Today middle school educators from Baltimore City Public Schools join us to discuss their focus on fluency through Continuous Improvement work with fluency using HQC. What is Continuous Improvement? Why is this a useful framework? “Possibly wrong, definitely incomplete” is a mantra that resonates. The educators share their approach, impact, and outcomes for students. Secondary teachers… this one’s for you. Related Episodes Ep. 98: Improving Student Reading Growth in Months with Fluency Instructi...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
May 27, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 109•Transcript available on Metacast Angie 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 Episodes Ep. 98: Improving...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep 108•Transcript available on Metacast The authors of Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading , James and Dianne Murphy, join Melissa and Lori to discuss secondary struggling readers. Where do secondary educators start with struggling students? Put simply, there are two parts to intervention: learning and practice (for automaticity). Keeping those in mind, target what students need to know, explicitly teach and practice, and keep it manageable and motivating. Related Episodes: Ep. 90: Improving Read...
May 13, 2022•55 min•Ep 107•Transcript available on Metacast Join Melissa and Lori for their first Book Club episode! In this episode, they discuss the book Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading . They focus their discussion on Chapter 4: Helping struggling readers in the secondary classroom , and Chapter 6: What does it take for effective reading intervention at secondary school? Related Episodes: Ep. 90: Improving Reading for Older Students with David Liben Part 1 Ep. 91: Improving Reading for Older Students with Dav...
May 10, 2022•46 min•Ep 106•Transcript available on Metacast 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 da...
May 06, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep 105•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode we’re joined by two teachers from Skaneateles, NY - Seth and Kelly. Seth is a sixth grade ELA teacher and Kelly is a middle school librarian. They work together to ensure that all students have access to complex texts. With the right support, they believe that all students can engage in grade level tasks. Seth and Kelly share how their collaboration around the knowledge and tasks in Wit & Wisdom ELA enriches students' learning and teachers’ teaching. Together, they ma...
Apr 29, 2022•45 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Episode Description Pentucket Regional School District transitioned from balanced literacy programs to teaching and learning with structured literacy and reading science. Coaches and leaders used data to support educators in understanding the purpose of the transition. They unpacked why the materials were different from what they previously used. Key takeaway: You can’t take your old practices with you and use them with the new materials . Pentucket currently utilizes Wit & Wisdom ELA, Geode...
Apr 22, 2022•58 min•Ep 103•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, we drop some knowledge with one of our favorite teachers, Heidi Jane. You might recognize her as Droppin Knowledge With Heidi on Instagram or LearningWithHeidi on TikTok ! What’s the difference between sight words and heart words? How does knowing letter sounds help students when they begin decoding? Why did Heidi choose the trademark Literacy and Justice for All? Heidi shares her journey from balanced literacy to science of reading with the goal of reaching the everyday clas...
Apr 15, 2022•53 min•Ep 102•Transcript available on Metacast 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 E...
Apr 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nebraska Dept of Education CAO, Cory Epler, joins us today to share why and how Nebraska transitioned to reading science with HQM. In the course of eight years, the state formed a partnership with EdReports and The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), built transparency of HQM in Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and provided guidance around high quality materials . These key actions created coherence and agency across the state. This mantra resonates: Make the best choice the easiest ...
Apr 08, 2022•45 min•Ep 101•Transcript available on Metacast The 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 pe...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep 100•Transcript available on Metacast Brett 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. Follow us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter In...
Mar 25, 2022•54 min•Ep 99•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Mar 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast How 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. Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Resources A Focus on Fluency article Matt Burns - ...
Mar 18, 2022•53 min•Ep 98•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, we chat with our friends at UnboundEd about Going GLEAM. Lacey Robinson and Andrea Hancock share the GLEAM process - grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful - and ways that educators can feel empowered to lead from their seat. Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group for resources, community, and Live Chats Fridays at 12pm ET Twitter Instagram Related Episodes Ep. 51: Shanita Rapatalo: The Science of Reading, An ...
Mar 11, 2022•54 min•Ep 97•Transcript available on Metacast We’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. Visit our website...
Mar 04, 2022•57 min•Ep 96•Transcript available on Metacast Is your district in the process of choosing a new literacy curriculum? Or have you recently gone through the process? Adopting new curriculum is a huge change and involves shifting mindsets at all levels. In today’s episode, we talk with two district leaders and learners doing exciting work with evidence-based, high quality instructional materials (HQIM). Join us in our conversation with Jean Wyche, Elementary Language Arts Specialist at Fairfax County Schools, and Janise Lane, former Executive ...
Feb 25, 2022•53 min•Ep 95•Transcript available on Metacast Today we talk with Faith Borkowsky about her book, “ If only I would have known… “ What I wish the Pediatrician, the Preschool Teacher, and the Librarian would have told me about Language, Literacy, and Dyslexia . This accessible book explains the science of reading in simple terms. Check out Ifonlybooks.com for free resources such as a book discussion guide. Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us! Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram We answer your questi...
Feb 18, 2022•55 min•Ep 94•Transcript available on Metacast Tre Hadrick, father, guidance counselor, reading science advocate, and book club leader, joins us on the pod today. You might know him as Mr. Lit on Twitter or Instagram , where he advocates for literacy and justice for all. Tre’s book club, Lit Champs (Dad’s Literacy Book Club ), gained attention when he posted a video discussing this book - If only I had known … by Faith Borkowsky . We connected with Tre to discuss the impact of this book on his son and community. We also consider the big impa...
Feb 11, 2022•50 min•Ep 93•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Lor...
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jan 28, 2022•56 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast David Liben joins us again to discuss how to improve reading for older students. How can teachers help older students with unfinished literacy learning? How can teachers address foundational skills and fluency for older readers? Are decodables appropriate for older students? What is the role of independent reading? What is a volume of reading? Where does knowledge building fit? Listen and learn about these topics and more with one of our favorite literacy friends! David’s Course: Improving Readi...
Jan 21, 2022•43 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast David Liben joins us again to discuss how to improve reading for older students. How can teachers help older students with unfinished literacy learning? How can teachers address foundational skills and fluency for older readers? Are decodables appropriate for older students? What is the role of independent reading? What is a volume of reading? Where does knowledge building fit? Listen and learn about these topics and more with one of our favorite literacy friends! David’s Course: Improving Readi...
Jan 14, 2022•33 min•Ep 90•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Melissa and Lori connect with James Dobson, an educator who has been teaching for more than a decade in Australia. He has worked as a classroom teacher, lead teacher, literacy learning specialist, and principal. We discuss his blog post titled Laying the Foundations, One Teacher’s Journey . James illuminates his journey with the science of reading on his blog, Laying the Foundations . His posts are magic! Follow James on Twitter , too. Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to our newsl...
Jan 07, 2022•1 hr•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast One of our listener's questions prompted Melissa & Lori to have a conversation about complex texts and ways students can access them. What does the research say? What are practical ways to apply it? How could this look in the classroom? The first part of this episode illuminates a conversation with Melissa & Lori in response to Kris’s text complexity Q&A. The second part is a rerelease of David Liben’s episode, where he discusses why old habits die hard, the impact of knowledge ...
Dec 24, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast In today’s episode, Kate Winn, a teacher, freelance writer and TV guest, and wife and mom to two girls, joins us on the podcast to share how after 20 years of teaching, she learned about the science of reading! She wrote this piece for Today’s Parent, titled I’m a kindergarten teacher and the way I’ve been teaching reading is wrong . How does she implement evidence-based practices in her classroom? Kate shares what she’s doing differently in her classroom to teach using reading science, what she...
Dec 17, 2021•37 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast Today we talk with National Council on Teacher Quality’s Hannah Putman, Managing Director/Research , who penned a piece titled Getting Districts and Teacher Prep on the Same Page on Reading Pays Off . This research from CALDER sparked Hannah’s piece. She shared there is a disconnect in what teachers are learning in preparation programs and evidence-based literacy practices used in schools. If you’re an educator who has felt slighted by your schooling, you’re not alone! If you’re looking to learn...
Dec 10, 2021•32 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast Jenn David-Lang is truly a Mastermind! Her strategic, structured, and supportive virtual Professional Learning Communities help school leaders grapple and tackle lots of difficult topics, ranging from How can leaders support student engagement during a pandemic? to How can leaders create space for teacher wellbeing? Check out her Mastermind PLC paper where she outlines critical structures for leader learning. She begins and ends each session with reflection, because as John Dewey once said, “We ...
Dec 03, 2021•42 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast It’s GIVING TUESDAY, and if you’re a Literacy Lover like us, then what better way to show your literacy love than to donate to The Truth About Reading documentary ? We caught up with the team for a second podcast to react to the teaser and hear about the journey they’ve taken since we last spoke with them. And, be sure to follow The Truth About Reading on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest information on all things documentary-related! If you’re interested in hearing more about the docu...
Nov 30, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast 
