Natalie Wexler once said that parents are the sleeping giants in this reading science movement . The parents in Minneapolis Public Schools are awake and ready! They are passionate, informed advocates who developed a coalition of families willing to speak out and say, “Our kids deserve access to structured literacy. Less than 50% of students read at grade level.” Thus, the MPS Academics Advocacy Group was born. Recently, the superintendent of schools, a proponent of balanced literacy approaches, ...
Nov 29, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, we talk with special educator Katie Overstreet, who responded to a social media post with unwavering belief in her students and a can-do attitude. Her response stood out to us for so many reasons… such as the tangible ways she removes barriers for her students and her use of scaffolding techniques to support access to rigorous texts and tasks. Katie’s candid conversation illuminates the transition to high quality instructional materials and why teachers and students can ‘trus...
Nov 22, 2021•45 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast Natalie Wexler once said that parents are the sleeping giants in this reading science movement . The parents in Minneapolis Public Schools are awake and ready! They are passionate, informed advocates who developed a coalition of families willing to speak out and say, “Our kids deserve access to structured literacy. Less than 50% of students read at grade level.” Thus, the MPS Academics Advocacy Group was born. Recently, the superintendent of schools, a proponent of balanced literacy approaches, ...
Nov 08, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast Sheeba Jacob’s blog post caught our attention when she wrote, “ While I could see myself in some of these books because of universal experiences like grief and love, limiting the reading experience to a few specific voices subconsciously taught me that only certain voices mattered.” Two things are true: Texts are at the core of literacy instruction with our students, and the world is our school. How can we engage students by helping them see themselves and the world through texts? Sheeba’s Achie...
Nov 08, 2021•49 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Sha...
Nov 05, 2021•44 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode we talked with UnboundED’s Brandon White and Alice Wiggins about the Equitable ELA Instruction Concept Paper. In our conversation, we’ll discuss effective and equitable instruction and the most efficient path to access it. This requires us, as educators, to do three things: Adopt an aligned curriculum. Provide instructional support that fosters all students' persistence with grade-level reading and thinking. Provide targeted intervention in addition to and in service of grad...
Oct 22, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast 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. K...
Oct 22, 2021•53 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast Today we talk with author and professor Dr. Morgan Polikoff. His first book, Beyond Standards: The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform , provides insights along the rocky road of standards in education. The goal of the standards movement is consistency, as page 39 states, “consistency in instruction across classrooms, across grades, across schools and districts. Consistency that ensures that all students receive instruction that is high quality…” Morgan is ...
Oct 15, 2021•49 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast Francine Grannell and John Lawrence, leaders from Skaneateles School District, share how they narrowed their focus to strategically support teachers and students with year one Wit & Wisdom ELA implementation. Educators used NY State Briefs (like this one on Complex Texts ) to understand and thoughtfully engage in research-based practices within the curricula. District and school leaders provided wraparound strategic support for teachers: professional learning communities, horizontal and vert...
Sep 30, 2021•54 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Mitchell Brookins, education consultant extraordinaire (and one of the moderators of the wildly popular Facebook group Science of Reading - What I Should Have Learned in College ) talks with us about this article, titled Teaching Reading to African American Children: When Home and School Language Differ by Julie A. Washington and Mark Seidenberg. We know that reading depends on spoken language. How do language variants affect how we teach reading to African American students? What are key featur...
Sep 30, 2021•58 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast “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%...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast Take time to notice. Brendan O’Day shares an important message for educators - Start by noticing: Slow down and bring back the joy of schooling . He tells the story of preparing soon-to-be leaders, guiding them skillfully to seek curiosity rather than judgement. We realize this school year is unlike any other. Brendan writes that we should “Focus on bringing back the joy of schooling. Focus on this hard, with immense love and grace and compassion and rigorous expectations for academic achievemen...
Sep 17, 2021•45 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Matt Hoganson, Assistant Principal in Aurora, CO, is committed to unthinking and thinking again… or in other words, "in a turbulent world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.” In the book Think Again , author and psychologist Adam Grant discusses the ability to rethink and unlearn. As literacy leaders (and lovers), how can we unthink what we think we know about literacy and become open, divergent learners to guide this wor...
Sep 17, 2021•53 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast What 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! Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.c...
Sep 10, 2021•38 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast What 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! Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us! Facebook and join our Faceboo...
Sep 03, 2021•48 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Melissa and Lori break down the components of Wit & Wisdom ELA. Curious about Wit & Wisdom's texts and tasks? Wondering what 'integrated approach' means? Want to learn more about the role of knowledge building in comprehension? Implementing the curricula for the first time? Then this Wit & Wisdom primer is JUST. FOR. YOU. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter and podcast! https://www.literacypodcast.com/ Connect with Melissa & Lo...
Aug 27, 2021•34 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Alfred Tatum asked the question, "I constantly ask myself of all of the texts in the world, why do I want to put this text in front of my students?" Melissa and Lori explore this question with Quintin in today's episode! Dr. Quintin Bostic joins us to tell us all about Student Achievement Partner/Achieve the Core's new and improved text complexity toolkit. The updated toolkit helps teachers reflect on their identity of self and their students, analyze texts with multiple ...
Aug 20, 2021•50 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast 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.litera...
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode we talk with David Chalk, a successful and self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur. As an adult, David was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADD and learned to read at the age of 62. He shares 'aha' moments and how learning to read decreased his anxiety and bettered his emotional state. Look forward to watching more of David's story unfold on the upcoming literacy documentary titled The Truth About Reading: The Invisible Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight . His story is incredibly...
Aug 06, 2021•49 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Readi...
Jul 30, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast Join us as we talk with the talented team passionate about producing a literacy documentary titled The Truth About Reading: The Invisible Crisis Hiding in Plain Sight. You'll hear from Nora Chahbazi, founder of Evidence-based Literacy Instruction , Nick Nanton , Emmy-winning director, and John Corcoran , the teacher who couldn't read. We can't wait to watch this incredible film highlighting the need for literacy education reform. This spectacular team shares a bit about the docume...
Jul 23, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jul 15, 2021•58 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast Melissa & Lori are on vacation this week! We invite you to listen to one of our favorite episodes that we have listened to multiple times ourselves. If you haven't listened to our episode with Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel - check it out this week! 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 i...
Jul 02, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ta...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter an...
Jun 22, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast In today's episode, Alex Spurrier, a senior analyst with Bellwether Education Partners in the policy and evaluation practice area, discusses his recent contribution to The 74: Curriculum Isn't Infrastructure - But States Should Treat It as Such and Build a Strong Foundation for Student Learning . How can HQIM be part of the recovery from the pandemic? How can states, districts, and schools work together to create better alignment? In our conversation, Alex mentions an earlier piece he ...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep 61•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jun 10, 2021•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Webb talks candidly about how high quality instructional materials (HQIM) supported her as a teacher in helping all students reach greatness. Specifically, high quality materials were most helpful for English Learners... who often don't receive access to such materials. Sarah zooms in on how HQIM are supportive of students' vocabulary acquisition through repetition, writing with opportunities for oral rehearsal to process content, and consistency over time builds stamina and know...
Jun 04, 2021•39 min•Ep 59•Transcript available on Metacast Tiffany Rehbein, K-12 English Language Arts Coordinator from Laramie County School District in Cheyenne, Wyoming shares why and how the district shifted to HQIM. After seven years of stagnant ELA scores and a focus on balanced literacy, she and her colleagues knew it was time for a big change! They did their homework and investigated HQIM, choosing Wit & Wisdom ELA. Listen in to hear more about Laramie's implementation story and strategy! Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsletter...
May 28, 2021•45 min•Ep 58•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
May 21, 2021•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
