Do You Know Where Your Students Are Stuck?
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There have been years when I jumped into January with the best intentions.
Fresh plans.
Updated pacing.
High hopes for a strong second semester.
And yet—every single time—about three weeks in, I felt that familiar frustration creeping back in.
Not because I didn’t care.
Not because I wasn’t working hard.
But because I was still guessing.
I hadn’t paused to ask one critical question first:
Which reading and writing skills are my students actually missing right now?
So I planned.
And re-planned.
And reteached entire lessons—when the real issue was often much smaller and much more specific.
The Shift That Changed Everything
Everything changed the year I did something simple (but powerful): I paused before jumping in.
Instead of starting with lessons, I started with clarity.
I used short, targeted reading and writing diagnostics to pinpoint exactly where students were getting stuck—sentence skills, paragraph structure, evidence explanations, comprehension breakdowns.
What happened next surprised me.
- My planning became more focused
- My students felt less overwhelmed
- I stopped feeling like I had to start over every January
Because I wasn’t starting over—I was starting smarter.
A January Reset Doesn’t Mean Starting From Scratch
A true reset isn’t about scrapping everything you’ve already built. It’s about adjusting with intention.
When you know where the gaps are, instruction becomes more efficient, differentiation becomes manageable, and progress actually feels possible.
That’s the power of diagnostics: they turn uncertainty into direction.
Why This Matters (for You and Your Students)
If you’ve ever thought:
- “Why isn’t this sticking?”
- “Didn’t we already cover this?”
- “Why are my students still struggling?”
It may not be the instruction.
It may simply be that the missing pieces haven’t been identified yet.
Want an Easy January Reset?
If you want to start the semester with clarity (without adding a ton of prep), I have quick, classroom-friendly diagnostics for both reading and writing that help you pinpoint skill gaps fast—so you can plan targeted support instead of guessing.
Grab the diagnostics here: Reading + Writing Diagnostics
Teacher-to-teacher tip: You can use the results to group students, plan mini-lessons, and choose the right next steps—without reteaching everything from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a reading and writing diagnostic?
A diagnostic is a short assessment designed to identify which specific skills students have mastered and which ones still need support—before instruction begins.
When should I use diagnostics during the school year?
Diagnostics are especially helpful at the start of a new semester, after long breaks, or anytime instruction feels less effective than expected.
Are these diagnostics only for struggling students?
No. Diagnostics help all students by ensuring instruction matches their actual skill level, not just the standards on the pacing guide.
Can diagnostics be used in both whole-class and intervention settings?
Yes. Many teachers use them to guide whole-class planning, small groups, and Tier 2 intervention decisions.
Don’t spend hours searching for that great idea you found. Just pin this to your favorite classroom Pinterest board so you can quickly and easily come back when you are ready. You’ll be glad you did!
