Resources CleverNoodle International Dyslexia Association Gaab Lab Student Achievement Partners EdReports.org The Reed Charitable Foundation LETRS Training We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night . Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com . Join our community on Facebook , and follow us on Instagram , Facebook , &...
Sep 29, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Sep 22, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 fro...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's our first CALL IN EPISODE! Teachers voices are so important in this reading science movement. We asked teachers to call in and answer two questions: What is the most important thing you've learned so far about the science of reading? What is a goal you have this year connected to reading science? Listen and learn as fellow educators share about what big things are happening in their classrooms aligned to reading science. We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Liter...
Sep 08, 2023•39 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Resources How we teach reading at big horn elementary resource Connect with us Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Visit our websi...
Sep 01, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ever wondered how to navigate the complex world of reading research as an educator? Get ready for a great conversation with education researcher Neena Saha, who reveals the role of science in education and the importance of pseudoscience in developing theories. We delve into the significance of meta-analyses and discuss the need for caution when using this method. Neena then shares some current reading research with us! Resources SamePage Reading Facebook Group MetaMetrics’ Reading Research Reca...
Aug 25, 2023•38 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast Ever wonder how to decipher the Science of Reading or how to evaluate a curriculum that claims to be founded on it? We've got an episode just for you. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Holly Lane, a leading expert in the field, who will help us unlock this complex topic. Holly does an incredible job of breaking down the differences between research and evidence-based approaches, and she reveals what the terms 'explicit' and 'systematic' really mean. Holly delves into...
Aug 18, 2023•57 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Aug 11, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast What 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&ap...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 fluenc...
Jul 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 teache...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ins...
Jul 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jun 30, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Jun 23, 2023•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Resources No Time to Waste: Struct...
Jun 16, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our conversation today illuminates a hot topic in reading - skills and strategies. What’s the difference? Peter Afflerbach, researcher and professor, shares in the podcast that he and his colleagues surveyed educators and “ten people would give us ten different answers. They were all kind of related, but all different.” Peter explains that with practice, strategies require less deliberate attention. When strategies become effortless and automatic, the reading strategy has become a reading skill....
Jun 02, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Ch...
May 26, 2023•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Resources They Say You Can Do Phonemic Awareness Instruction “In the Dark”, But Should ...
May 19, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. We answer your questions ab...
May 12, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ways Spellings 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 pract...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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! We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers...
Apr 28, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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? Resources Recht & Leslie Baseball Study Wanted: A Science of Reading Comprehension movement | The ...
Apr 21, 2023•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 knowl...
Apr 14, 2023•56 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Teachers should choose what they think is best. Pam’s blog post, Balanced Literacy Bingo, debunks eac...
Apr 07, 2023•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Mar 24, 2023•58 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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" ...
Mar 17, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast 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? Resources Maximizing Small-Group Reading Instruction...
Mar 10, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
