Shannon and Mary chat with Christina Edmondson (@literacywithmrs.e) about implementing Sound Walls into your literacy classrooms. Christina shares how Sound Walls compare to traditional word walls and provides ideas for using them with students in reading and writing. She describes exactly how to set up your own Sound Wall and start using with your readers. Episode Resources: Transitioning from Word Walls to Sound Walls (Reading Rockets) Understanding the How and Why of Sound Walls (Tools4Readin...
Mar 24, 2022•53 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Shannon and Mary chat about the recent debate in the science of reading community about whether phonemic awareness drills without letters are a worthwhile exercise for readers. They describe activities they've done with struggling readers to build phonemic awareness, and they talk about the use of those activities as a part of Tier 1 reading instruction. Episode Resources: Research article Response from David Kilpatrick and others Timothy Shanahan: RIP to Advanced Phonemic Awareness I Think I wa...
Mar 04, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Shannon and Mary chat with Emily Conlan from @wordmorphed_ on Instagram about Morphology. Emily shows how and where Morphology fits into structured literacy instruction and the science of reading. Their discussion provides easy ways to strengthen students' word meaning knowledge at different grade and age levels of readers. Episode Resources: Wiliam Van Cleve: Morphology Matters, Word Sums, and More Van Cleve-Morphology Matters Video ODE-Using Word Bases video What Should Morphology Instruction ...
Feb 11, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Shannon describes some new ways she's helping her older elementary students learn how to encode and spell. Mary shares the S.O.S strategy for Spelling and explains the research about encoding and the brain processing that happens as students make spelling choices. Note: The S.O.S. strategy is typically included with all Orton-Gillingham training organizations and isn't just attributed exclusively to IMSE. We appreciate Emily Gibbons from The Literacy Nest for this clarification. Also, we incorre...
Jan 28, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Shannon and Mary discuss the revised Ladder of Reading and Writing that was recently updated by Nancy Young. [Note: Our podcast has explicit permission from Nancy Young to use her Ladder infographic image and information with our audience.] In this episode we compare the updates to the Ladder to its original form and discuss the changes and how they may impact literacy instruction. Episode Resources: Nancy Young's website Nancy's blog post about her updates to the Ladder The Updated Ladder of Re...
Dec 31, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Shannon and Mary chat with Anna Boldog from Bookr Class about the Importance of Storytelling. They share their own memories and experiences with stories as readers and teachers. And they talk about what research shares about how storytelling impacts language and literacy development. This discussion should prompt your own memories of stories and how they've impacted your life, your instruction, and your readers. Episode Resources: Information for parents about BOOKR Class App 2 week free trial o...
Dec 17, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Shannon and Mary chat with LaMonica Williams, Director of Programs for Teaching Matters, about how to support reading teachers and their students through intensive but supportive coaching and literacy training. Episode Links for Resources mentioned: Jumpstart program Webinars & Trainings Twitter @teachingmatters Contact Teaching Matters : inquiry@teachingmatters.org Early Reading Assessment Toolkit from Teaching Matters Reading Matters Literacy activities from Teaching Matters Bookr Class Ap...
Nov 25, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Shannon chats about the different strands of Scarborough's Reading Rope with Tess Kraft. They talk about all the many different skills that weave together into skilled reading and share ideas about transferring the science of reading into effective literacy instruction. Episode Links for Resources mentioned: Overview of the Reading Rope Reading Rope padlet 20 years of Reading Rope recordings Nell Duke Reading Rope Redefined Complete Nell Duke article link Really Great Reading article about the R...
Nov 12, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Shannon and Mary chat with Heidi Martin about her journey into learning about the Science of Reading. Heidi has been documenting her literacy transformation on Tiktok (@learningwithheidi) and Instagram (@droppinknowledgewithheidi). Episode Links for Resources mentioned: Heidi's website Science of reading YouTube video Science of Reading Blog and video series Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction What is the SOR? Timothy Shanahan What is science of reading? SOR guide What teachers should k...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Shannon and Mary chat with literacy expert Wiley Blevins about the scope and sequence of phonics instruction. Episode Links for Resources mentioned: ILA Brief Meeting the Challenges of Early Phonics Instruction by Blevins Our Previous episode about Wiley's ILA Brief A Fresh Look at Phonics by Blevins * Choosing and Using Decodable Texts by Blevins * Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades by Blevins * Phonics from A to Z by Blevins * 10 Common Causes of Phonics Instruction f...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 2
In their Season 4 opener, Shannon & Mary update listeners on their summer activities and their plans for the upcoming school year and podcast season. They share what they've been reading and learning about lately, which leads to a discussion about differentiating for students at various points on the Reading Ladder. Episode Links for Resources mentioned: Link to our MAP episode from Season 1 Heggerty Phonemic Awareness LLI kits by Fountas & Pinnell HD Word by Really Great Reading Jennife...
Sep 06, 2021•50 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this episode, Shannon closes out the third podcast season. She describes the struggles from the 2020-2021 school year and shares what's coming next for the podcast in Season 4. Resource Links: 1. Boundaries podcast episode (We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle) 2. Ross on Friends ("Pivot!") 3. How to Set Boundaries as a Teacher (Cornerstone for Teachers) 4. Teachers, This Should be the Summer of Saying No COME JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Our Website Facebook Instagram Continue the Conversation...
Jul 15, 2021•19 min•Season 3Ep. 7
This title continues our multi-sensory series. In this episode, Shannon shares the characteristics of auditory learners. She gives some strategies and resources for incorporating more auditory practice in your literacy instruction. Resource Links: Is your Child an Auditory Learner? Working with Auditory Learners Tips for Auditory Learners The Auditory Learner Auditory Learning Style Explained Auditory Learner Infographic Characteristics of Learning Styles Multisensory Triangle Activities for Aud...
Apr 29, 2021•25 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Shannon and Mary chat with Maria Halkias about her on-line reading instruction. They talk about parent engagement with virtual instruction, teaching challenges during these unprecedented times, and what resources have been most helpful when teaching virtually. Maria shares about the community of inquiry and how she's using that framework to provide structure to her reflective teaching practice during this unusual teaching year. This episode provides ideas and inspiration for increasing student p...
Jan 10, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Shannon and Mary continue the discussion about multisensory reading instruction. This episode focuses on strategies for visual learners. Resource Links: New Girl Youtube clip (Visual Learning chant) The Visual Learner Tips for Visual Learners Jennifer Serravallo Reading Strategies book (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.) Main Idea stool video Reading Graphic Organizers book (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a sm...
Dec 11, 2020•16 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Multisensory learning is something we have been preaching for a long time. It's time it deserved it's own episode. Shannon and Mary discuss the importance of when and how to implement multi sensory learning strategies. Resource Links: Multisensory Learning: Types and Strategies IMSE What is Multisensory Learning: Waterford.org Multisensory Overview Literacy Nest Multisensory Part 1 Emily Gibbons Make it Multisensory - especially sight word practice The Language Triangle Emily Gibbons Ladder of R...
Nov 13, 2020•27 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Shannon and Mary explore how to start conversations about sensitive topics surrounding race, inequality, apathetic attitudes and apologism related to books. They discuss the controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss is a prolific children’s book author and global icon. And Dr. Seuss has a history of racial baggage that educators should understand when introducing his writing to their students. Resource Links: It's Time to Talk about Dr. Seuss (Teaching Tolerance) Research on Diversity in Yout...
Oct 22, 2020•24 min
Shannon and Mary open the season with a discussion about the importance of books to represent the diversity of our students giving them an opportunity to see themselves in books and opportunities to view other cultures, family structures and values. Resource Links: THE Actual Paper that started this discussion Building a Diverse Book Collection Windows, Mirrors, and Sliding Doors Librarian Professor article in the Atlantic We Are Teachers: Mirrors and Windows Teaching Tolerance article Book Harv...
Oct 01, 2020•34 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Shannon and Mary catch up after their Season 2 hiatus to discuss Quarantine Life, Home Learning, and what's next. RESOURCE LINKS: COME JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Our Website Facebook Instagram Shannon's TpT Store Support the show Get Literacy Support through our Patreon...
Jul 22, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Are you familiar with the FCRR? They have done incredible work making free effective research-based literacy activities. The centers include directions for teachers and all the necessary materials. They are mostly print and go activities requiring minimal teacher prep! In this episode, Shannon and Mary share their favorite FCRR reading center activities. They give ideas for storage and organization of the materials and ways to scaffold. RESOURCE LINKS: (General links are listed first, then below...
Feb 29, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Shannon and Mary speak with consultant and literacy specialist Allison from Learning at the Primary Pond all about spelling tests and best practices in phonics instruction. Resource Links: blog post by Alison at Learning At the Primary Pond Literacy website by Alison Blog post about Best Practices in Phonics by Allison Words Their Way Primary Spelling Inventory Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, Sixth Edition * Words Their Way by Donald Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Franci...
Feb 21, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Shannon and Mary discuss another pillar in the Balanced Literacy Series: Shared Reading. Shared reading is interactive reading with teacher guided support. This is essential for helping struggling readers build their fluency and expression as well as explicitly modeling how proficient readers approach text. It can be done in whole group, small group, or with individualized instruction. Sometimes you will see shared reading experiences modeled with big books or books that are projected for the wh...
Jan 31, 2020•30 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Shannon and Mary talk about the recent discussions in the news and educational circles related to the reading wars. Additionally, based on listener questions, they recommend some resources for teachers who want to implement more structured literacy into their classroom practices. Resource Links: Emily Hanford APM Reports Educate Podcast New Salvos in the Battles over Reading Instruction Emily Hanford APM Reports How a Flawed Idea is Teaching Millions of Kids to be Poor Readers Lucy Calkins' resp...
Jan 24, 2020•38 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Mary describes the differences between Balanced Literacy vs. Structured Literacy. We have been doing a series on Balanced Literacy which might confuse some of our listeners. RTL wants to bring best practices to our conversations. If you, like us, believe that a strong phonics practice is essential, you will want to help your school transition to using a stronger structured literacy approach to word study. In this episode, we will be discussing ways to effectively bring stronger phonics instructi...
Dec 13, 2019•20 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Shannon and Mary continue the conversation about balanced literacy elements by discussing supporting students' independent reading in the classroom and at home. They share ideas about goal setting, making time for reading, reading conferences, and helping students develop literacy preferences. "Teaching children to read and providing them with something worthwhile to read is not a job for the faint of heart in this world. But I'll keep at it, and I won't be alone. You'll come too. We're fortunat...
Nov 29, 2019•37 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Shannon and Mary share their tips and tricks for one of the most enjoyable experiences of reading with young readers: Read Aloud! We share professional resources, essential tips for working with struggling readers, and how parents can make reading aloud at a home a treasured time for any type of reader. Resource Links: NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.* The Art of Te...
Nov 08, 2019•44 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Shannon shares how guided reading groups are the non-negotiable element in her daily classroom. In this episode Mary and Shannon weigh in on the importance and power of small group teaching of guided reading. Resource Links: NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.* Guided Reading video Lucy Calkins videos (small group videos on this page) Decodable text guided reading less...
Oct 24, 2019•37 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Mary discusses the concept of alphabetic principle and strategies for teaching blending. Resource Links: NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.* Reading Rockets Blending and Segmenting Strategies The Alphabetic Principle from Phonological Awareness to Reading Words What is the Alphabetic Principle? This Reading Mama Florida Center for Reading Research - Letter Corresponde...
Oct 17, 2019•20 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Great news! Shannon is here to help address more listener questions about Lucy Calkins, comprehension strategies and professional development for reading specialists. Resource Links: NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.* Lucy Calkins Writing Units of Study The Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler * Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Gou...
Oct 10, 2019•37 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Mary discusses a student she is working with who flies under the radar in his general education classroom. In this discussion, she poses the question "Who are kids who fly under the radar? How can we better address their needs?" This episode will engage listeners to consider their own students and reflect on who and why kids "fly under the radar." Resource Links: NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our link...
Sep 26, 2019•12 min•Season 2Ep. 4
