The Structured Literacy Podcast
Hi there, I'm Jocelyn Seamer. Teacher, former school leader, author, and all around cheerleader for teachers everywhere. Learning to read and write is a matter of social justice. Every child deserves to learn through evidence informed practices, and every teacher deserves to be fully supported to make that happen.The Structured Literacy Podcast goes beyond the program to get to the heart of what it's really like to build a structured approach to literacy across the school.
Episodes
130 episodes
S6 E10 - Before You Commit to a Program, Listen to This
In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, Jocelyn provides essential guidance for educational leaders navigating the complex process of selecting instructional programs. She introduces a research-informed practice model th...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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31:19
S6 E9 - From Wasted Hours to Real Impact: Research Findings About PD That Actually Works
Too much professional development feels like a box-ticking exercise with little to show for the time invested. In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks decades of research findings to reveal the seven elements that make PD truly effective, and shows ho...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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23:05
S6 E8 - From Compliance to Commitment: Transforming School Improvement
Sustainable school improvement happens when change is done with teachers, not to them, and when professional learning builds genuine understanding rather than just compliance with programs.• The key difference between compliance and com...
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Season 6
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Episode 8
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22:48
S6 E7 - Is Your PL Transformative or Transactional?
In this episode, Jocelyn unpacks a crucial distinction in the world of education: the difference between professional learning that simply ticks a box and learning that leads to lasting transformation in classrooms. Drawing on her experience as...
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Season 6
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Episode 7
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15:56
S6 E6 - Why Confidence is a Misleading Measure of Capability
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common assumption that teacher confidence equals competence, drawing on the Dunning-Kruger effect to show how the least skilled teachers often overestimate their abiliti...
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Season 6
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Episode 6
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17:01
S6 E5 - How to Reclaim Your Professional Judgement
Professional judgment grows from a foundation of deep, defensible knowledge about how learning actually works. When you understand the cognitive science behind reading development, why systematic phonics instruction matters, and how orthographi...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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18:26
S6 E4 - Should We Bring Back the Read-Aloud?
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn argues for reintroducing regular read-alouds in upper primary classrooms, which have largely disappeared amid the focus on explicit, systematic instruction. She explores how interactiv...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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18:53
S6 E3 - How Do We Prevent Progress Being Wiped Out In a Swing Of The Pendulum?
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses how to safeguard the progress made in evidence-based literacy instruction by making data collection an integral part of teaching rather than an administrative burden. Drawing...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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16:28
S6 E2 - Simple Levers to Pull to Increase Your Impact
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn outlines five strategic refinements to boost teaching effectiveness once foundational structured literacy practices are established. Drawing on cognitive science research including Deh...
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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12:49
S6 E1 - Staying Motivated in Tough Times
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn addresses how educators can maintain momentum during challenging periods by celebrating incremental progress rather than focusing solely on major outcomes like NAPLAN results. She outl...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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12:17
Listener Favourites: 5 Evidence Informed Alternatives to Independent Silent Reading
Today, I want to talk to you about an issue that has had me with a bee in my bonnet for a little while now, and that is the large amount of time that many children spend in independent silent reading during literacy instruction.&n...
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Season 5
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Episode 22
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17:37
Listener Favourite: Planning To Make Report Writing Easier
Ready to transform the headache of report writing? Join me, Jocelyn, on the Structured Literacy Podcast, where we unpack the art of aligning curriculum with classroom planning. This episode offers practical tips to grade with ease. We'll reveal...
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Season 5
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Episode 21
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22:37
S5 E20 - If They Knew It, They Would Do It
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common teacher assumption that students "know" content simply because it was taught, arguing that if students truly knew it, they would demonstrate it consistently. Draw...
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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13:33
S5 E19 - Why Students Find Writing Persuasive Texts So Difficult
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores why students struggle with persuasive writing despite teachers implementing traditional "best practices" like modelled writing and scaffolds. Drawing on cognitive load theory,...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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19:11
S5 E18 - Why an Evidence-Based Literacy Block Might Not Be the Best Goal for Your School
In this thought-provoking episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common goal of implementing an "evidence-based literacy block," arguing for a more nuanced approach to school improvement. She identifies three key pro...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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13:28
S5 E17 - MTSS for Reading with Stephanie Stollar
In this interview episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn speaks with educational consultant Stephanie Stollar about Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for reading improvement. Stephanie distinguishes MTSS from traditional RTI a...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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41:31
S5 E16 - Is Whole Class Phonics Instruction Really Equitable?
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn challenges the common assumption that whole class phonics instruction is more equitable than targeted grouping, arguing that cognitive science research suggests otherwise. Drawing on c...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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26:19
S5 E15 - Interview with Jenny Cole - Navigating Leadership in a Changing Landscape
In this interview episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn speaks with leadership coach and "recovering principal" Jenny Cole about navigating school leadership challenges in today's complex educational environment. Jenny provides pr...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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48:12
S5 E14 - It's Time to Say Goodbye to the Independent Research Project
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn argues for abandoning traditional independent research projects, which she contends harm student learning by asking novices to teach themselves complex topics without adequate support....
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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26:02
S5 E13 - Maximising Your Lesson Prime Time
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores the cognitive science concept of primacy and recency, first researched by Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1880s, which reveals that students best remember information presented at t...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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17:18
S5 E12 - The Secret Weapon for Effective Retrieval Practice
Curriculum organisers are powerful tools for implementing effective retrieval practice in the classroom. These simple three-page documents provide clarity for teachers about what to teach while helping students understand exactly what they need...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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14:32
S5 E11 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 3 (Teacher Talk)
In this final episode of the research to classroom series on connecting reading and writing, Jocelyn interviews Rachael, a deputy principal at a small South Australian public school, about the practical implementation of integrated literacy ins...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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59:00
S5 E10 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 2 (Practical Application)
In this second installment of the research to classroom series on connecting reading and writing, Jocelyn presents five evidence-informed strategies for integrating literacy instruction to achieve stronger student outcomes. The strategies inclu...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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20:23
S5 E9 Research to the Classroom - Connecting Reading and Writing Part 1 (The Research)
In this first episode of a new research to classroom series, Jocelyn explores the scientific foundation for integrating reading and writing instruction, moving beyond traditional separated literacy blocks toward evidence-informed approaches. Dr...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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21:38
S5 E8 - When Teachers are Learners - Making Professional Development Work
In this episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, Jocelyn explores how to make teacher professional development more effective by applying Rosenshine's principles of instruction to adult learning contexts. Drawing on cognitive science researc...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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18:41