-school teacher David Vela emphasize the importance of ethically using the technology as a tool and warning against overreliance and potential academic dishonesty.

Teachers are increasingly using AI to support English learners and students with individualized needs, with tools like Amira and Brisk offering personalized feedback and translation. However, concerns include inaccurate translations, potential instructional gaps and bias against non-native English writers.

Instructional coaches should prioritize intentional data collection during the first 30 days of the school year to demonstrate their impact, writes Donna Spangler, a former K-12 instructional coach department chair in Hershey, Pa. She writes that coaches should focus on tracking teacher participation, early indicators of student impact, teacher voice and trust-building and coaching outreach.

"The ELL Teacher's Toolbox 2.0" is a worthy and thoughtful update to Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski's widely used first edition. Fresh ideas and resources support the learning culture they helped create - one of belonging, inclusivity and working together, writes teacher and coach Melinda Stewart. Read more.

What do middle graders need from adults, especially their parents? Looking into brain science and social, academic, tech and ethical issues, in "Chaos to Context" educator and parent Jody Passanisi asks parents to think back to their own childhoods and then consider how to best support their kids, says reviewer Sarah Cooper. Read on.

For educators committed to creating inclusive and supportive school environments, "Belonging in School" serves up 11 evidence-based modules with actions and strategies and a highly visual style designed to help students feel included, writes 6th grade teacher Ruth A.S. Miller. Read more.