We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])The authors of No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book discuss the importance of teaching comprehension strategies in a text-centered approach. They emphasize the need to move away from isolated strategy instruction and instead focus on using texts as the center of instruction. They highlight the importance of background knowledge, vocabulary, and text structure in preparing students for reading. During reading, they suggest using explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students. They also emphasize the need for students to do the heavy lifting during reading and for teachers to support and guide their thinking. The conversation explores the different stages of comprehension instruction: before reading, during reading, and after reading. TakeawaysTeaching comprehension strategies should be done in a text-centered approach, where the focus is on using texts as the center of instruction.Before reading, it is important to activate or build background knowledge, pre-teach vocabulary, and attend to text structure.During reading, teachers should provide explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students.Students should be doing the heavy lifting during reading, with teachers supporting and guiding their thinking.Engaging students in meaningful reading experiences and connecting comprehension strategies to authentic texts is crucial for effective comprehension instruction. Explicit strategy instruction is crucial for teaching comprehension skills.Modeling how to use comprehension strategies helps students understand how to apply them.Providing opportunities for students to practice and apply comprehension strategies is essential.Engaging students in discussions and writing activities after reading helps consolidate learning and deepen understanding.No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the BookWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Imagine transforming the way you teach reading. Picture your students not just passively consuming the written word, but actively producing meaning and taking purposeful actions inspired by what they've read. This is the promise of our conversation with Doug Fisher, professor at San Diego State University and renowned author, as he takes us on a journey into the depths of reading comprehension.We question the effectiveness of common literacy programs and discuss the intricate ties between vocabulary, comprehension, and prior knowledge. How do you feel about the 'letter of the week' approach? Listen as we scrutinize its validity and dig deeper into other foundational reading skills, such as letter recognition and sound blending. We also expose the symbiotic relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, underscoring the pivotal role of knowledge in decoding texts.We then traverse the landscape of oral language in reading instruction and the implications of isolating reading from writing. Can you guess the impact of these practices on student learning? Doug enlightens us on the significance of comprehension strategy instruction and the importance of developing all elements of reading literacy. To cap it off, our conversation concludes with three practical suggestions that you, as an educator, can apply in your classroom for immediate impact. Prepare to awaken a new perspective on the world of reading.ResourcesArticles by Natalie WexlerSteve Graham: Effective Writing Instruction (video)Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, Harris & Graham (book) We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Imagine facing not only the struggles of growing up in a challenging environment,  but also battling a learning difference that went undiagnosed for years. Hear the inspiring story of Ameer Baraka as he discusses his book: Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia.Ameer will discuss: How he grew up in New Orleans, facing unimaginable obstacles His experiences with being misunderstood and how it impacted his life How he transformed his life by reclaiming his education while incarcerated How he is now dedicated to helping others recognize their potential By the end of this episode, you'll see how Ameer’s journey not only sheds light on the challenges of dyslexia but also highlights the incredible strength it takes to overcome adversity.Want to Learn More?Undiagnosed: The Ugly Side of Dyslexia by Ameer Baraka We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From October 7, 2022In this episode, we talk with former balanced literacy teacher and parent, Missy Purcell. She authored a blog post titled Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher.Missy writes, “According to Nancy Young’s ladder of reading, roughly 10-15% of kids can figure out reading out with this type of instruction, but my child, who would later be diagnosed with dyslexia, would never be able to become a proficient reader with any version of balanced literacy. He, according to Young, like 85% of students, benefit from or need systematic explicit instruction that follows a scope and sequence with fidelity to become proficient readers and writers.”We want to normalize the idea that most kids CAN learn how to read with structured literacy instruction. ResourcesDear Balanced Literacy Teacher Looking for Heroes: One Boy, One Year, 100 Letters 2nd EditionThese resources from the International Dyslexia Association are helpful to spread the word on social media about October as Dyslexia Awareness Month! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])In this conversation we explore Nancy Young's infographic, "The Ladder of Reading and Writing," unpacking the complexity of learning to read and write in English. This framework helps educators grasp the diverse factors influencing how students learn. Nancy Young and Jan Hasbrouck, editors of the new book Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the Needs of All Learners help us navigate through the four color-coded levels—ranging from those facing the most challenges to those who begin reading effortlessly—emphasizing tailored teaching methods and the nuanced nature of literacy instruction. Highlighting the pivotal roles of classroom organization and data-driven grouping, the episode underscores the necessity of flexible teaching approaches. Concluding with insights on assessment tools and collaborative strategies, they share what it takes for effective differentiated instruction.TakeawaysLearning to read and write in English is a complex process influenced by internal and external factors.Instruction cannot be one size fits all and must be differentiated based on students' needs.The Ladder of Reading and Writing infographic provides a visual representation of the continuum of literacy development.Dosage of instruction varies for different students, with some needing more guided practice and others needing less.Observation and data collection are crucial for effective differentiation and instruction. Differentiation should be based on students' skills and needs, not just their reading levels.Assessment should include screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring assessments to inform differentiated instruction.ResourcesThe Ladder of Reading & Writing Infographic by Nancy YoungClimbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the Needs of All Learners Edited by Nancy Young and Jan HasbrouckDifferentiated Instruction by Vicki Gibson and Jan Hasbrouck We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Jul 7, 2023Today we talk about fluency and assessment with Jan Hasbrouck. She shares tips and tricks for how to to best assess and teach fluency. She also debunks frequent fluency misunderstandings and explains the scientific evidence that underlies the Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart.  Note: During the podcast, we mentioned we would link Jan’s previous studies on ORF. But… we want to make sure the most recent information (Fluency Norms Chart 2017 Update) is the one that is prioritized for instructional use, so we’ve linked that to avoid confusion.  ResourcesHasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency ChartFluency Norms Chart (2017 Update) Developing Fluent Readers by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsUnderstanding and Assessing Fluency by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsTim Rasinski Multidimensional Fluency Rubric NAEP Fluency Scale What Does “Below Basic” Mean on NAEP Reading? We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Nancy Hennessy and Julia Salamone discuss the importance of vocabulary and syntax in reading comprehension. They explain how vocabulary connects to reading comprehension and the different levels of word knowledge. They also emphasize the need for explicit instruction in vocabulary and the role of context in understanding word meaning. They also discuss the connection between semantics and syntax and how understanding sentence comprehension is crucial for overall comprehension. They share instructional activities such as anagrams and sentence expansion to support sentence level comprehension. The conversation explores the integration of reading and writing, the importance of language in reading proficiency, and different ways students can express their understanding through oral responses, multimedia, and written responses as tools for comprehension and expression. Vocabulary plays a critical role in reading comprehension and is connected to all aspects of language.Different levels of word knowledge serve different purposes, and depth of understanding is crucial for overall comprehension.Syntax provides the structure for words to convey meaning in sentences, and an understanding of syntax is essential for sentence comprehension.Instructional activities such as anagrams and sentence expansion can support sentence level comprehension and foster collaboration and discussion among students. Integration of reading and writing is crucial for student learning.Language is the foundation of reading proficiency.Students can express their understanding through oral response, multimedia, and written responses.The book provides practical strategies and tools for teachers to support reading comprehension.The authors wrote the book to bridge the gap between research and practice and provide teachers with additional resources.ResourcesThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint Activity Book by Nancy Hennessy & Julia SalamoneThe Literacy House - Pam Snow Blog Post We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From Aug 4, 2023What if the key to unlocking your students' reading comprehension could be found through a deeper understanding of the intricate processes at work in their minds? Prepare to have your teaching world transformed as we journey with reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, Nancy Hennessy. Together, we’ll map out the cognitive and linguistic processes that underpin comprehension, and navigate the complex interaction between a reader's knowledge, the text itself, and the author's intent.As teachers, we play an integral role in shaping the reading journey of our students. Witness how the Reading Comprehension Blueprint can revolutionize your instructional design as we discuss how to thoughtfully consider the task, text, and context. Learn how to integrate prior background knowledge and foster mental models of understanding. Be part of our examination of comprehension as an essential pillar of reading and join us as we demystify the science behind this crucial skill.Finally, imagine having a blueprint that offers a flexible framework that aligns seamlessly with the science of comprehension. Listen as we delve into the importance of planning for instruction, pinpointing the key takeaways for your students, and exploring types of texts and text sets. Learn how to identify the contributors to comprehension and teach your students to become masters of their own understanding. Buckle up and get ready to revolutionize your approach to teaching reading comprehension.ResourcesThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint From The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy. Copyright © 2021 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reservedExpert Minute Video-Thinking about Comprehension: Nancy HennessyRethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension, American Federation of Teachers by Hugh CattsEp. 118 Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh Catts, podcastAIM FCRR Background Knowledge Research We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Lindsay Kemeny discusses her book 7 Mighty Moves and the importance of teaching literacy effectively. The conversation covers the development of the 7 moves, which focus on phonemic awareness, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Lindsay emphasizes the need for explicit and systematic instruction, the use of decodable texts, and the importance of teaching sight words with phonics skills. She also shares practical strategies for improving fluency, such as partner reading and paragraph shrinking. She explains how this routine helped improve students' reading fluency and comprehension. Lindsay also emphasizes the importance of embracing vocabulary and background knowledge in reading instruction. Resources 7 Mighty Moves (book) by Lindsay KemenyTeaching with Lindsay Kemeny on FacebookLiteracy Talks podcastLindsay's website We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From Mar 18, 2022How can regular fluency practice lead to fluent readers? In today’s episode, educators Lorraine Griffith and Lindsay Kemeny discuss the impact of fluency in their classrooms. Fluency is a bridge: It connects word recognition with comprehension. We dive into whole and small group fluency instruction with simple strategies and more. We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Our guests today, authors Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell, discuss the concept of Strive-For-Five Conversations, which emphasizes the importance of multi-turn conversations between teachers and students. They explain that the goal is to stretch conversations beyond the typical question-response format and aim for at least five turns.  The conversation explores the importance of building relationships with parents and the impact of conversations on brain development. They also provide practical tips for implementing Strive for Five in the classroom and engaging parents in the process. ResourcesStrive for Five Conversations by Tricia Zucker and Sonia CabellUsing Strive-for-Five Conversations to Strengthen Language Comprehension in Preschool through Grade OneAsking Questions is Just the First Step: Using Upward and Downward Scaffolds Going Nuts for Words: Recommendation for Teaching Young Students Academic VocabularyArticle on Teaching Together research: This article shows sending home materials scaffolds parent involvement and that the impact of rewards fades over time.Talking is Teaching Family Engagement ResourcesWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From Jul 15, 2022Dr. Sonia Cabell, Associate Professor at Florida State University, shares the importance of both oral language and content knowledge instruction. Why? Oral language skills underlie our ability to comprehend text. At the same time, the knowledge we bring to a text is THE key determinant on how much we understand that text. This episode speaks to the entirety of the reading rope! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Heidi Anne Mesmer discusses her book Big Words for Young Readers. She emphasizes the importance of teaching young readers to decode and understand words with multiple syllables and morphemes. Heidi Anne highlights the need to teach morphemic concepts early on and provides recommendations for teaching different types of morphemes at each grade level. She explains that morphology, the study of word parts, is a crucial component of reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Mesmer provides practical strategies for teaching morphology, such as teaching the morphological principle and using activities like 'Make It Big' to build students' confidence in creating big words. She also emphasizes the need for explicit instruction in morphology from an early age and highlights the benefits of using cognates and word chains to support multilingual learners. TakeawaysThe book Big Words for Young Readers focuses on teaching young readers to decode and understand words with multiple syllables and morphemes.Syllables are sound units, while morphemes are the smallest units of sound that carry meaning in a word.Teaching morphemic concepts early on can help students distinguish the meaningful parts of words.There is no strict scope and sequence for teaching morphemes, but it is important to consider the frequency and applicability of different types of morphemes at each grade level. Teaching morphology is essential for developing reading comprehension and vocabulary skills in young readers.Strategies like teaching the morphological principle and using activities like 'Make It Big' can help students understand and create big words.Explicit instruction in morphology should be integrated into phonics instruction from an early age.Cognates and word chains can be effective tools for supporting multilingual learners in developing their morphological knowledge.Resources Big Words for Young Readers and the entire Scholastic Science of Reading in Practice book series! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From Nov 4, 2022Researcher Heidi Anne Mesmer joins the podcast to discuss the research on decodable text and dos and don'ts for classroom practice. Thinking about decodability as a meter from most to least decodable to the reader is important. A child who reads a text by sounding out and decoding words will experience a milestone of childhood: the feeling of reading. This also supports orthographic mapping.ResourcesDecodable Text: A Review of What We Know, Heidi Anne Mesmer TextProject.org Key Knowledge to Support Phonological Awareness and Phonics Instruction, Piasta and Hudson Choosing and Using Decodable Texts, Wiley Blevins Reading Above the Fray, Julia Lindsey We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Anna Geiger, author of "Reach All Readers," joins us on the pod today. Anna takes us on a historical reading journey, from the early reading wars of the 1800s to debates between whole language and balanced literacy, up to the present Science of Reading movement. She shares her personal transition from balanced literacy to embracing the science of reading, providing critical insights into why a code-emphasis method is indispensable for early reading instruction. ResourcesConnect with Anna Geiger, AKA The Measured MomListen to Anna's podcast, Triple R Teaching  Read Anna's new book, Reach All Readers We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])From Sep 21, 2020The article Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA Classroom is a must-read before or after listening to this podcast!  Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel share the true intentions of the CCSS vs. the way they are currently interpreted. They also provide observations about how the Standards play out in classrooms and schools - within HQIM and what happens in absence of HQIM! We ask the gals some tough questions: What does this mean for assessment, especially "data-driven" instruction?What are better ways to assess and track student progress? They are hilarious and smart, and so very relatable. This one is a MUST listen!Read the article that prompted this conversation:Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA ClassroomWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])In this episode, Meredith and David Liben discuss the importance of comprehension instruction, the power of questions, and the practice of close reading. They emphasize the value of curiosity, vocabulary depth, and the features of complex text. The conversation also delves into the debate around teaching comprehension strategies, the overemphasis on reading strategies, the impact of high-pressure assessments on instruction, and the need for a more comprehensive approach to reading comprehension. The speakers reflect on their own mistakes and the challenges in the field of literacy education.TakeawaysThe power of questions lies in their ability to provide insight into a student's comprehension, encourage precise thinking, and reveal the features of a text that stumped or aided comprehension.Close reading serves as a valuable technique for examining the features of complex text, developing vocabulary depth, and understanding the world through text.The debate around teaching comprehension strategies highlights the impact of high-pressure assessments and the need to prioritize meaningful instruction over test preparation. Comprehension strategies have limitations and may not be the most effective approach to reading comprehension.The overemphasis on reading strategies can be detrimental to students' engagement and understanding of reading.Foundational skills and the science of reading play a crucial role in improving reading comprehension.Reflecting on mistakes and being open to learning from them is essential for progress in literacy education.We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Unlock the potential of your ELA instruction by shifting to a knowledge-rich curriculum! Join us as we sit down with David Liben, co-author of Know Better, Do Better, to hear stories about knowledge-building goodness. David highlights how incorporating vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and comprehension can bring joy and engagement to your classroom. Discover how diverse topics like polar bears and space can captivate students' imaginations, while a shared quality curriculum fosters a strong sense of community and supports social-emotional learning.ResourcesKnow Better, Do Better: Comprehension by David & Meredith Liben Know Better, Do Better by Meredith & David Liben We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Kim Lockhart, Canadian educator, shares her top three book recommendations. The first recommendation is 'Next Steps in Literacy Instruction' by Susan Smart and Deb Glaser, which focuses on the multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) model and effective interventions. The second recommendation is 'Why Don't Students Like School?' by Daniel Willingham, which explores the science of learning and how to make instruction more effective. The third recommendation is 'Read Alouds for All Learners' by Molly Ness, which emphasizes the importance of language comprehension and intentional read alouds.  ResourcesMelissa & Lori Love Literacy Episode 193: Systems to Get Better Reading Results with Stephanie Stollar (podcast)Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions by Susan Smartt and Deborah Glaser (book)Melissa & Lori Love Literacy Episode 139: Knowledge Matters with Barbara Davidson and Daniel Willingham (podcast)Why Don’t Students Like School? By Daniel Willingham (book)Melissa & Lori Love Literacy Episode 170: All About Read Alouds with Molly Ness (podcast)Read Alouds for All Learners: A Comprehensive Plan for Every Subject, Every Day, Grades PreK–8 by Molly Ness (book)We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Read Not Guess is a FREE program designed for parents to help their children improve their early reading skills. The lessons are short and simple, taking only 5 to 10 minutes per day. The program is email-based, with parents receiving a daily email with the lesson of the day. There are two levels available, with level one for true beginners and level two for more advanced learners. Additionally, there is a Dailyish Decodable program for kids who need more practice with specific skills. All the programs are free and accessible to parents and caregivers.Sign up for Read Not Guess now! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Melissa & Lori discuss questions about reading comprehension from our new book, The Literacy 50: A Q&A Handbook for Teachers, and provide research-based answers and practical suggestions. We talk about the place of sustained silent reading in the school day and the best ways to assess a student's comprehension. We also discuss the concept of reading volume and how to support students in reading more.We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Melissa & Lori discuss questions about phonemic awareness from our new book, The Literacy 50: A Q&A Handbook for Teachers. We talk about best practices for teaching phonemic awareness and whether to teach it with or without naming and showing letters. Additionally, we address the misconception that introducing letters in phonemic awareness instruction means transitioning to phonics, and they provide guidance on when and how to introduce letters in phonemic awareness instruction.We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])The tables are turned on us in today's episode! Anna Geiger interviews us about our new book, The Literacy 50. You might know Anna as The Measured Mom and host of the Triple R Teaching podcast. We loved divulging why we wrote the book, how educators can use it in classrooms and schools, and we even answer some hot topic questions! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Today's sneak peek episode gives you a behind the scenes look at why we wrote this book, the questions we answer, and resources we crafted just for you! We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])Unlock the potential in every multilingual learner as Claude Goldenberg, renowned professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, joins us to dispel myths and share crucial strategies in literacy education. Delve into the complexities of teaching reading to students mastering English, where educational rights meet the science of literacy. We promise a journey through the nuances of vocabulary acquisition and orthographic mapping, with Goldenberg guiding us to make academic content accessible without compromising on language development.Ever wondered how the science of reading translates to multilingual classrooms? Look no further. We address the probabilistic nature of literacy learning, akin to the varied responses to a COVID-19 vaccine, and examine the relevance of neurolinguistics research for English learners. In a thought-provoking discussion, we challenge the notion that teaching strategies for monolingual and multilingual learners are worlds apart, instead highlighting their fundamental similarities and the necessity for a nuanced approach.Join us as we navigate the foundations of reading development and learn how to best support emergent bilinguals. From the ARIES study to the pivotal role of phonemic awareness and fluency, we uncover the intricacies of teaching emergent bilingual children to read. Emphasizing the latest research, this episode is a clarion call for educators and advocates to embrace collaborative, well-informed practices in literacy education, ensuring that every learner's path to reading fluency is as effective and enlightened as possible.We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at [email protected])We discuss various models for teaching English learners to read  with Magdalena Zavalia, CEO of the PAF Reading Program. We explore different types of models, including monolingual programs, transitional bilingual education, and dual language immersion. Magdalena emphasizes the importance of understanding students' needs and goals when implementing a dual language program. She also discusses the challenges and considerations for teachers and principals, including resources, professional development, curriculum, and scheduling. Magdalena highlights the benefits of dual language instruction for both native English speakers and English learners. Resources Literacy Foundations for English Learners by Elsa Cardenas-HaganEpisode 119: How Reading Science Works for English Learners with Elsa Cardenas-HaganEpisode 152: Science of Reading for All Learners: Multilingual Learners with Claude GoldenbergMultitiered System of Supports for English LearnersColorin Colorado! A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learnersIntelexia - Spanish Reading ProgramPAF Reading Program - English Reading ProgramWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Send us a Text Message.From August 5, 2022Dr. Elsa Cardenas-Hagan joins the podcast to share that reading science works for English Learners. What does it mean to use evidence-based instruction to teach English Learners? Dr. Cardenas-Hagan asserts that every language has its own history, its own culture, its own use. Language supports literacy, and literacy support language. With this cyclical understanding, she explains how to use effective strategies for ALL learners. We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this conversation, Stephanie Stollar discusses the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).  MTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps to provide support for students with various needs. The MTSS framework focuses on using data to identify barriers to student performance and making plans to eliminate those barriers. Stollar explains that word recognition skills are more discreet and sequential, while language comprehension skills are more unconstrained and complex. Stephanie recommends that special education resources should be blended with general education resources from the beginning, and students should receive intensive support as soon as it is needed, without having to go through a series of interventions and assessments. She also emphasizes the importance of evidence-aligned instruction and the need for team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.TakeawaysMTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps teachers provide support for students with various needsThe tiers in MTSS are prevention of reading failure, with tier one being primary prevention for all students, tier two providing extra support for students at higher risk, and tier three offering intensive and individualized support for struggling readersDifferentiate tier one instruction and provide targeted instruction based on screening and diagnostic dataAssessments in MTSS include screening assessments to identify students at risk, diagnostic assessments to determine specific instructional needs, and progress monitoring assessments to track student progress.Blend special education resources with general education resources from the beginning and provide intensive support as soon as it is needed.Focus on evidence-aligned instruction and team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.Resources Stephanie's Reading Science Academy Stephanie's MTSS Course Watch Stephanie discuss...  the importance of using universal screening data to reflect the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction  and design core instruction the elements in a coordinated, comprehensive assessment systemwhy you should teach word recognition and language comprehension at the same timeWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this episode, Savannah Campbell, a K-5 reading specialist, shares practical spelling tips for teachers. She emphasizes the importance of having students say the sounds or syllables as they spell, as it helps develop sound-symbol correspondence. Savannah also recommends interleaving, which involves practicing both new and old spelling skills to ensure mastery. Savannah also discusses the use of dictation, word chains and sound boxes for spelling instruction. Additionally, she advises keeping the same routine but varying the methods to keep students engaged. TakeawaysHave students say the sounds or syllables as they spell to develop sound-symbol correspondence.Interleave new and old spelling skills to ensure mastery.Provide more spelling practice than you think is necessary.Keep the same routine but vary the methods to keep students engaged.Use word chains and sound boxes for spelling instruction.ResourcesFollow Savannah on InstagramCampbellCreatesReaders websiteWe wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

 Pam Kastner discusses the connection between spelling and reading. She emphasizes that teaching spelling is teaching reading, as spelling is a higher linguistic skill that requires complete and accurate recall and memory for words. Spelling helps students understand the internal structure of words and improves their reading abilities. She suggests using instructional routines that integrate phonology, orthography, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics to teach spelling effectively. TakeawaysTeaching spelling is teaching reading, as spelling is a higher linguistic skill that requires complete and accurate recall and memory for words.Spelling helps students understand the internal structure of words and improves their reading abilities.Effective spelling instruction should be explicit, systematic, and teach spelling patterns from least complex to most complex.Instructional routines should integrate phonology, orthography, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics to teach spelling effectively. Direct and systematic spelling instruction is essential for students' language development.Spelling inventories are valuable tools for assessing students' understanding of language and identifying areas for targeted instruction.Spelling can be used as a teaching tool, allowing students to learn from their errors and improve their spelling skills.Spelling instruction should be aligned with the research and evidence-based practices to ensure its effectiveness.ResourcesPam Kastner's Padlet with resources (password PT2)We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From 3/4/2022We’ve been asked about spelling and the connection to reading science more times than we can count. Today, we talk with expert J. Richard Gentry,  author of Brain Words and blog contributor to Psychology Today: Raising Readers, Writers, and Spellers (An Expert Guide for Parents).He tells us all about spelling and how it connects to our speech and language system. Moreover, he supplies teachers with practical, meaningful, science of reading-aligned strategies to teach spelling. Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this episode, Jessica Farmer shares tips for teaching heart words. She explains the importance of blending and introduces the concept of continuous blending. Jessica defines heart words as high-frequency words with irregular or temporarily irregular spellings. She emphasizes the need to follow a scope and sequence and provides a routine for introducing new heart words. Jessica also discusses the process of orthographic mapping and suggests engaging activities for teaching heart words. She concludes by recommending additional resources for teaching heart words.TakeawaysBlending is the process of putting sounds together to form words, and continuous blending is a method that connects phonemes without breaking between the sounds.Segmenting is important for spelling, while continuous blending is effective for decoding words.Heart words are high-frequency words with irregular or temporarily irregular spellings, often involving vowel sounds.Teaching heart words should be done in a systematic and routine-based manner, following a scope and sequence.Engaging activities for teaching heart words include coloring by sounds and unscrambling the spelling.Resources Find Jessica at Farmer Loves Phonics on social! Connected Phonation Research A New Model for Teaching High-Frequency WordsBlending PyramidsHeart Word Cards30 Early High Frequency Words for Beginning Readers Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Julie VanLier and Dr. Svetlana Cvetkovic discuss their experiences and successes teaching phonics.  They both highlight the importance of a speech-to-print approach and the impact it has had on their students' reading and spelling abilities. The conversation also delves into the principles of speech to print and the scope and sequence of instruction.  They emphasize the importance of interleaving, where concepts are revisited over time. The integration of phonics into all aspects of reading and writing is key, as well as the use of authentic text. Overall, their approach focuses on engagement, flexibility, and integration to ensure student success in literacy.TakeawaysTeaching phonics using a speech-to-print approach can lead to significant improvements in students' reading and spelling abilities.The principles of speech to print include the understanding that one, two, three, or four letters can spell a sound.A sound can be spelled in many different ways, and the same spelling can represent different sounds.The scope and sequence of instruction in a speech-to-print approach involves teaching students the different sound-spelling patterns and helping them understand the logic and patterns of the English language.Key Tenets of Speech to Print Sounds can be represented by 1, 2, 3, or 4 letters. Sounds can be spelled different ways.Spellings can be pronounced in different ways.ResourcesJulie's iReady scores infographicKinder spelling phase comparisons using traditional & speech-first phonics approaches infographicEvidence-Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI) Li & Wang (2023) self-teaching meta analysis -- self-teaching was enhanced through phonological recoding via spelling A step-by-step pdf for k-2 teachers using FREE speech-first resources-- I especially encourage kinder teachers to take the free 1-hour Udemy course by John Walker (founder of Sounds-Write) as it includes a full scope & sequence for teaching the basic code and even into the beginning advanced codeEp. 147: Hot Topic Series: What is Speech to Print? Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From August 12, 2022Talking with Dr. Julia Lindsey is like popping into the classroom next door to chat with your best teacher friend after school. On this podcast, Julia shares what evidence says that young readers need to know to help them decode words efficiently. We discuss foundational reading skills, starting with oral language and print concepts through multisyllabic word reading. Instructional swaps take this conversation to the classroom where Julia tells us what to swap to improve instruction. Efficient and effective instruction is critical when teaching decoding. ResourcesReading Above the Fray by Dr. Julia B. LindseyConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

 Yvette Manns discusses the schwa and its importance. She shares insights from her book, The Not So Lazy Schwa, and explains how it helps children understand the schwa sound. Yvette also tells all about National Schwa Day, a holiday she created to celebrate language and literacy in schools. She provides suggestions for celebrating the day and highlights the resources available in the National Schwa Day toolkit. TakeawaysThe schwa is a neutral unstressed sound that is the most common sound in the English language.Teaching the schwa is important for helping students decode and encode multisyllabic words.National Schwa Day is a holiday created to celebrate language and literacy in schools.The National Schwa Day toolkit provides resources and activities for teachers to implement the holiday.Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Danielle Colenbrander and Katie Pace-Miles discuss orthographic mapping, irregular word instruction, and the different terms used to describe high frequency and irregular words. They translate research about the effectiveness of different approaches to teaching irregular words. They also discuss the role of morphology - how understanding morphemes can help students decode and understand words. TakeawaysIrregular words exist on a spectrum, ranging from completely regular to highly irregular.Different teaching approaches, such as mispronunciation correction, can be effective for teaching irregular words.Meaning and context play a crucial role in word recognition and understanding.Teachers should provide students with a toolbox of strategies to decode and understand irregular words.Temporary irregularity is a helpful concept for students, emphasizing that irregular words are only temporarily challenging until they learn the necessary grapheme-phoneme correspondences.ResourcesHear more from Danielle Colenbrander on Teaching Literacy podcast (Ep. 38) and Thinking Deeply About Primary Education podcast (Ep. 76)Assessing the Effectiveness of Structured Word Inquiry for Students in Grades 3 and 5 With Reading and Spelling Difficulties: A Randomized Controlled Trial by Colenbrander et. al. Katie's PRINTABLE Word Analysis Manual, a resource to support learning and word analysis activities to use with high frequency words (and any word, really!)Treasure trove of additional research articles (Katie Pace-Miles, Devin Kearns, Linnea Ehri, and more!)http://reading-ready.com/ Our guests mentioned the work of Lyndall Murray but meant Bruce Murray. The correct article is linked above. Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Denise Eide, author of Uncovering the Logic of English, helps us understand the logic of English! It actually makes a lot of sense... and can help your students learn to read and spell. TakeawaysEnglish spelling and decoding can be logical and systematic when taught with complete phonics rules.All words in English are decodable when the rules are understood.Incomplete knowledge of rules can lead to misconceptions and difficulties in reading and spelling.Teaching phonics rules explicitly and fostering curiosity can empower students and improve their reading skills.Be open about not having all the answers and learn alongside your students.ResourcesPhinder.org Understanding the Logic of English book LogicofEnglish.com Free Resources! Sold a Story podcast  PRE-ORDER NOW! The Literacy 50–A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Pre-Order Now! The Literacy 50–A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at NightIn this episode, teacher Christina Winter, better known as Mrs. Winters Bliss on Instagram, talks about the practical application of sound walls in the classroom. She provides her top 3 tips and shares how sound walls can be used in instruction. She also provides ideas for how students can interact with sound walls, such as through dictation, chants, and games. TakeawaysSound walls can be used during direct instruction to introduce new phonemes and provide a reference for students. Students can interact with sound walls through activities like dictation, chants, and games. It is important to prioritize the most common sound-spelling patterns.Resources and tools, such as phoneme-grapheme dictionaries and frequency lists, can support teachers in implementing sound walls effectively.ResourcesMrs. Winters Bliss Website FREE DOWNLOADABLE Science of Reading RESOURCES!  PRE-ORDER NOW! The Literacy 50–A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Sound wall expert Mary Dahlgren explains how sound walls differ from word walls, why it's important to teach all 44 speech sounds, and how sound walls can help students make sense of English. She shares evidence to support the use of sound walls in your classroom and gives practical advice for implementation. TakeawaysSound walls are an instructional tool to help students see and understand the 44 speech sounds of the English language.Sound walls provide a visual representation of the sounds and their corresponding spellings. Sound walls help students make connections between sounds and letters.Sound walls support phonological awareness, phonics instruction, and the development of decoding skills.Sound walls are beneficial for all students, including English learners, as they provide a structured and visual approach to learning the sounds of the English language. Teachers should be aware of the different phonemes in their students' languages and teach the phonemes in English.ResourcesSound Walls: A Tool for Students to Use by Mary DahlgrenConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Spencer Russell, a former kindergarten and first-grade teacher and the founder of Toddlers Can Read, shares his motivation for teaching reading and emphasizes the importance of simplifying the teaching process. He provides practical tips for starting with letter sounds and engaging children in fun learning activities. Spencer also discusses the importance of assessing understanding and offers guidance on where to start when teaching letter sounds. Listeners can find Spencer on social media at ToddlersRead or visit ToddlersRead.com. TakeawaysStart with letter sounds that are easier to pronounce and more familiar to children.Engage children in learning activities that involve movement and play.Assess understanding and retention through quick and frequent assessments.ResourcesFind Spencer on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or ToddlersRead.comCheck out these videos on Instagram: Teach a Toddler to Read in 3 Easy Steps, Mispronouncing Sounds, Fourth Graders Reading at K Level Where Do I Start?Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this conversation, Becky Pallone and Michael Hart discuss how their phonemic awareness instruction  has evolved over time. They emphasize the importance of blending and segmenting as key skills in phonemic awareness and highlight the benefits of incorporating letters in phonemic awareness instruction. They will also provide practical tips for you! TakeawaysIncorporating letters in phonemic awareness can strengthen letter-sound correspondence.Teachers should prioritize blending and segmenting in phonemic awareness instruction.Teacher knowledge and curriculum are both important in phonemic awareness instruction. Resources Measured Mom CVC Word ListPam Kastner Wakelet Resources: The Literacy CollectionExplicit Instruction, Anita ArcherContinuous Phonation Webinar, Selina Gonzales FryeUniversity of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI)Goyen Foundation Twitter/XConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Melissa and Lori just returned from the Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning Conference in New Orleans and they will share their takeaways with YOU! Attendees called in while at the conference to share aha moments and key takeaways. You won't want to miss this one! 2024 Plain Talk Conference PresentersPodcast Episodes We MentionedEpisode 44:  Elevating the Education Profession with The Right to Read ProjectEpisode 116:  Sonia Cabell on the Importance of Content-Rich ELA InstructionEpisode150: Science of Reading for ALL Students: Intervention for Secondary StudentsEpisode158: Science of Reading Beyond Phonics: The Ultimate Goal of Reading with Doug FisherEpisode 170: All About Read-Alouds with Molly NessConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Matt Burns discusses the importance of phonemic awareness in reading instruction. Phonemic awareness is an outcome of skilled reading, not a precursor, and it has a reciprocal relationship with reading. Matt also emphasizes the need to focus on decoding skills in second, third, and fourth grade, rather than solely on phonemic awareness. Matt provides practical takeaways for teachers and recommends additional resources for learning about phonemic awareness.TakeawaysPhonemic awareness is an outcome of skilled reading, not a precursor.Phonemic awareness and reading have a reciprocal relationship.Decoding skills are a strong predictor of reading success.Nonsense word fluency assessments can be beneficial for assessing decoding skills.Avoid teaching nonsense words and focus on decoding instead.ResourcesPhonemic Awareness, Research, Misconceptions, and Fads with Dr. Matt BurnsThey Say You Can Do Phonemic Awareness Instruction “In the Dark”, But Should You? A Critical Evaluation of the Trend Toward Advanced Phonemic Awareness TrainingRIP to Advanced Phonemic Awareness | Shanahan on LiteracyPhonemic Awareness with Letters YouTube video, Matt BurnsMatt Burns YouTube Channel National Reading Panel Report Elkonin Boxes, Reading RocketsFlorida Center for Reading Research UFLI Foundations Ep. 159: Back to School: Science of Reading or Snake Oil with Holly Lane Road to the Code, Book IES Practice Guides Empirical Analysis of Drill Ratio Research: Refining the Instructional Level for Drill Tasks, Matt Burns (meta-analysis)Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

SummaryIn this conversation, Shayne Piasta discusses best practices for teaching alphabet knowledge. She tells us what the research suggests about teaching  letter names and sounds, why teaching a letter of the week may not be the most effective approach, and an order to teach letters. The best part? She shares concrete ideas and strategies for classroom practice. TakeawaysTeach both letter names and sounds simultaneously.Consider the acrophonic principle, where the letter name gives clues to its sound.Avoid teaching letters of the week and consider a faster pacing for letter instruction.Be intentional about the order of teaching letters, considering children's names and frequency of letters in text.Use differentiated instruction and embedded mnemonics for effective alphabet instruction.ResourcesHandbook on the Science of Early LiteracyThe Science of Early Alphabet Instruction, chapter 7Ohio State University Alphabet Learning and Instruction research and articlesOhio State University Early Literacy and Learning LabEpisode 164: Misconceptions About Learning to Read with Carolyn Strom Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

SummaryIn this episode, the hosts discuss the RAND Model, a heuristic for thinking about reading comprehension. The model was developed in the late 1990s by the RAND Corporation in response to a need for more research on comprehension. The model considers three main components: the reader, the text, and the purpose or activity of reading. It emphasizes the active role of the reader in constructing meaning from the text and highlights the importance of text complexity, coherence, genre, and the context in which reading takes place. The hosts also explore the challenges of measuring reading comprehension and suggest a curriculum-based assessment approach.TakeawaysThe RAND Model is a heuristic for thinking about reading comprehension that considers the reader, the text, and the purpose or activity of reading.Text complexity, coherence, genre, and the context in which reading takes place are important factors in comprehension.Measuring reading comprehension with standardized tests can be challenging due to the complexity of the construct.A curriculum-based assessment approach that measures comprehension within specific disciplines may provide a more accurate and fair assessment of reading ability.ResourcesEp. 177: The Five Pillars of Reading with Hugh CattsEp. 178: The Simple View and Scarborough’s Reading Rope with Researcher Hugh Catts Five Pillars of Reading with Hugh Catts Follow researcher Hugh Catts on Twitter (or X)A Heuristic for Thinking About Reading Comprehension, or the RAND Model ICYMI: Ep. 118: Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh CattsConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

SummaryIn this episode, Hugh Catts discusses two popular reading models: the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough's Reading Rope. The Simple View of Reading highlights the importance of word recognition and language comprehension in reading comprehension. It emphasizes that if a child struggles in one area, it will affect their overall reading comprehension. Scarborough's Reading Rope provides a more detailed breakdown of the components involved in reading, including background knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, strategies, and literacy knowledge. Both models help educators understand the complexity of reading and the interaction between different components.TakeawaysThe Simple View of Reading emphasizes the importance of word recognition and language comprehension in reading comprehension.Scarborough's Reading Rope provides a more detailed breakdown of the components involved in reading.Both models highlight the complexity of reading and the interaction between different components.Effective reading instruction should focus on developing both word recognition and language comprehension skills.ResourcesEp. 177: The Five Pillars of Reading with Hugh CattsFollow researcher Hugh Catts on Twitter (or X)The Simple View of Reading  Scarborough’s Reading Rope ICYMI: Ep. 118: Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh CattsConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

SummaryIn this episode, the hosts discuss the five pillars from the National Reading Panel and their history. They explore the confusion that can arise from viewing these pillars as a model of how reading works. The role of fluency and the importance of differentiating instruction for the five pillars are also discussed. The conversation concludes with a reevaluation of the five pillars and a key takeaway to look beyond them. The next episodes will cover three other reading models.TakeawaysThe five pillars from the National Reading Panel are phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.The five pillars should be viewed as interconnected and treated differently in instruction.The actual chapters of the National Reading Panel focus on alphabetics, fluency, and comprehension.It is important to look beyond the five pillars and consider other reading models.ResourcesFollow researcher Hugh Catts on Twitter (or X)The National Reading Panel Report The Five Pillars of Reading Graphic The Narrow View of Reading, Alan Kamhi The Narrow View of Reading Promotes a Broad View of Comprehension, Hugh Catts ICYMI: Ep. 118: Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh CattsConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

FROM MARCH 10, 2023Today we’ll be talking to a team of authors about a recent article they published on small group instruction, titled Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction. We ask and answer important questions about small group instructional time: What is the appeal of small group reading instruction? Why has it been popular? What does the research say? What do we need to know about effective small-group reading instruction? What are some best practices? ResourcesMaximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction (published in The Reading Teacher)  Dr. Neena Saha’s Reading Research Recap of this research What Should Small Group Instruction Look Like? Tim Shanahan Reinterpreting the development of reading skills Scott Paris Applying New Visions of Reading Development in Today's Classrooms Kay Stahl Text Project with Freddy Hiebert Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Our Children’s Learning by Peter JohnstonConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Why shouldn’t we level students? Professor and researcher Kristin Conradi-Smith from episode 143 says, “We lack research for differentiation by text levels.There's simply no support for it.”  Teaching with a leveled reading, sometimes known as guided reading, approach isn’t the most effective way to teach or learn to read. Instead, we can Support students’ access to complex texts through scaffolds and building knowledge using language comprehension. Use students' prior knowledge and match that knowledge to text topic demands.Read text sets - a group of texts on the same topic - to build students’ knowledge and vocabulary. Practice and model oral reading fluency, rearead, and use comprehension strategies.ResourcesEpisode 143: Maximizing Small Group Reading Instruction Matt Burns F&P BAS and LLI ResearchMatt Burns Leveling Students: Why we do it, why we shouldn’t, and what we should do insteadTim Shanahan Should We Teach at Reading Level? Tim Shanahan blogs What does the Easter bunny have in common with the independent reading level?Tim Shanahan presentation Science of Reading LevelsDr. Kristen Schrauben Science of Reading What I Should Have Learned in College Private Facebook Group Presentation Giving Up F&PConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

FROM FEBRUARY 24, 2023In today’s episode, we discuss the structure and content of the literacy block. How can we teach using structured literacy in small groups? Kinder teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler join us to connect theory and practice. Casey previously taught using a guided (leveled) reading approach with lots of small group time. In recent years, he’s switched to focus on Tier 1 instruction aligned to structured literacy, which supports access for all students. ResourcesElementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy For Kids To Learn by Natalie Wexler Casey’s Twitter HandleNatalie Wexler’s Twitter Handle Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What does the research say about small group reading instruction?ResourcesEpisode 142: Structured Literacy in Small Group TimeEpisode 143: Maximizing Small Group Reading Instruction Maximizing Small Group Reading Instruction (Conradi-Smith, Amendum, Williams, 2022)Differentiated Literacy Instruction: Boondoggle or Best Practice? (Puzio, Colby, Nichols, 2020)Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Tier 2 Type Reading Interventions in Grades K-3 (Wanzek, et. al, 2016)  Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

FROM JULY 7, 2023Today we talk about fluency and assessment with Jan Hasbrouck. She shares tips and tricks for how to to best assess and teach fluency. She also debunks frequent fluency misunderstandings and explains the scientific evidence that underlies the Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart.  Note: During the podcast, we mentioned we would link Jan’s previous studies on ORF. But… we want to make sure the most recent information (Fluency Norms Chart 2017 Update) is the one that is prioritized for instructional use, so we’ve linked that to avoid confusion.  ResourcesHasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency ChartFluency Norms Chart (2017 Update) Developing Fluent Readers by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsUnderstanding and Assessing Fluency by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsTim Rasinski Multidimensional Fluency Rubric NAEP Fluency Scale What Does “Below Basic” Mean on NAEP Reading? Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Is your district adopting a new English language arts/literacy curriculum? Have you wondered how to tell if an ELA curriculum is “knowledge-building?” Today we’ll be talking to Barbara Davidson and Sue Pimentel about a new curriculum review tool from Knowledge Matters which can be a helpful guide when navigating the curriculum adoption process. ResourcesKnowledge Matters Campaign Curriculum Review Tool Marilyn Jager Adams Advancing Our Students’ Language and Literacy Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast Episode 170: All About Read AloudsScaling the "Dinosaur Effect" Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

FROM JULY 14, 2023What if you could unlock the secrets to fluency instruction in literacy, and transform your students into confident and skilled readers? Join us as we delve into this crucial topic with Nathaniel Swain, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University in Australia, who shares his expertise on the three components of fluency: speed, accuracy, and prosody. Let's explore together how balancing speed with comprehension can make all the difference in today's digital age, where skimming and scrolling are the new norm.We discuss a variety of practical strategies to help students practice fluency in the classroom, such as choral reading and paired reading. Nathaniel also sheds light on the role of technology in simplifying the process of creating engaging materials. Discover how to create an environment that fosters student engagement and understanding, and learn the differences between fluency instruction in primary and intermediate classes.Finally, we examine the value of fluency in reading instruction and how it can be integrated into the literacy block. Nathaniel explains the self-teaching hypothesis and emphasizes the importance of exposing students to unfamiliar words and challenging texts. Don't miss this insightful episode packed with tips and strategies to help your students become fluent and confident readers!ResourcesThink Forward EducatorsFive Ways to Focus on Fluency, Think Forward Educators Blog Fluency Rubric, Tim RasinskiReaders Theater Scripts, Chase YoungFluency Resources, Tim Rasinski Nathaniel Swain on Writing to Learn, ERRR PodcastConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Funds of Knowledge are the skills and knowledge gained by daily routines and practices, as well as cultural and historical interactions. It’s the social and cultural “stuff” that students know through personal experiences.  Background knowledge is the amount of information or knowledge someone has on a topic. Both funds of knowledge and background knowledge give us connection points for learning, and they’re both considered types of prior knowledge. So what does this mean for instruction? We should leverage our students' - and families’ - funds of knowledge when possible. We can use students' funds of knowledge and continue to build background knowledge on topics of study. ResourcesEpisode 170: All About Read-Alouds with Molly Ness  Funds of Knowledge Toolkit from Washington state Funds of Knowledge for TeachingConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

FROM AUGUST 4, 2023What if the key to unlocking your students' reading comprehension could be found through a deeper understanding of the intricate processes at work in their minds? Prepare to have your teaching world transformed as we journey with reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, Nancy Hennessy. Together, we’ll map out the cognitive and linguistic processes that underpin comprehension, and navigate the complex interaction between a reader's knowledge, the text itself, and the author's intent.As teachers, we play an integral role in shaping the reading journey of our students. Witness how the Reading Comprehension Blueprint can revolutionize your instructional design as we discuss how to thoughtfully consider the task, text, and context. Learn how to integrate prior background knowledge and foster mental models of understanding. Be part of our examination of comprehension as an essential pillar of reading and join us as we demystify the science behind this crucial skill.Finally, imagine having a blueprint that offers a flexible framework that aligns seamlessly with the science of comprehension. Listen as we delve into the importance of planning for instruction, pinpointing the key takeaways for your students, and exploring types of texts and text sets. Learn how to identify the contributors to comprehension and teach your students to become masters of their own understanding. Buckle up and get ready to revolutionize your approach to teaching reading comprehension.ResourcesThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint From The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy. Copyright © 2021 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reservedExpert Minute Video-Thinking about Comprehension: Nancy HennessyRethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension, American Federation of Teachers by Hugh CattsEp. 118 Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh Catts, podcastAIM FCRR Background Knowledge Research Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Are You Adopting a New ELA Curriculum? Where Do You Start?One place to start your curriculum adoption journey is EdReports. It’s not the ONLY place by any means, but it is a helpful jumping off point. EdReports asks educator-led review teams to use specific criteria to tell if a curricula meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations. They review ELA, math, and science curricula and provide public reports with detailed insight into the materials. ResourcesEdReports.org EdReports.org: Science of Reading Snapshots A Closer Look at the Five Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction National Reading Panel - Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Readin The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines Knowledge Matters Review Tool Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From October 21, 2021 Kory Jensen is a 4th grade teacher in Colorado, obsessed with learning more about reading science! He read The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler… which set him off to learn more about knowledge building. On today’s podcast, he talks about how background knowledge impacts his students’ comprehension and engagement (spoiler alert: they love going deep into topics!). He provides real-life examples and ways to supplement knowledge on topics through experiences, experiments, texts, videos, and more. Kory’s optimism shines through and we can’t get enough of his lifelong learner spirit. “When you build knowledge and give students opportunities to learn, you’ll be impressed by what they can do.” Thanks, Kory! Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

A curriculum evaluation tool that helps teachers, leaders, and parents, determine if a curriculum meets high quality standards or not. There are two tools we recommend for curriculum review. These tools feel complementary to each other, so we recommend using both, starting with The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines, then digging deeper into the knowledge component of a curriculum with the Knowledge Matters Review Tool. ResourcesThe Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines Knowledge Matters Review Tool Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Today we talk to educator and author Molly Ness about intentionally planning for read-alouds. Molly will share an easy to prepare protocol for a read-aloud in any grade level or content area. ResourcesMolly's Website - purchase her book! Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What is a read aloud? It is very common to see early childhood and elementary school teachers reading aloud to their students. But what exactly is happening during this time? In episode 170, we talk with author and professor, Molly Ness about read alouds. We share her definition along with what to look for in a read aloud and the benefits of read alouds for all learners! Check out Molly's book: Read Alouds for All LearnersConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From July 30, 2021 To connect with a practitioner lens, Duke (alongside Ward & Pearson) also penned The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. They ask the question: What have decades of research told us about the nature of comprehension and how to develop students’ comprehension in schools? Listen to find out!Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What is dysgraphia? The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines dysgraphia as referring to difficulty with either language or spelling-based aspects of writing.  Dysgraphia impairs letter writing by hand, which can affect spelling, learning to spell words, the speed of writing, reading word recognition, comprehension, and writing processes and products. ResourcesAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association Disorder of Reading and Writing International Dyslexia Association Understanding DysgraphiaConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Today talk to researcher Tiffany Hogan about language comprehension. We’ll start with the Simple View of Reading, exploring the relationship between phonics and language comprehension. Then we’ll discuss knowledge as the result of systematic and explicit language comprehension instruction and share approaches that work in the classroom - like read-alouds and discourse. Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at MGH Institute of Health Professions in Boston, Director of the Speech and Language (SAiL) Literacy Lab and the center for translational research, implementation science, and dissemination for equity in CSD, (cTIDE), Research Associate at Harvard University, and inaugural research affiliate for the Boston University Center for Anti-Racist Research. Resources Mentioned in this Episode ASHA Voices on Apple PodcastsOn the Importance of Listening Comprehension  If you don't look, you don't see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instructionList of commercially available Developmental Language Disorder (DLDP) ScreenersDLDandme.orgRADLD.orgUnderstanding Dyslexia in the Context of Developmental Language DisorderIncreasing Higher Level Language Skills to Improve Reading ComprehensionAdapting Curricula for Children with Language Comprehension DeficitsFive ways SLPs (and others) can positively impact children with dyslexiaA generic implementation framework for school-based research and practice'We test, not teach, comprehension' Jeanne Chall: CUBED free assessment and progress monitoring for decoding, language, and readingExecutive functions and morphological awareness explain the shared variance between word reading and listening comprehension Young-Suk Kim “the acquisition of an alphabetic code is like catching a virus… this virus infects all speech processing… Language is never the same again” Uta Frith Connect with Tiffany on Social or Listen to Her Podcast - See Hear Speak! Twitter: @tiffanyphoganWeb: Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What is Developmental Language Disorder, or DLD? Developmental Language Disorder is a brain-based neurodevelopmental diversity - such as autism or dyslexia or dysgraphia. Students with DLD are six times more likely to have reading difficulties. DLD is a brain variation that makes it difficult to learn language from the environment.  ResourcesNew IDEA Guidance Includes Developmental Language Disorder as a Qualifying Category by Tiffany P. Hogan, Kelly Farquharson, Karla McGregorDLD and Me Educator Fact Sheet Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From October 7, 2022In this episode, we talk with former balanced literacy teacher and parent, Missy Purcell. She authored a blog post titled Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher.Missy writes, “According to Nancy Young’s ladder of reading, roughly 10-15% of kids can figure out reading out with this type of instruction, but my child, who would later be diagnosed with dyslexia, would never be able to become a proficient reader with any version of balanced literacy. He, according to Young, like 85% of students, benefit from or need systematic explicit instruction that follows a scope and sequence with fidelity to become proficient readers and writers.”We want to normalize the idea that most kids CAN learn how to read with structured literacy instruction. ResourcesDear Balanced Literacy Teacher Looking for Heroes: One Boy, One Year, 100 Letters 2nd EditionThese resources from the International Dyslexia Association are helpful to spread the word on social media about October as Dyslexia Awareness Month! Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From September 30, 2022 Dr. J. Richard Gentry, Dyslexia Expert and the “Guru of Spelling,” joins us on the podcast today to discuss dyslexia. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability, neurobiological in origin. It’s the #1 reading disability that manifests itself in a continuum. People with dyslexia have difficulty in accurate fluent reading,  spelling, and decoding abilities. Dr. Gentry shares his personal story of overcoming dyslexia, how dyslexia affects people, and how teachers can help students with dyslexia in the classroom. Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Resources UFLI Foundations Letterland Spelfabet Stay connected with Carolyn! Stanislas Dehaene, How the Brain Learns to Read (book)Maryanne Wolf, Proust and the Squid (book)Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

ResourcesCleverNoodleInternational Dyslexia AssociationGaab Lab Student Achievement PartnersEdReports.org The Reed Charitable FoundationLETRS TrainingConnect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

From May 2022 Kim Lockhart, Canadian French immersion teacher and special educator in Kingston, Ontario, shares how she meets the needs of students in her classroom. As stated in a recent report, Right to Read inquiry report from Ontario Human Rights Commission, Ontario is removing the three cueing system completely from all materials and turning to reading science instead. In this episode, Kim models what an evidence-based phonics lesson might entail. In second language programs, it’s necessary for students to build language comprehension by attaching meaning to decoding. Related EpisodesEp. 63: Kindergarten Teacher Reaches 100% Success Using Evidence-Based Practices Ep. 59: HQIM for ALL with Educator Sarah WebbHQIM as EQUITY for English Language Learners with  ELSF Executive Director Crystal GonzalesResourcesThe Right to Read Inquiry Report from Ontario Human Rights CommissionThe Simple View of Reading (SVR)Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Listen Again from July 9, 2019: A teacher's perspective on curriculum implementation is invaluable... and today, we have not ONE, but TWO teacher perspectives on Wit & Wisdom year one implementation!  Kyair and Katie are funny, smart, and have incredible learner-mindsets. They discuss the engagement of their students in texts and tasks, how Wit & Wisdom provides equity and opportunity, and their thoughts on teaching with an integrated (not isolated) curricula - a shift in mindset from the way "school was done" previously. Look out for some cheesy dad jokes along the way (thanks, Kyair), and so much insight and inspiration from these two incredible educators!Connect with Kyair on Twitter @KyairbConnect with Katie on Twitter @KstoryscottiTNTP's The Opportunity Mythhttps://opportunitymyth.tntp.org/The Wrong Way to Teach Grammar - Michelle Navarre Clearyhttps://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/02/the-wrong-way-to-teach-grammar/284014/Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Crystal Lenhart is a literacy coach who developed a resource that clearly and transparently explains to families and caregivers how the school is teaching reading and writing differently with reading science research! As we head Back to School, this practical resource is a helpful tool to communicate big changes happening in classrooms and schools. ResourcesHow we teach reading at big horn elementary resourceConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for FREE bonus resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Imagine transforming the way you teach reading. Picture your students not just passively consuming the written word, but actively producing meaning and taking purposeful actions inspired by what they've read. This is the promise of our conversation with Doug Fisher, professor at San Diego State University and renowned author, as he takes us on a journey into the depths of reading comprehension.We question the effectiveness of common literacy programs and discuss the intricate ties between vocabulary, comprehension, and prior knowledge. How do you feel about the 'letter of the week' approach? Listen as we scrutinize its validity and dig deeper into other foundational reading skills, such as letter recognition and sound blending. We also expose the symbiotic relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, underscoring the pivotal role of knowledge in decoding texts.We then traverse the landscape of oral language in reading instruction and the implications of isolating reading from writing. Can you guess the impact of these practices on student learning? Doug enlightens us on the significance of comprehension strategy instruction and the importance of developing all elements of reading literacy. To cap it off, our conversation concludes with three practical suggestions that you, as an educator, can apply in your classroom for immediate impact. Prepare to awaken a new perspective on the world of reading.ResourcesArticles by Natalie WexlerSteve Graham: Effective Writing Instruction (video)Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, Harris & Graham (book) Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What if the key to unlocking your students' reading comprehension lied in a deeper understanding of the intricate processes at work in their minds? Prepare to have your teaching world transformed as we journey with reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, Nancy Hennessy. Together, we’ll map out the cognitive and linguistic processes that underpin comprehension, and navigate the complex interaction between a reader's knowledge, the text itself, and the author's intent.As teachers, we play an integral role in shaping the reading journey of our students. Witness how the Reading Comprehension Blueprint can revolutionize your instructional design as we discuss how to thoughtfully consider the task, text, and context. Learn how to integrate prior background knowledge and foster mental models of understanding. Be part of our examination of comprehension as an essential pillar of reading and join us as we demystify the science behind this crucial skill.Finally, imagine having a blueprint that offers a flexible framework that aligns seamlessly with the science of comprehension. Listen as we delve into the importance of planning for instruction, pinpointing the key takeaways for your students, and exploring types of texts and text sets. Learn how to identify the contributors to comprehension and teach your students to become masters of their own understanding. Buckle up and get ready to revolutionize your approach to teaching reading comprehension.ResourcesThe Reading Comprehension Blueprint From The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy. Copyright © 2021 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reservedExpert Minute Video-Thinking about Comprehension: Nancy HennessyRethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension, American Federation of Teachers by Hugh CattsEp. 118 Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh Catts, podcastConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Ever thought about the power of words? Join us as we discuss our most requested topic of all time: vocabulary. We have a special guest, fifth-grade teacher Sean Morrisey. We discuss Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words and discuss how you can strategically select words to teach using research-based approaches.  We also share the importance of continuously embedding words into language throughout the day and using data to measure improvement. Lastly, we bridge the connection between vocabulary and fluency, demonstrating how it impacts performance.  By the end of this episode, you'll feel inspired to transform your vocabulary instructional approach in your classroom, one word at a time.ResourcesAcademic Word Finder Achieve the CoreWhich Words Do I Teach and How? Article by David LibenLifelong Literacy, Lyn StoneExplicit Instruction, Anita Archer Bringing Words to Life, book The Writing Revolution, bookText Project Vocabulary InstructionWord Generation Serp Institute Word Sift Coxhead Academic Word List Podsie Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Ever wondered how the fascinating world of words impacts our lives? Join us as we sit down with linguist and author Lyn Stone, who shares her insights about vocabulary and etymology. Through her expertise, we explore the powerful impact on learning outcomes and literacy development.In this engaging discussion, we emphasize the joy of teaching language and words, with Lyn encouraging us to tap into our natural hardwiring to play with words. She also highlights the importance of developing teacher knowledge of the subject and shares fantastic resources for teaching etymology and morphology. Discover how knowledge-building can support improved response to intervention and transform literacy with Lyn's guidance.Finally, we dive into the coolness of grammar and syntax as we reveal how they serve as outward expressions of the inner workings of the mind. Lyn shares her work on a new edition of her book Language for Life and offers valuable tips for literacy instruction. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn from the brilliant Lyn Stone and to engage with the magical world of words.ResourcesLanguage for Life by Lyn Stone LifelongLiteracy.com Etymonline Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids The Writing Revolution Book Judith Hochman and Natalie WexlerThe Writing Revolution Podcast (Melissa and Lori Love Literacy) Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our AlphabetConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What if you could unlock the secrets to fluency instruction in literacy, and transform your students into confident and skilled readers? Join us as we delve into this crucial topic with Nathaniel Swain, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University in Australia, who shares his expertise on the three components of fluency: speed, accuracy, and prosody. Let's explore together how balancing speed with comprehension can make all the difference in today's digital age, where skimming and scrolling are the new norm.We discuss a variety of practical strategies to help students practice fluency in the classroom, such as choral reading and paired reading. Nathaniel also sheds light on the role of technology in simplifying the process of creating engaging materials. Discover how to create an environment that fosters student engagement and understanding, and learn the differences between fluency instruction in primary and intermediate classes.Finally, we examine the value of fluency in reading instruction and how it can be integrated into the literacy block. Nathaniel explains the self-teaching hypothesis and emphasizes the importance of exposing students to unfamiliar words and challenging texts. Don't miss this insightful episode packed with tips and strategies to help your students become fluent and confident readers!ResourcesThink Forward EducatorsFive Ways to Focus on Fluency, Think Forward Educators Blog Fluency Rubric, Tim RasinskiReaders Theater Scripts, Chase YoungFluency Resources, Tim Rasinski Nathaniel Swain on Writing to Learn, ERRR PodcastConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

Today we talk about fluency and assessment with Jan Hasbrouck. She shares tips and tricks for how to to best assess and teach fluency. She also debunks frequent fluency misunderstandings and explains the scientific evidence that underlies the Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart.  Note: During the podcast, we mentioned we would link Jan’s previous studies on ORF. But… we want to make sure the most recent information (Fluency Norms Chart 2017 Update) is the one that is prioritized for instructional use, so we’ve linked that to avoid confusion.  ResourcesHasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency ChartFluency Norms Chart (2017 Update) Developing Fluent Readers by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsUnderstanding and Assessing Fluency by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading RocketsTim Rasinski Multidimensional Fluency Rubric NAEP Fluency Scale What Does “Below Basic” Mean on NAEP Reading? Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. Stay connected with us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Website Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

What if we told you that the science of reading is just as applicable to multilingual learners as it is to monolingual English speakers? Today, we had the pleasure of discussing this topic with Claude Goldenberg, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University. Claude shared his insights on the importance of understanding the nuanced language surrounding multilingual learners.In our conversation, we explored the essential process of teaching English learners to read by developing a bank of sight words and providing additional support alongside phonology and orthography. Claude also shed light on the research and literature available specifically for English learners, debunking the myth that the science of reading is only applicable to monolingual English speakers. Moreover, we discussed the findings of the Ehri and Vaughn studies, which explored the effectiveness of early interventions for at-risk students.Claude also shared his advice on implementing a strengths-based approach to teaching and building student knowledge while emphasizing the importance of staying up to date with research and being transparent about what we know and don't know. By doing so, we can be effective advocates for English learners. Don't miss this insightful and informative episode to learn how you can better support multilingual learners in their reading journey!ResourcesClick here to access the research Claude mentions during this podcast Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Ep. 119 How Reading Science Works for English Learners with Elsa Cardenas-HaganConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Don't miss an episode! Sign up for our newsletter at LiteracyPodcast.com Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

In today’s episode, Julie Washington discusses how literacy learning can be supported by language variations. Reading and language are intertwined. Reading influences language and language influences reading. It’s a reciprocal process! How can we, as educators and practitioners, leverage students’ strengths in language variations to learn to read? What if we told you that understanding language variations could significantly impact the way we approach literacy and education for African American children? Join us in this insightful conversation with Julie Washington, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in the intersection of language and literacy. Discover how her research on language variations as a strength, rather than a weakness, can reshape our perspectives on cultural dialects, early literacy skills, and language development.Julie brings her expertise to light by highlighting the importance of African American English in the classroom and the challenges it faces, both from the broader society and within the African American community. We explore the practical consequences of treating this dialect as low-prestige and discuss the need for students to be able to use both systems of language. We dive into resources for educators to better understand these variations and emphasize the importance of differentiated instruction and high expectations for all students. Tune in and equip yourself with the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of your students, no matter their language background.ResourcesTeaching Reading to African American Children by Julie Washington and Mark Seidenberg Struggling Readers Who Speak African-American English Need Support - And Respect by Natalie Wexler Minority Student Achievement Network The Opportunity Myth by TNTPThe Academic English Mastery Program by LAUSDConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Secondary educators have students in their classrooms who weren’t taught to read. Because of these reading deficits, students  likely have a difficult time accessing secondary texts and tasks. Our guests today, Supt. Sherry Sousa and Educator Julie Brown, discuss a secondary intervention they developed that WORKS and is totally doable. The best part? Students partake in the intervention in addition to - not instead of - their regular high school English classes. ResourcesNo Time to Waste: Structured Literacy for Young AdultsAmeer Baraka video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyFiOYCqvyk Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

We talked with the fabulously candid Tim Shanahan about his recent blog post Prior Knowledge, or He Isn't Going to Pick on the Baseball Study that garnered much attention. Should we teach reading strategies? How important is building knowledge? What are reading skills vs. strategies? How frequent should strategy instruction occur in concert with knowledge building? He also weighs in on the current crisis to share his thoughts on how families and educators can best serve students at home.

We had the opportunity to talk (again!) with Natalie Wexler about tips for effective remote learning (read her full article located here), the current intersection of students' virtual learning and strategy-focused instruction (due to lack of knowledge-based, high quality curricula) and how parents are noticing! How can we teach strategies in context while building knowledge? Listen to find out!More recently, Wexler wrote a piece titled How Reading Instruction Oppresses Black and Brown Children, located here. She ends with this quote: "If people truly understood the needless damage being done by our schools every day, they would be out in the streets demanding change." Natalie, we hear you, and WE ARE! We are shouting from the rooftops... or more accurately, shouting from the podcast apps! :)American Educator magazine released an excerpt of The Knowledge Gap - find it here! 

What is Phonemic Awareness? It’s one component of your literacy instruction. Phonemic awareness means understanding that spoken words are made of individual sounds called phonemes. We want students to be able to isolate, blend, segment, and more. Can it be ‘done in the dark’? Or should we teach phonemic awareness with print? Listen and learn as we explore this important question (and more) in today’s episode. ResourcesThey Say You Can Do Phonemic Awareness Instruction “In the Dark”, But Should You? A Critical Evaluation of the Trend Toward Advanced Phonemic Awareness Training Ep. 142: Structured Literacy in Small Group TimeChoosing and Using Decodable Texts by Wiley BlevinsPhonemic Awareness vs. Phonics Heggerty What are Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness? Heggerty Free Sample Lessons HeggertyConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Why is teaching reading so important? Melissa and Lori have a conversation with Louisa Moats grounded in this article: Teaching Reading is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do. Moats asserts that 95% of students can learn to read when taught to do so using evidence-based practices. In this episode, listen as we discuss and define the term science of reading, while connecting decades of research and theory to classroom practice.  

In this episode, we’ll discuss an approach to teaching foundational skills known as speech to print. The speech to print approach consists of 4 concepts with consistent logic: Letters spell sounds (alphabetic principle) Sounds can be represented by one or more letters Sounds can be spelled different waysSpellings can be pronounced in different ways What is the difference between speech to print and a traditional print to speech approach? What does the speech to print approach look like in practice? What does the research say about this approach?  ResourcesReading SimplifiedPhonicBooks Evidence Based Literacy Instruction (EBLI)Phonics: Speech to Print vs Print to Speech WebinarThe Seidenberg and McClelland (1989) model of visual word recognitionInternational Dyslexia Association Fact Sheet on Phoneme Awareness The Latest Research (And Debate) on Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Instruction by Susan Brady Speech to Print or Print to Speech: What's the difference?  blog, by Tami, Phonic BooksWhy Our Children Can't Read and What We Can Do About It,  book, Diane McGuinnessStanislas Dehaene: Book, How the Brain Learns to Read and YouTube Video, How the Brain Learns to Read, and Twitter HandleConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, kno

Dr. Sonia Cabell, Associate Professor at Florida State University, shares the importance of both oral language and content knowledge instruction. Why? Oral language skills underlie our ability to comprehend text. At the same time, the knowledge we bring to a text is THE key determinant on how much we understand that text. This episode speaks to the entirety of the reading rope! 

Robert Pondiscio, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), asserts that reading comprehension is NOT a skill. Yes, good readers use reading skills and strategies to make meaning. But good readers also have a robust knowledge base.  There is strong evidence to support knowledge building ELA curriculum, but we continue to wonder about what knowledge, whose knowledge, and how much? ResourcesRecht & Leslie Baseball Study  Wanted: A Science of Reading Comprehension movement | The Thomas B. Fordham InstituteReading comprehension is not a “skill” | The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Why doesn’t increasing knowledge improve reading achievement? Tim Shanahan Ep. 124 Innovative Assessment with the Louisiana Assessment Team Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcastCultural Literacy by E.D. HirschWhat Reading Does for the Mind Cunningham and Stanovich Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

In this episode, researcher Hugh Catts discusses his pivotal piece titled Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension | American Federation of Teachers. He asserts, “Reading comprehension is thinking with a book in your hand.” There are three factors that impact reading comprehension: the reader, the text, and the activity (task or purpose). He talks with Melissa and Lori about the role knowledge plays in reading comprehension, the interaction of the knowledge the text demands vs. the knowledge a student brings to a task, and the implications of knowledge in instruction and assessment.Resources Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension | American Federation of Teachers Language and Reading Research Consortium Study Listening strategies in the L2 classroom: more practice, less studyConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum

Pamela Snow, professor at Latrobe University in Australia, discusses the arguments that keep surfacing when educators are resistant to move away from balanced literacy. You might have heard a few: Systematic phonics teaching is just for Tier 2.The goal of balanced literacy is for children to love reading. Explicit teaching kills the love of reading. Give them time, they’ll catch on or catch up. Teacher should choose what they think is best. Pam’s blog post, Balanced Literacy Bingo, debunks each idea listed above and more. ResourcesThe Snow Report Blog and Balanced Literacy BingoA School Leader’s Sliding Doors Moment by Sue Knight Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher Podcast and Blog La Trobe University’s Short Courses: Introduction, Intermediate, Secondary and Masters in LinguisticsConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

In this episode, Melissa and Lori have a candid discussion about change with Kareem Weaver, co-founder of FULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal Mandate. FULCRUM’s goal is to ensure that every Oakland child is an 'on-time' reader provided with full LITERACY: a fundamental civil right, a powerful protection from the school to prison pipeline, and the cornerstone for a life of choice and fulfillment. In this episode, Kareem discusses the change he is fighting for and the elements he believes are necessary to make it happen. Related EpisodesEp. 19: Getting at the Root of the School to Prison Pipeline with NCTQ President, Kate Walsh Ep. 82: [CLEAN] Minneapolis Public School Parents: Accepting Nothing Less Than Evidence-Based Reading in Schools Ep. 100: Trauma and Reading with Dr. Steven Dykstra ResourcesFULCRUM Oakland: Full and Complete Reading is a Universal MandateConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! 

We want the shift to reading science to be permanent, not perceived as another ‘educational pendulum swing.’ To do this, it’s necessary to recognize what worked and  didn’t work within balanced literacy. Today’s guests, UnboundEd’s Lacey Robinson and The Right to Read Project’s Margaret Goldberg, both shifted from teaching using balanced literacy (specifically Lucy Calkins’ Workshop Model, also known as Units of Study) to structured literacy and became powerful literacy advocates in the process. ResourcesSold a Story podcast and other APM Reports by Emily HanfordThe Right to Read Project UnboundEdSeeing the Good in Balanced Literacy... and Moving On by Margaret GoldbergThe Truth About Reading Film website (and trailer)Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

The article Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA Classroom is a must-read before or after listening to this podcast!  Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel share the true intentions of the CCSS vs. the way they are currently interpreted. They also provide observations about how the Standards play out in classrooms and schools - within HQIM and what happens in absence of HQIM! We ask the gals some tough questions: What does this mean for assessment, especially "data-driven" instruction?What are better ways to assess and track student progress? They are hilarious and smart, and so very relatable. This one is a MUST listen!Read the article that prompted this conversation:Placing Text at the Center of the Standards-Aligned ELA ClassroomVisit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

Today we’ll be talking to a team of authors about a recent article they published on small group instruction, titled Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction. We ask and answer important questions about small group instructional time: What is the appeal of small group reading instruction? Why has it been popular? What does the research say? What do we need to know about effective small-group reading instruction? What are some best practices? ResourcesMaximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction (published in The Reading Teacher)  Dr. Neena Saha’s Reading Research Recap of this research What Should Small Group Instruction Look Like? Tim Shanahan Reinterpreting the development of reading skills Scott Paris Applying New Visions of Reading Development in Today's Classrooms Kay Stahl Text Project with Freddy Hiebert Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Our Children’s Learning by Peter JohnstonConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

In this episode, Lindsay Kemeny, 2nd grade teacher, gives a deep dive into her evidence-based, small group instruction time. Her journey to the science of reading was necessary and life altering. It led her to clarity on structured, systematic approaches to teaching reading. She discusses informal and formal assessments, how she uses data to determine small groups, and center options for practicing reading and writing. Her best advice? KEEP. IT. SIMPLE! After reading this recent blog by Tim Shanahan, we couldn’t resist asking her about sound walls and how her students use them in her classroom. She shares, “The sound wall is not the main event in my classroom… structured literacy is the main event. The sound wall is a reflection of what’s happening in the classroom.” We discussed the following resources: Epic Books Lindsay’s blog post Sink or Swim: The Appearance of ReadingLinnea Ehri’s work, such as this research The Reading League 

In today’s episode, we discuss the structure and content of the literacy block. How can we teach using structured literacy in small groups? Kinder teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler join us to connect theory and practice. Casey previously taught using a guided (leveled) reading approach with lots of small group time. In recent years, he’s switched to focus on Tier 1 instruction aligned to structured literacy, which supports access for all students. ResourcesElementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy For Kids To Learn by Natalie Wexler Casey’s Twitter HandleNatalie Wexler’s Twitter Handle Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Ep. 22: Dr. Sonja Santelises joined us to discuss why she saw the urgent need for change in Baltimore City Public Schools, how she set and supported a clear literacy focus through the Blueprint for Success and high-quality curricula, and the ongoing next steps that prevail. She is witty and sharp, but most of all, we appreciate her vision and boundless energy in this admittedly difficult work. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebook

What does it take to disrupt the "way it has always been done"? Dr. Ernie Ortiz, Senior Literacy Engagement Specialist with AIM Institute for Learning and Research, joins us to discuss this important question. As a former teacher, school leader, and current national leader, he realizes that leaders play a critical role in student achievement. The approach leaders take often make or break systems and change within classrooms, schools, and districts. How can a side by side approach with leaders as learners (rather than top down with leaders as managers) be more supportive of schools achieving greatness for students? ResourcesAIM Institute: https://institute.aimpa.org/ Dr. Ernesto Ortiz TwitterWhat is the Science of Reading?, The Reading League Knowledge Matters Campaign Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

We are honored to talk with two early grade veteran teachers from Vista Peak Exploratory in Aurora, CO. Vista Peak is in Year 4 of Great Minds’ Wit & Wisdom ELA, Geodes, and Wilson Language Fundations… the trifecta! April Evans, grade 1, and Danielle Hunter, grade 3, discuss the transition from piecemeal, low quality curricula materials to high quality materials that focus on building both skills and knowledge. They share how their materials support engagement and excitement in creating a classroom community of learners. What does the literacy block look like in grades 1 and 3? How are knowledge and skills aligned through grade bands? Listen to find out. Decodable Readers Protocol from Student Achievement Partners Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

LISTEN AGAIN | FROM JULY 31, 2019Today we are live with Natalie Wexler, the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–And How to Fix It (LISTENERS - IT’S AVAILABLE TODAY!). The book focuses on the lack of content in the elementary curriculum and its connection to what is commonly known as the achievement gap.Natalie provides a snapshot of research on building knowledge, then tangibly deconstructs the why and how behind the research making explicit connections to education classrooms today. She provides clear steps to take to ‘fix’ the knowledge gap: adopting a content-focused curriculum to build knowledge, and providing teachers and leaders with ongoing professional development and coaching grounded in the curriculum. Pick up her book, The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–And How to Fix It. In the meantime, find articles and say hi to Natalie at https://nataliewexler.com/ or on Twitter @natwexler.Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

Ep. 115: Kindergarten TEAM Reaches (nearly) 100% Success Using Evidence-Based PracticesKristin Poppens IS BACK! In this episode, she shares the power of teacher teamwork and collaboration.  Her Kindergarten teammates and Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) join her to explain how they use evidence-based practices to reach 100% success for Every Single Student. All means all!   For resources mentioned in this episode: https://greatminds.org/literacy-lovers-newsletter-3 Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Ep. 113: Reading is Rocket Science with Louisa MoatsWhy is teaching reading so important? Melissa and Lori have a conversation with Louisa Moats grounded in this article: Teaching Reading is Rocket Science: What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able to Do. Moats asserts that 95% of students can learn to read when taught to do so using evidence-based practices. In this episode, listen as we discuss and define the term science of reading, while connecting decades of research and theory to classroom practice.  Connect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Ep. 108: From 13% to 100% Literacy Proficiency with School Leader Angie HanlinAngie Hanlin, current Superintendent in Wisconsin, led her former school from 13% to 100% reading proficiency. How? Angie shifted the focus from TEACHING to LEARNING.  She worked alongside her school teams with a relentless, laser-like focus on data, asking questions such as: Who is making progress? Who’s not? What are we going to do about it? Radical acceptance of the data helped educators move forward and put aside blame and shame. Key takeaway: All means ALL! Related EpisodesEp. 98: Improving Student Reading Growth in Months with Fluency Instruction and Practice Ep. 62: Effective Fluency Instruction with Tim Rasinski Ep. 63: Kindergarten Teacher Reaches 100% Success Using Evidence-Based Practices Ep. 103: From Workshop Model to Reading Science in Pentucket Resources Instructional strategies for 7 early literacy pillars by Patti Montgomery, Schools CubedDeveloping Assessment-Capable Visible Learners Grades K-12: Maximizing Skill, Will, and Thrill How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research by The Wallace Foundation The Reading Brain by the Center for Reading and Language Research, including Maryanne Wolf Connect with Melissa & LoriTwitterInstagramFacebookVisit our website to subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Ep. 117: The Writing Revolution with Authors Judith Hochman and Natalie WexlerThe Writing Revolution authors, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, share a 'revolutionary' approach to writing. The best part: It begins at the sentence level AND content knowledge drives the rigor.  Moreover, there is an overlap in reading, writing, and critical thinking. What are the principles of The Writing Revolution?  There are six: Students need explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early elementary grades.Sentences are the building blocks of all writing.When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.Grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising.  ResourcesThe Writing Revolution, Not for ProfitThe Writing Revolution, The Atlantic, October 2012Writing and cognitive load theory, Natalie Wexler Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Ep. 120: Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills with Julia LindseyTalking with Dr. Julia Lindsey is like popping into the classroom next door to chat with your best teacher friend after school. On this podcast, Julia shares what evidence says that young readers need to know to help them decode words efficiently. We discuss foundational reading skills, starting with oral language and print concepts through multisyllabic word reading. Instructional swaps take this conversation to the classroom where Julia tells us what to swap to improve instruction. Efficient and effective instruction is critical when teaching decoding. ResourcesReading Above the Fray by Dr. Julia B. LindseyConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Today we’ll be sharing what you can expect for 2023! We’re so excited to have created such an incredible community of educators who want to learn more about reading and writing. We really mean this. There are so many of you listening out there… around the world. Thank you for listening and learning with us! What will stay the same in 2023?  We will continue to keep our podcast discussions about the science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality materials. What will change in 2023? During the summer, we will share weekly episodes and bonus content, host a book club, and podcast discussion groups. There will also be opportunities for you to advocate within your education community. During the winter, spring, and fall, you can expect mostly biweekly episodes. Be sure to lookout for bonus content, too! In today's episode, we share our favorite episodes from 2022, including: Ep. 128: Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher with Missy PurcellEp 100: Trauma and Reading with Dr. Steven DykstraEp. 108: From 13% to 100% Literacy Proficiency with School Leader Angie HanlinEp. 112: Kareem Weaver on Levers for Literacy ChangeEp. 113: Reading is Rocket Science with Louisa MoatsEp. 116: Sonia Cabell on the Importance of Content-Rich ELA InstructionWe love creating this podcast and learning together with you, our Literacy Lovers community. We can’t wait to keep learning together in 2023. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to learn with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Pun intended. This episode takes us into the world of Geodes - decodable readers that bridge foundational skills and Wit and Wisdom ELA - through building knowledge and accessible text. Melissa and Lori talk with Lorraine Griffith and Emily Gula, who share the research and insight behind the development of Geodes and how they can be used in classrooms, as well as (and most importantly) why Geodes are market disrupters. We can't wait for Baltimore City students to experience these special texts this year, to connect Wilson Language's Fundations foundational skills to the knowledge-building topics in Wit and Wisdom ELA core instruction. Quite simply, GEODES ROCK!

DJ Bolger, a neuroscientist and associate professor at the University of Maryland College Park, joins the podcast today. DJ helps us understand the dyslexia brain a bit better, shares how dyslexia is so much more than “one” thing, and provides helpful analogies and ideas for application. He defines dyslexia, discussing the brain, and making connections to reading science.  ResourcesInternational Dyslexia Association Dyslexia Awareness Month social media resources and moreConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to stay connected with Melissa and Lori! Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Trauma impacts every facet of our being. Today we’ll hear from educator and author, Dr. Melissa Sadin. As part of our Dyslexia Awareness month series, Dr. Sadin will share her personal story about how trauma and reading affected her family. Trauma can get in the way of the brain learning to read but we can help our students through intentional instructional practices. ResourcesThese resources from the International Dyslexia Association are helpful to spread the word on social media about October as Dyslexia Awareness Month! Developmental Trauma Disorder ACES STUDY​​The Trauma Foundation Carol Dweck Growth Mindset  Bessel van der Kolk, MD The Attachment and Trauma NetworkTNTP’s The Opportunity Myth

As part of our Dyslexia Awareness Month series, listen again to Dr. Steven Dykstra discuss the devastating effects on students who have not received the instruction they need to be successful readers.  April 1, 2022The axis of rating trauma is frequent and repetitive. Over time, the chronic trauma wears down kids who can’t read. This has devastating effects. In our official 100th episode, Dr. Steven Dyskstra discusses Trauma and Reading. He explains the connection between not being taught to read using evidence-based practices and the subsequent, unnecessary trauma this causes in children’s lives. Stepping away from science-based approaches creates issues for kids that don’t need to be there. This is a pervasive problem happening everywhere. Dr. Steven Dykstra is a psychologist, advocate, and troublemaker in the reading world.  He has worked with the most severely traumatized and mentally ill children for more than 25 years. His passion for reading comes from the recognition that the thousands of children he has served often pay the highest price for our failures and mistakes. 

In celebration of Emily Hanford's new documentary series, Sold a Story, listen again to Emily Hanford here!  Today Emily Hanford joins Melissa and Lori to define the Science of Reading, addressing the current misinterpretation of the term and what it really means. She shares thoughts on teacher prep programs and where teachers get knowledge about what or how to teach, contemplates why teacher prep programs are not preparing teachers to teach kids how to read, and how curriculum plays a role in helping teachers who do not know the science of reading.ResourcesSold a Story by American Public MediaConnect with usFacebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website and stay connected with Melissa and Lori!Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

As part of our Dyslexia Awareness Month series, listen to a previous episode with parent and advocate Brett Tingley. March 25, 2022Brett Tingley shares how to harness parent energy and expertise to address the legal and moral responsibility of school districts to teach children how to read using science. Our Dyslexic Children tells the story of a group of parents who took on the system, and won. The nonprofit group shares a Strategic Roadmap that’s a practical and actionable guide for educators and parents looking to improve reading instruction in their communities.  

As part of our Dyslexia Awareness Month series, listen to a previous episode with parent and advocate Katie Hickerson. September 24, 2021 “I just thought kids learned how to read… and my daughter didn’t. She could identify 4 letters by the end of kindergarten .” Katie Hickerson's daughter, Cora, went from a joyous little one to a child with lots of big feelings after starting school, saying she felt stupid.Katie pulled Cora out of school to be homeschooled - providing structured literacy instruction alongside rigorous tutoring through the International Dyslexia Association. In less than two years, Cora went from meeting a 1% reading benchmark to 92% and was back to herself - full of joy, laughter, and confidence. How can parents (and educators) support the reading science movement? Listen and learn!

As part of our Dyslexia Awareness Month series, listen to a previous episode with parent and advocate Liz Hembling. November 24, 2020 Liz Hembling's daughter, Mia, attended a public elementary school. Liz noticed early on that she struggled terribly learning to read. In second grade, the school placed Mia in a remedial reading group, without communicating this to Liz. When Liz expressed her concerns, she was repeatedly assured that Mia was “on grade level” and “fine.” But... she wasn’t fine.  Liz knew there was something wrong.This sent Liz on a quest to understand what's happening in the public school system. How could she create change to ensure all kids could access quality reading instruction and services? Liz joined Decoding Dyslexia Maryland and tirelessly advocates for students and families.

Today we have a special episode featuring four parents from all over the United States. One thing they have in common is that they have children with dyslexia. They are courageously sharing their stories as reading science advocates working for systemic change.  ResourcesDyslexia-specific Resources:International Dyslexia Association The Dyslexia InitiativeThese resources from the International Dyslexia Association are helpful to spread the word on social media about October as Dyslexia Awareness Month! Featuring Parents from Today’s Episode: COKID Colorado Dyslexia advocacy group  COKID Literacy Dialogue Tool Both Sides of the Table,  Dystinct Magazine featuring Erica Kaufmann, July 2022 Behaviors Before Dyslexia, The Dyslexia Initiative, Lauren TaylorConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to stay connected with Melissa and Lori. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

In this coming Friday's episode we get to talk to the fabulous Richard Gentry again! This time we talk to him about dyslexia to kick off a series of episodes for Dyslexia Awareness Month. Until then, listen to our first episode with Richard Gentry about the importance of spelling!  March 4, 2022We’ve been asked about spelling and the connection to reading science more times than we can count. Today, we talk with expert J. Richard Gentry,  author of Brain Words and blog contributor to Psychology Today: Raising Readers, Writers, and Spellers (An Expert Guide for Parents).He tells us all about spelling and how it connects to our speech and language system. Moreover, he supplies teachers with practical, meaningful, science of reading-aligned strategies to teach spelling.

This episode with Lior Klirs connects to Ep. 124: Innovative Assessment with the Louisiana Assessment Team. If you haven't heard this one yet, definitely listen! From original episode (5/6/22)This episode is the first in a series on a really important topic: Assessment. How can we debunk the idea of ‘standards-aligned assessments’? What about ‘standards-aligned report cards’? Today’s guest teaches us that when we overfocus on the format of an assessment (i.e. the standards), we miss out on what matters most and lose track of the goal (i.e. comprehension). Comprehension is not a single construct. When we think about assessment data, there are two important questions to ask: Are the data useful? How are we preparing students for assessments? Are we confusing format with goals? The assessment data is a pathway back to the content. In case you’re wondering, here’s where the science of reading comes into play… knowledge building is a necessary and (very) important part of assessment! Related EpisodesEp. 35: Reading Assessments NEED an Upgrade! Ep. 37: Meredith Liben and Sue Pimentel on the Standards, Assessment, and Data Resources (bulleted list of resources mentioned in the podcast) Garbage In Garbage Out Beyond Multiple Choice conference agenda Jay McTighe Why the Pandemic Experts Failed (The Atlantic) What is the Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom (DIKW) Pyramid?  Researchers blast data analysis for teachers to help students (Hechinger Report) Why State Reading Tests Are Poor Benchmarks of Student Success by Hugh CattsEducational Redlining (Reading Groups) with Sonja Santelises Like most superintendents I cared a lot about test scores. Too much, it turns out. (Chalkbeat) Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Helping educators learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Artfully Teaching the Science of Reading by Chase Young, David Paige, and Timothy Rasinski is a next step for educators steeped in the science. When we understand reading research and science, we can add art and creativity to the learning space. What does it mean to teach artfully? How can we creatively approach teaching aligned to science? These questions answered (and more) in this book talk. Resources Dr. Becky at Good Inside on InstagramConnect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

If you loved our recent episode with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray, you won't want to miss our first episode with her last year! Check it out!From Sept 10, 2021What are we aiming to accomplish in early reading instruction? Dr. Julia Lindsey asks this  as she tackles topics such as decoding, decodable texts, sound walls, and more.We discuss the role of instruction and how that pushes a child to be better instead of keeping them at the same place where they might not develop skills as an independent reader. This two-part SoR series is a must-listen for educators!

If you loved our recent episode with Julia Lindsey about her book, Reading Above the Fray, you won't want to miss our first episode with her last year! Check it out!From Sept 3, 2021What are we aiming to accomplish in early reading instruction? Dr. Julia Lindsey asks this  as she tackles topics such as decoding, decodable texts, sound walls, and more.We discuss the role of instruction and how that pushes a child to be better instead of keeping them at the same place where they might not develop skills as an independent reader. This two-part SoR series is a must-listen for educators!

Reading Above the Fray: Reliable, Research-Based Routines for Developing Decoding Skills is a must read for all ELA educators Pre-K through 12. Dr. Julia Lindsey outlines the essentials of how children learn to read, the principles of high-quality foundational skills instruction, essential instructional "swaps" to improve reading instruction, and more. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Literacy Foundations for English Learners prepares educators to enter the classroom with a full understanding of the language and literacy development of English Learners. Remember this:  What's good for English Learners is good for ALL students! In this book talk, Melissa and Lori unpack the elements of an integrated approach to vocabulary learning in content-rich instruction. They consider how word learning strategies help English Learners move toward independence and explore how content-rich vocabulary instruction builds a strong foundation for text comprehension. They bring it together by applying evidence-based vocabulary strategies to practical examples of this approach in the classroom. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Melissa and Lori talk about The Writing Revolution by Dr. Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler. What distinguishes The Writing Revolution and everything else out there? There are two basic principles: To modulate the heavy cognitive load by beginning at the sentence level. To embed the writing activities into core content of curriculum so students attain knowledge needed (about knowledge building, about reading - and writing -  for understanding) Listen and learn more about knowledge and explicit writing instruction. Connect with us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our website to subscribe to our newsletter. Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum. 

Listen AgainKristin is coming back this Friday, and she is bringing a WHOLE TEAM with her! If you haven't listened to her first episode with us from last summer, listen NOW to hear about all that she learned and implemented before hearing how she worked with others to bring that learning beyond her classroom. From June 2021  Kristin Poppens teaches kindergarten in Iowa and is just learning about the science of reading! In fact, she's applied evidence-based, self-taught practices for less than six months, and her students reached end of year benchmarks with 100% success rate. Kristin's district uses Lucy Calkins Units of Study Phonics, Reading, & Writing as a core curricula ... but now that Kristin knows better, she's doing better for her students.Listen in as she shares the shifts she makes to take a science of reading, evidence-based approach to literacy!Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/

From Lori:The Vermont Writing Collaborative authors and educators remind us that kids need to have  deep knowledge of the subject matter that they’re writing about… Science of Writing. This episode also gets me really excited for an episode coming out this summer focused on writing, where we talk about how to extract that knowledge and explicitly teach writing!Listen again or for the first time!Joey Hawkins & Diana Leddy of The Vermont Writing Collaborative share how educators can support students in creating and communicating their understanding through writing. The three pillars for writing for understanding are: Backward design (envision the final goal!)Build understanding (talking about text, writing about text, acting it out, and more!)Direct instruction (writing models, structures, organizers)Writing is a powerful way of working with knowledge - a coherent chunk of knowledge. How do HQIM support and execute this approach to writing for understanding? Listen in to find out, and grab a copy of their book, Writing for Understanding!Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/

From Melissa: I love this episode because Nell Duke shares two messages about the Science of Reading that are crucial! 1) That the science is always evolving and will continue to evolve and 2) that the Science of Reading includes comprehension and making meaning of texts!  Listen again or for the first time! Did you know that Scarborough's Rope is 20 years old?! That's why Nell K. Duke unpacks how the science of reading has progressed over the last 20 years, moving beyond the simple view of reading in this piece: The Science of Reading Progresses (co-authored by Kelly B. Cartwright). Check out page 9 for a graphic we discuss throughout the podcast in order to re-think the reading rope.To connect with a practitioner lens, Duke (alongside Ward & Pearson) also penned The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. They ask the question: What have decades of research told us about the nature of comprehension and how to develop students’ comprehension in schools? Listen to find out!Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/

This is the time when many districts are engaged in the curriculum adoption process, so we wanted to put this extremely information episode out for listeners who may have missed it. Cory Epler, CAO at Nebraska DOE, speaks about how they encourage the use of EdReports in episode 101. Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter that follows up with more information about choosing curricula! What goes on behind the scenes at EdReports.org? Tricia Parker and Jess Box share the gateways that EdReports uses to reviews curricula: standards alignment, quality, and usability. We ask the questions we all really want to know: Who are the curriculum reviewers? How do reviewers ensure standards alignment? What does it really mean for curricula to meet grade level standards? What does 'all green' really mean? How do complex texts, tasks, TDQs build over time to shape knowledge and coherence?Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

Last Friday, we talked about FLUENCY with a couple great guests, Lindsay Kemeny and Lorraine Griffith. If you haven't listened to our episode with Tim Rasinski from last summer, give it a listen to add to your knowledge about fluency! From Original Show Notes:In this episode, reading and fluency expert Tim Rasinski tells us all about effective fluency instruction! How does repeated reading build fluency instruction? Why does text difficulty level impact fluency practice? What do effective accuracy, automaticity, and expression sound like?Check out research, articles, and helpful materials located on Tim's website and follow Tim on Twitter @TimRasinski1. We also discuss this piece by Nell Duke.

Hi Literacy Lovers! This week we wanted to offer you all a chance to listen to one of our favorite episodes from when we just started the podcast. The absolutely incredible and inspirational Emily Hanford drops a TON of information in this episode, so it's worth another listen if it's been a while. We hope you get as much from our conversation with her as we did! We will back next Friday with a brand new episode for you all.  [From Feb 10, 2020] Today Emily Hanford joins Melissa and Lori to define the Science of Reading, addressing the current misinterpretation of the term and what it really means. She shares thoughts on teacher prep programs and where teachers get knowledge about what or how to teach, contemplates why teacher prep programs are not preparing teachers to teach kids how to read, and how curriculum plays a role in helping teachers who do not know the science of reading.Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us!Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram 

Melissa and Lori are obsessed with the knowledge building connection to writing in this episode, and thought it deserved another release! How can educators support students in clearly communicating their understanding through writing? How do HQIM support and execute this approach to writing for understanding? The Vermont Writing Collaborative authors chat with us about this grounded in a knowledge-building approach. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card.

James Murphy, editor,  tells us about the intention behind The ResearchED Guide to Literacy: An Evidence-Informed Guide for Teachers. He talks about why it's important for teachers to engage with <accurate, valid> research because "we don't know what we don't know" ... and how it's important to be able to determine what is truth vs. truth-y. James also mentions this article by Keith Stanovich titled Using Science and Reason in Education.  If you'd like to hear more from James, watch this video: The Bridge Over the Reading Gap. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. 

Crystal Gonzales is the  Executive Director at English Learners Success Forum and believes that HQIM are the first step to provide equity for all learners, especially English Learners! Why? Because HQIM are developed with the idea that what's good for English Learners is good for all kids (but, the reverse is not always true!).  We talk with Crystal about the impact of leveled reading on English Learners, and share excerpts from this resource: Do Leveled Readers Hurt or Help My ELs?  Crystal shares the impact of HQIM on English Learners through annotated lessons, such as these lessons from Wit & Wisdom ELA. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. 

As a new teacher in Sumner County, TN, Natalie Baggett saw the desperate need for high quality instructional materials. In her first semester teaching, she scrambled to create instructional materials - searching Pinterest, Teachers Pay Teachers, even Google! Then, she piloted and implemented Wit & Wisdom ELA and saw a dramatic shift in her students' ability to write and think about complex texts and topics. We asked Natalie to reflect on her experience this past year with questions from the Wit & Wisdom Aha! Blog titled Reflecting on Wit & Wisdom Implementation. Listen in as Natalie shares how HQIM impacted her teaching and her students' learning during her first few years of teaching! Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. 

Rachel Arnold is an intervention and special education teacher at Clayton, ES in Colorado. Her journey to HQIM began when she asked herself the question:  How can we use the science of reading research to help us teach ALL kids to read and write?  Listen in as she shares her experience and approach to this work! To read more about how Rachel and team made the shift to a content focused curriculum, check out this blog post. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card. 

Meet Daisy Salazar-Garza, an incredibly thoughtful school leader at KIPP SOCAL, who shares her anti-bias and anti-racist approach to implementing Wit & Wisdom ELA. How is Wit & Wisdom aligned to KIPP's anti-bias & anti-racist approach?  What aspects of curriculum  could have missing pieces of marginalized perspectives? How do we address these in teacher planning? Daisy shares that it's difficult to locate a rigorous curriculum that affirms students' identities…  but there are ways to have both. It’s not either or … it’s AND. Follow KIPP SOCAL @KIPPPODERPUBLICSCHOOL on Instagram!And... visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/Connect with Melissa & Lori:TwitterInstagramFacebookToday is a great day to start your own podcast... If you’re thinking about it, we say GO FOR IT! We love Buzzsprout for so many reasons, but especially because it’s easy to use and their customer service rocks! Use our Buzzsprout affiliate link to sign up for their podcast media hosting and get a $20 Amazon gift card.