Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! A characteristic of all high growth schools I work with is that they feel a deep sense of personal responsibility for student outcomes. In this week's podcast, I'm sharing some thoughts on what it looks like when we take radical responsibility for student outcomes as teachers and leaders. Reflecting on this isn't always comfortable, but it is necessary if we are going to achieve great outcomes for all. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Edu...
May 04, 2024•29 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Ever wonder why some students who can read and write with ease seem to stumble when it's time to shine in the classroom? Join me, Jocelyn, as we unravel the enigma of underperformance despite apparent ability, and take a closer look at the myriad of factors influencing a student's academic journey. With a nod to Ken Blanchard's insights from "Leadership and the One Minute Manager," this episode promises to shed light on the delicate...
Apr 27, 2024•16 min•Season 3Ep. 13
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Could flashy credentials be leading us astray in educational consulting? Unpack these misconceptions with us as we reveal what truly makes a consultant invaluable to our schools. We're not peddling our services here – our calendar is chock-full – but we are eager to share the scoop on effective collaborations with external experts. This episode cuts through the glitz of experience-based prestige to spotlight the substance of evidenc...
Apr 20, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, we explore the role of comprehension strategies in our overall instruction. This episode will leave you with a clearer vision of the reading instruction landscape and the tools necessary to develop a deep understanding of texts. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimary...
Apr 13, 2024•18 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Join us for a riveting conversation with Jo Griffin from Newtown Primary School, as we unearth the profound impact that structured literacy and daily review have on shaping young minds. In the arena of education, where traditional practices often reign, Jo shares the tale of her school's bold journey towards embracing a systematic phonics approach. It's a story filled with trials and triumphs that have led to undeniable advancements...
Apr 06, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Today's episode of Research to the Classroom (Part 2) is about how to maximize your students' learning and get the most out of daily review. What is Research to Classroom? As a teacher, you have likely not had the advantage of examining research in your teaching degree and now that you're in the classroom or leadership position, you probably find it hard to find the time and head space to spend time reading papers and articles. I kn...
Mar 23, 2024•17 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! This epsiode of Research to the Classroom miniseries focuses on the practice of daily review and retrieval, why we might do it, what it might look like, and what it's like to implement it in a school. What is Research to Classroom? As a teacher, you have likely not had the advantage of examining research in your teaching degree and now that you're in the classroom or leadership position, you probably find it hard to find the time an...
Mar 16, 2024•17 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode, we'll continue our discussion on effective questioning techniques in the classroom. We'll also discuss the importance of providing robust teaching leading up to asking questions and increasing the number of opportunities for students to produce correct responses. Additionally, we'll dive into the first element of questioning – what happens at the start of a new unit of work or topic – by sharing two real-life scenar...
Mar 09, 2024•13 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! On today's episode, I'd like to speak with you about how you can get bang for your buck in the good stuff in the classrooms. That is through an element of explicit instruction that we have all seen in action but that so many of us are yet to embrace—not asking students to put their hands up in response to a question. The words, hands up if, are such an ingrained part of teaching practice that it feels odd not to use them. But if we ...
Mar 02, 2024•19 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In today's episode, I will run through a few shifts we might've made in our schools and share some pointers for how you can get the best out of each of them. Let's start with the early years. There are two main things to consider here. That is phonics instruction and decodable text; of course, there are more elements of early years instruction. These are just two of them that usually come with pretty big purchases and a lot of time ...
Feb 24, 2024•19 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In today's episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I interview fellow teacher Kirby about fluency and assisted reading in the classroom. Kirby shares insights on fluency practice in her classroom and talks about her journey towards understanding structured literacy. Listeners who have followed the previous two episodes can expect better to understand Dyad reading and fluency development lesson structures. Quick Links Jocelyn Sea...
Feb 17, 2024•36 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! This Week's Episode. This is the second episode in our current Research to the Classroom series about assisted reading. Our Research to the Classroom series is in three parts: part one, where we share a published research paper; part two, where we unpack what classroom instruction might look like; and part three, where I talk to a real-life teacher about their experience of the particular practice with their students. What is the Re...
Feb 10, 2024•14 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Today's Episode. This week, we are discussing dyad reading or assisted reading. The paper I'm sharing is The Effects of Dyad Reading and Text Difficulty on Third Grader's Reading Achievement. It was published in 2017 by Lisa Brown, Kathleen Moore, Bradley Wilcox, and Tyson Barrett. And they're from the Utah State University. The journal that was published was the Journal of Educational Research. The main focus of this study was to, ...
Feb 03, 2024•15 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! I'd like to start us off for the year with an episode all about goals. We're going to talk about getting clear on some things that are important. There are so many things that we all get hung up about and overcomplicate in our quest to ensure that every child learns to read and write, that it's easy to lose sight of some of the basic things that will really make a difference to student outcomes. . Some of the things that will be hel...
Jan 27, 2024•24 min
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Guided reading in small groups is a key feature of many upper primary classrooms; however, with a move to structured literacy, there are other choices. In this episode, I will share key ideas from two key books and provide details about how you can create a robust reading lesson. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimary...
Jan 20, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Hello there. Welcome to the Structured Literacy Podcast. My name is Jocelyn, and I'm so pleased to welcome you here today. This week, we will tackle another tricky thing that is scary to let go of. Benchmark reading assessment. You can read more and find support at www.jocelynseamereducation.com Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpracti...
Jan 06, 2024•20 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In the past, when we had struggling readers in our class, we'd do a benchmark assessment, identify reading levels, and try to support these students in our small group rotations. But these days, with the growing awareness that guided reading, levelled texts and three queuing are no longer supported, upper primary teachers are asking exactly what they should do. Well, we here at Jocelyn Seamer Education have the answer. In today's ep...
Dec 30, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Jocelyn shares a Christmas message for all the busy educators out there. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimaryyears #primaryschool #primaryschools #primaryschoolteacher #earlyyearseducation #earlyyearseducator #structuredliteracy #scienceofreading #classroom #learning #learningisfun #studentsuccess #studentsupport #t...
Dec 19, 2023•9 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this week's episode, we will talk about some of the mindsets and thinking we need to shift when it comes to moving from a small group, guided reading situation to working with a more structured literacy block. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimaryyears #primaryschool #primaryschools #primaryschoolteacher #earlyyea...
Dec 16, 2023•24 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode, I'm going to share some key findings from theory and research when it comes to spelling, evaluate a common practice in spelling instruction, and then go on to suggest instructional practices that are a more efficient and effective alternative based on the research on my own experience as a teacher, school leader, and tutor of students with a learning difficulty. You can find a reference list for this episode at the ...
Dec 09, 2023•19 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Hello there, and welcome to the Structured Literacy Podcast. My name is Jocelyn, and today, we will be talking about the upper primary literacy block. For a long time, we have focused exclusively on what goes into the early years literacy block and upper primary teachers; it is your turn. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #ear...
Dec 02, 2023•18 min•Season 2Ep. 16
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! As we enter the season of report writing, I'd like to dedicate this podcast episode to all the teachers working tirelessly to complete their semester two reports and the leaders who will be reading them. Having worn both hats, I know that there were days when I found writing the reports simpler than reading them. Today's episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast is about how to make the whole report-writing process easier for you. ...
Nov 25, 2023•17 min•Season 2Ep. 15
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Every year we consider what the next year will bring. Invariably, our thoughts turn to what programs we will use. In this episode (originally published in January 2023) Jocelyn explores the benefits and limitations of programs and share suggestions for how to get the best from them without making them our everything. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation...
Nov 18, 2023•18 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Today in the podcast, we're going to change tone a little bit, and I'd like to talk to you about civility. We have all had the experience of civility and collaborative working and we've all had the opposite. Basically, I want to talk about what it means to be a productive member of our education community, both in our schools and online. And before you start to speculate about why I'm choosing to talk about this this week, no, we ha...
Nov 11, 2023•19 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Hello, hello, and welcome. My name is Jocelyn, and I am delighted to bring you this 5-day program called Making Sense of Structured Literacy. I look forward to sharing some ideas to make your teaching life easier and your student's results even better. Day 1 - What to expect on a change journey. It has been said that the only constant in life is change, and teaching is certainly a profession full of it. One of the ways to make chang...
Nov 11, 2023•26 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I answer 3 burning questions that have been asked in the On the Structured Literacy Bus Facebook group. When one person asks a question, you can bet your bottom dollar that others will benefit from the answers. So, let's dive in. Q1 - Is there any evidence/ best practice on using chunking when reading? Q2 - Can you please help me dot and dash the word pleased, as in I was pleased t...
Oct 28, 2023•25 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode of the podcast, I'd like to share a framework with you that I think will be incredibly useful to help you make decisions about any new approaches you are thinking of adopting. At this time of year in particular, it's common to see schools eagerly order new programs, organise training, and generally get their ducks in a row ready for the new school year. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room ...
Oct 21, 2023•18 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I discuss how English words can seem confusing. Still, they are largely logical when we understand four key areas: phonics, orthography, morphology, and etymology. The truth is that spelling needs to be explicitly taught, just like reading. The challenge is finding a way to do that while building our knowledge of how words work. The full transcript can be found on the website www.j...
Oct 14, 2023•22 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! Hello, and welcome to the Structured Literacy Podcast. My name is Jocelyn, and I'm so pleased that you've decided to join me for this episode. A little while ago, I created an episode called, why Isn't My Tier Two Instruction Working? This was season 2, episode 3. In this episode, I shared several reasons that things might not be going to plan and suggested ways that schools might strengthen their tier-two practices to make them as ...
Sep 23, 2023•19 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! In this episode, I'd like to share some of my secrets for writing and teaching text-based units that will engage all your students in learning age-appropriate content. Quick Links Jocelyn Seamer Education Homepage The Resource Room Youtube channel Facebook Page #jocelynseamereducation #literacy #bestpractice #earlyprimaryyears #primaryschool #primaryschools #primaryschoolteacher #earlyyearseducation #earlyyearseducator #structuredli...
Sep 16, 2023•15 min•Season 2Ep. 7
