Episode 151 (from June 23, 2023) 

How Language Variations Shape Literacy

Language and reading go hand in hand—but how can we leverage students’ linguistic strengths to support literacy?

In this episode, Julie Washington, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in the intersection of language and literacy, breaks down the power of language variations, like African American English, and how understanding them can transform how we teach reading.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Language variations are a strength, not a barrier
✅ Students need to navigate both their home dialect and academic language
✅ Educators must set high expectations while embracing linguistic diversity

Julie shares research-backed insights and practical strategies to help educators create inclusive, effective literacy instruction. Tune in and learn how to make a real impact!

Resources

• Teaching Reading to African American Children by Julie Washington and Mark Seidenberg 
• The Opportunity Myth by TNTP
• The Academic English Mastery Program by LAUSD

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, & Twitter.

Episode 223 

Antonio Fierro and Gabi Bell Jimenez break down the essentials of teaching English learners—covering the simple view of reading, oracy, and literacy instruction. 

English learners thrive when we amplify language, not simplify it. They explore how to build language like Legos—piece by piece—so students can truly master it. 

Key Takeaways:
✅ Embed language development into reading instruction
✅ Use images and real-world connections to deepen understanding
✅ Keep content rigorous while supporting language growth 

Listen in for practical strategies to help your English learners (and ALL learners) succeed!

Resources

• Strategic Use of Visuals by Antonio Fierro and Gabi Bell Jimenez
• National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth 

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, & Twitter.

Episode 222

In this episode, teacher coach Margarita shares effective strategies for leveraging students' native languages to enhance their learning in the classroom. She discusses the importance of making cross-linguistic connections, structured routines like QSSSA for speaking, and vocabulary strategies that include cognates. She also explains writing techniques such as the APE method and reading comprehension strategies like STAR, all aimed at supporting emergent bilinguals in their academic journey. 

Margarita shares her insights on effective reading routines, the importance of language functions, and strategies for grouping students in intervention blocks. She emphasizes the role of teacher training and support in enhancing student learning, particularly for multilingual learners. The discussion also covers the structure of intervention blocks and the significance of familiar topics in language acquisition. Margarita concludes with practical tips for educators working with diverse language backgrounds.

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, & Twitter.

Episode 221

This live podcast recording was part of the opening reception for the 2025 Literacy & Justice for All symposium in Oakland, CA on March 7 and 8. 

It is crucial to ensure every student becomes a proficient reader. In this live podcast, we’re diving into the amazing strides Oakland Unified School District is making with its bold literacy vision, the challenges they’re overcoming, and the innovative approaches transforming classrooms.

We’re joined by two incredible guests: Leroy Gaines, Elementary Network Superintendent at OUSD, overseeing 16 elementary schools, and Tala Kauzer, ELA Coach, who leads literacy intervention programs K-5 at Acorn Elementary School. 

About the Literacy & Justice for All symposium

The annual symposium is focused on promoting effective practice in literacy and reading skills and mobilizing the field of learning professionals around literacy as a vehicle for social justice and transformational life outcomes. 

Organized by the Oakland Literacy Coalition, the annual symposium brings together school and community-based educators, practitioners, funders, leaders, and literacy champions for a comprehensive learning experience that elevates literacy in the classroom and beyond. This year’s conference drew more than 600 attendees from across the US. 

Resources: 

• To learn more about Oakland Unified’s ELA curriculum adoption, visit https://www.ousd.org/english-language-arts-ela/elementary-ela-curriculum-adoption 
• How Oakland is Turning a New Page in Literacy
• Oakland Unified School District TK-5 Language and Literacy Framework

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, & Twitter.

Episode 156 

Fifth-grade teacher Sean Morrisey joins us to discuss all things vocabulary! We discuss Tier 2 and 3 words and discuss how you can strategically select words to teach using research-based approaches.

We also share the importance of continuously using words in daily language  and ways to use data to measure improvement. Finally, we bridge the connection between vocabulary and fluency, demonstrating how it impacts performance.  By the end of this episode, you'll feel inspired to transform your vocabulary instructional approach in your classroom, one word at a time.

Resources

• Academic Word Finder Achieve the Core
• Which Words Do I Teach and How? Article by David Liben
• Lifelong Literacy, Lyn Stone
• Explicit Instruction, Anita Archer 
• Bringing Words to Life, book 
• The Writing Revolution, book
• Text Project Vocabulary Instruction
• Word Generation Serp Institute 
• Word Sift 
• Coxhead Academic Word List 
• Podsie 

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, & Twitter.

Episode 220

In this podcast episode, you'll hear from:

• Kirsten Taylor, a first-grade teacher turned literacy coach in Washington, D.C., and
• Kory Jensen, a fourth-grade teacher in Aurora, Colorado.

Kirsten shares a powerful explicit vocabulary routine she uses with her students. She explains how to engage students in learning new words, assess their understanding, and extend vocabulary lessons beyond the initial teaching. 

Kory discusses the importance of morphology instruction. He shares practical strategies for teaching morphology, including breaking down words into their morphemes, engaging students in hands-on activities, and integrating morphology instruction across content areas. 

Resources

• Kirsten Taylor- Explicit Vocabulary Routine (video) 
• Vocabulary Instruction: Strategies for the Classroom (article) 
• Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids―Building Vocabulary Through Etymology, Definitions & Stories (book) 
• The Literacy 50 (book)

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, & Twitter.

Episode 155 (from July 21, 2023)

Curious about how words shape learning? Join us as we chat with linguist and author Lyn Stone about vocabulary, etymology, and their impact on literacy.

Lyn shares practical strategies for teaching morphology and etymology, the importance of teacher knowledge, and great resources to build students' word awareness. We also dig into grammar and syntax—how they reflect thinking and why they matter for literacy. Plus, Lyn gives us a sneak peek at the new edition of Language for Life. Don't miss this insightful conversation!

Resources

• Language for Life by Lyn Stone 
• LifelongLiteracy.com 
• Etymonline 
• Once Upon a Word: A Word-Origin Dictionary for Kids 
• The Writing Revolution Book Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler
• The Writing Revolution Podcast (Melissa and Lori Love Literacy) 
• Ox, House, Stick: The History of Our Alphabet

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, & Twitter.

In Episode 219, Blythe Anderson discusses the importance of vocabulary instruction, specifically through the use of vocabulary talk moves. 

These "talk moves" are designed to promote word learning and help teachers effectively teach new vocabulary. Blythe covers various types of vocabulary moves, their research backing, and practical examples of how teachers can implement them in the classroom - emphasizing the complexity of vocabulary learning as well as the need for repeated exposure and active engagement to foster curiosity and understanding. 

Blythe explains effective teaching moves for vocabulary instruction, including the importance of context, repetition, and meaningful engagement with words. She outlines ten key strategies that educators can implement to enhance students' understanding and retention of vocabulary. The discussion also touches on the significance of selecting appropriate words for instruction and the role of affective and metacognitive factors in vocabulary learning. Blythe encourages educators to reflect on their current practices and gradually incorporate new strategies into their teaching.

Resources

• "Vocabulary Talk Moves: Using Language to Promote Word Learning" by Blythe Anderson 
• No More “Look Up The List” Vocabulary Instruction (book) 
• "Flood, Fast, Focus" Integrated Vocabulary Instruction in the Classroom (IRA Brief) 
• A Teacher’s Guide to Vocabulary Development Across the Day (eBook)

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, & Twitter.

Episode 203 (from August 16, 2024)

Our guests today, authors Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell, discuss the concept of Strive-For-Five Conversations, which emphasizes the importance of multi-turn conversations between teachers and students. They explain that the goal is to stretch conversations beyond the typical question-response format and aim for at least five turns. The conversation explores the impact of conversations on brain development. They also provide practical tips for implementing Strive for Five in the classroom and engaging parents in the process.

Resources

• Strive for Five Conversations by Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell
• Using Strive-for-Five Conversations to Strengthen Language Comprehension in Preschool through Grade One
• Asking Questions is Just the First Step: Using Upward and Downward Scaffolds 
• Going Nuts for Words: Recommendation for Teaching Young Students Academic Vocabulary
• Article on Teaching Together research: This article shows sending home materials scaffolds parent involvement and that the impact of rewards fades over time.
• Talking is Teaching Family Engagement Resources

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, & Twitter.

Episode 218 is chock-full of super practical ways to implement academic talk in your classroom tomorrow! 

Elementary science teacher Jami Witherell shares her insights on fostering academic discourse in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of giving students time to think before they speak. She discusses practical strategies for engaging students in conversation, including the 'read a little, think a little, chat a little' approach, and the implementation of Socratic seminars and fishbowl discussions. Jami highlights the significance of preparation and creating a safe space for all students, especially multilingual learners, to express their thoughts and ideas. Her personal experiences as a multilingual learner shape her passion for ensuring that every student feels their voice matters in the classroom.

Fourth grade teacher Lauren Proffitt discusses the importance of oracy in education, detailing how her school has implemented a school-wide goal to enhance students' speaking skills. She explains the significance of structured routines and strategies that promote student engagement through talk, emphasizing the role of oracy in both academic and lifelong skills. The discussion also covers peer observations, collaborative learning, and effective management of classroom discussions, providing practical insights for educators.

Resources

• Fail-a-bration by Brad and Kristi Montague

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, & Twitter.

Episode 167: Researcher Tiffany Hogan explores the relationship between phonics and language comprehension in this episode. She shares practical ways to make these connections in the classrooms - including read-alouds, discourse, and writing. 

Resources Mentioned in this Episode 

• On the Importance of Listening Comprehension  
• If you don't look, you don't see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instruction
• List of commercially available Developmental Language Disorder (DLDP) Screeners
• DLDandme.org
• RADLD.org
• ASHA Voices on Apple Podcasts
• Understanding Dyslexia in the Context of Developmental Language Disorder
• Increasing Higher Level Language Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension
• Adapting Curricula for Children with Language Comprehension Deficits
• Five ways SLPs (and others) can positively impact children with dyslexia
• A generic implementation framework for school-based research and practice
• 'We test, not teach, comprehension' Jeanne Chall: 
• CUBED free assessment and progress monitoring for decoding, language, and reading
• Executive functions and morphological awareness explain the shared variance between word reading and listening comprehension Young-Suk Kim 
• “the acquisition of an alphabetic code is like catching a virus… this virus infects all speech processing… Language is never the same again” Uta Frith 

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, & Twitter.

Episode 217
Have you ever wondered how to get your students talking in a way that builds deeper understanding? In this episode, we chat with Jeff Zwiers, author of Academic Conversations and Next Steps with Academic Conversations, about the power of authentic discussions in the classroom.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• 3 Key Features of Authentic Conversations: Building on ideas, clarifying and supporting, and using information gaps to spark curiosity.
• Practical Strategies: How to use routines like Think-Pair-Share to foster meaningful discussions.
• Building a Culture of Communication: Tips for helping students share opinions, argue effectively, and engage deeply.

This episode is packed with actionable ideas to help you create a classroom where every student’s voice matters. Tune in to discover how academic talk can boost participation, agency, and long-term success!

Resources

• Article: Enhancing Instruction with Authentic Communication: 3 Features Conversing to Fortify Literacy, Language, and Learning 
• Book: Academic Conversations
• Book: Next Steps with Academic Conversations 

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, & Twitter.

Struggling to make writing click for your students? 

In this episode, 5th-grade teacher Elise Frank shares practical strategies to tackle the challenges of teaching writing, inspired by "A Path to Better Writing" by Steve Graham and Karen Harris.

Key takeaways:

• Simplify the hidden processes of writing for your students.
• Boost ownership and feedback.
• Integrate writing across all subjects.

Packed with actionable ideas, this episode is a must-listen for every teacher! Tune in now and transform your writing instruction!

Resources: 

• Focus Article: "A Path to Better Writing" by Steve Graham and Karen Harris
• See Elise's writing instruction in action:
  • Video: 5th Grade ELA: Writing about Esperanza Rising with SRSD
  • Video: 5th Grade ELA: The Power of SRSD and EL Education (Esperanza Rising)
• Urban teachers’ implementation of SRSD for persuasive writing following practice-based professional development: positive effects mediated by compromised fidelity. McKeown, D., FitzPatrick, E., Brown, M., Brindle, M., Owens, J., & Hendrick, R. (2019). 
• Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students by Harris, Graham, Mason and Friedlander
• Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning by Patrice Bain and Pooja K Agarwal

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, & Twitter.

Steve Graham discusses the significance of writing in education, the challenges teachers face in teaching writing, and effective strategies to enhance students' writing skills.

In this episode, you'll hear about: 

1. the interconnectedness of writing and reading
2. the importance of feedback
3. the role of handwriting and typing in writing fluency 
4. the necessity of integrating writing instruction into the curriculum
5. the role of interactive writing as a bridge for early and progressing writers

Steve also shares his thoughts on the impact of 21st-century tools like AI on writing practices, and the ethical considerations surrounding AI in education.

Resources: 

• Focus Article: "A Path to Better Writing" by Steve Graham and Karen Harris

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, & Twitter.

From July 22, 2022

The Writing Revolution authors, Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler, share a 'revolutionary' approach to writing. The best part: It begins at the sentence level AND content knowledge drives the rigor.  Moreover, there is an overlap in reading, writing, and critical thinking.

What are the principles of The Writing Revolution?  There are six: 

1. Students need explicit instruction in writing, beginning in the early elementary grades.
2. Sentences are the building blocks of all writing.
3. When embedded in the content of the curriculum, writing instruction is a powerful teaching tool.
4. The content of the curriculum drives the rigor of the writing activities.
5. Grammar is best taught in the context of student writing.
6. The two most important phases of the writing process are planning and revising.  

Resources

• The Writing Revolution, Not for Profit
• The Writing Revolution, The Atlantic, October 2012
• Writing and cognitive load theory, Natalie Wexler 

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, & Twitter.

What if young students could transform writing from a daunting task into an exciting journey of self-expression?

In this episode, Laura Stam, a second-grade teacher from Wyoming, discusses her transformative journey in writing instruction. Struggling initially with an unstructured writing curriculum, Laura discovered innovative methods to support her students.

You will hear how Laura has incorporated strategies fromThe Writing Revolution and self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) to empower her students to write confidently about their learning topics, such as the Revolutionary War and ancient China. Also, you will learn how strategic tools like mnemonics, goal setting, and structured sentence expansion activities have made her students more independent writers. 

Resources: 

• Focus Article: "A Path to Better Writing" by Steve Graham and Karen Harris
• Laura's Teaching Videos
  •  2nd Grade Writing: CKLA, ThinkSRSD, and The Writing Revolution
  • Writing with Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) and ThinkSRSD (2nd grade)
  • Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Grade 2: Collaborative Writing with The Magic Fish (1/2)
    Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Grade 2: Writing with The Magic Fish (2/2)
  • Core Knowledge Language Arts Grade 2: Indus River Writing Demo
• Institute for Excellence in Writing
• The Writing Revolution
• From Struggle to Success: Navigating the Writing Process With Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD)

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, & Twitter.

This episode highlights the close connection between reading and writing and the importance of teaching them together. Young-Suk Kim uses a structural house analogy to explain their interdependence. Karen Harris introduces the SRSD (Self-Regulated Strategy Development) model, focusing on evidence-based practices that build self-regulation and explicit instruction for writing. We discuss the researchers brand new study with 1st and 2nd graders, including the SRSD Plus approach, which adds instruction in handwriting, spelling, and oral language. Our guests share practical tips for improving handwriting fluency and research on SRSD Plus’s positive impact on early writing and student confidence, offering valuable insights for classroom teaching.

Resources

• Enhancing Reading and Writing Skills through Systematically Integrated Instruction (with HOUSE graphic that  Young explains in the beginning of the podcast) 
• The Science of Teaching Reading is Incomplete without the Science of Writing: A Randomized Control Trial of Integrated Teaching of Reading and Writing 
• Yes, they can: Developing transcription skills and oral language in tandem with SRSD instruction on close reading of science text to write informative essays at grades 1 and 2 

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, & Twitter.

Melissa & Lori Love Literacy™ is a podcast for teachers. The hosts are your classroom-next-door teacher friends turned podcasters learning with you. Episodes feature top literacy experts and teachers who are putting the science of reading into practice. Melissa & Lori bridge the gap between the latest research and your day-to-day teaching. 

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, & Twitter.

From 5/10/24

In this conversation, Stephanie Stollar discusses the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).  MTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps to provide support for students with various needs. The MTSS framework focuses on using data to identify barriers to student performance and making plans to eliminate those barriers. Stollar explains that word recognition skills are more discreet and sequential, while language comprehension skills are more unconstrained and complex. Stephanie recommends that special education resources should be blended with general education resources from the beginning, and students should receive intensive support as soon as it is needed, without having to go through a series of interventions and assessments. She also emphasizes the importance of evidence-aligned instruction and the need for team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.

Takeaways

• MTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps teachers provide support for students with various needs
• The tiers in MTSS are prevention of reading failure, with tier one being primary prevention for all students, tier two providing extra support for students at higher risk, and tier three offering intensive and individualized support for struggling readers
• Differentiate tier one instruction and provide targeted instruction based on screening and diagnostic data
• Assessments in MTSS include screening assessments to identify students at risk, diagnostic assessments to determine specific instructional needs, and progress monitoring assessments to track student progress.
• Blend special education resources with general education resources from the beginning and provide intensive support as soon as it is needed.
• Focus on evidence-aligned instruction and team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.

Resources 

• Stephanie's Reading Science Academy 
• Stephanie's MTSS Course 
• Watch Stephanie discuss...  
  • the importance of using universal screening data to reflect the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction  and design core instruction 
  • the elements in a coordinated, comprehensive assessment system
  • why you should teach word recognition and language comprehension at the same time

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, & Twitter.

Phonics alone won’t solve the literacy crisis.

Natalie Wexler's new book: Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning advocates, which connects the science of reading to the broader science of learning.

Key Points:

• The current reading crisis is fundamentally a learning crisis.
• Cognitive science principles, such as retrieval practice, should apply to all learning.
• Advocating for a knowledge-building curriculum supports all students, particularly those who struggle. 
• Writing instruction should start with explicit techniques.
• All teachers should integrate literacy within their content.

Beyond the Science of Reading advocates for an integrated approach to literacy that combines cognitive science principles with literacy instruction, emphasizing content knowledge, explicit writing instruction, and cross-disciplinary teaching to boost student success.

Resources

• Natalie's new book Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning
• Do We Need to Teach Comprehension Strategies Explicitly?
• The Writing Effect

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, & Twitter.

From June 22, 2021

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 accuracy, automaticity, and expression sound like?

Check out research, articles, and helpful materials located on Tim's website and follow Tim on Twitter @TimRasinski1. We also discuss this piece by Nell Duke.

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, & Twitter.

Fluency is a crucial aspect of reading. It involves automaticity and the ability to connect different aspects of word knowledge.

In this episode, Maryanne Wolf and Melissa Orkin discuss:

• the importance of fluency in reading
• the factors that contribute to fluent reading
• the need for an integrative approach to fluency instruction 
• the POSSUM approach to building word knowledge

Big Takeaway: Fluency is essential for comprehension and has social-emotional implications for struggling readers. The POSSUM approach can help students make the needed connections to be able to read fluently. 

Want to Learn More? 

• The More You Know: How Teaching Multiple Aspects of Word Knowledge
  Builds Fluency Skills by Melissa Orkin, Kirk Vanacore, Laura Rhinehart,
  Rebecca Gotlieb, and Maryanne Wolf
• Building Fluency with POSSUM
• Downloadable lessons featuring the POSSUM approach:
  • Grades K-2
  • Grades 3-5
• Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: Repeated Reading Is No More Effective Than Continuous Reading for Improving Fluency and Comprehension in School-Age Struggling Readers by Elizabeth S. Norton
• RAN and the reading brain with Elizabeth Norton (youtube video)
• Word Finder wordfinder.yourdictionary.com - find words with similar patterns!
• Crafting Minds Group 
• NIDO Learning

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, & Twitter.

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: Structured Literacy for Young Adults
• Ameer Baraka video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyFiOYCqvyk 

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, & Twitter.

Fluency is complex, especially for older students.

In this episode, Janee' Butler shares:

• how fluency instruction looks from early grades to secondary
• about challenges students and teachers face, 
• practical strategies for improving fluency,
• a reminder not to forget about student motivation, especially for older students struggling with reading fluently. 

The Big Takeway: Reading fluency is essential for older students to be able to comprehend what they read. Teachers need the knowledge of how to help each student!

Want to Learn More? 

• Janee's presentation at PaTTAN Symposium 2024: Achieving Adolescent Literacy Proficiency: The Importance of Fluency 
• Teaching Oral Reading Fluency to Older Students by Tim Shanahan
• Phonics and Spelling through Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping by Catherine Grace  
• Really Great Reading assessments (free)
• DIBELS assessments- 8th Edition (free)
• Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning Conference 2025
• email Janee': janee@mycll.org 

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, & Twitter.

From June 3, 2022

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 Instruction and Practice 
• Ep. 62: Effective Fluency Instruction with Tim Rasinski 

Resources

• Carnegie Foundation Continuous Improvement in Education Resources such as videos, tools, and publications

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, & Twitter.