TRT Podcast #139: 3 Questions teachers should stop asking (and what to say instead) I learned about these three toxic questions from multilingual author and expert Elizabeth Jiménez Salinas, and I couldn't wait to share them with you! Learn what questions to avoid and what to say instead. Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript References Science of Reading: The Podcast - Improving dual ... Read More
Making change at the state level: A conversation with Kristen Wynn
TRT Podcast #138: Making change at the state level: A conversation with Kristen Wynn A decade ago, Mississippi was ranked 49th in reading. Not anymore! Kristen Wynn, Mississippi's state literacy director, walks us through the steps that brought positive change. Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Resources mentioned in this episode ... Read More
Is Shared Reading aligned with the science of reading?
TRT Podcast #137: Is Shared Reading aligned with the science of reading? Shared Reading has its origins in whole language and balanced literacy. Does it belong in a structured literacy classroom? Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript References *The first two articles are quoted in the episode; I do not consider them to be useful information. ... Read More
Making change at the district level: A conversation with Cliff Jones
TRT Podcast #136: Making change at the district level: A conversation with Cliff Jones Cliff Jones walks us through how his district shifted from balanced literacy to teaching based on the science of reading. Listen in to find out how all teachers were educated and supported! Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Resources related to this episode ... Read More
How to get more students to answer your questions
TRT Podcast #136: How to get more students to answer your questions Are you tried of asking a question and seeing only a few hands go up? Here are ways to get everyone to respond! Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Explicit instruction resources ... Read More
Making change at the school level: A conversation with Reena Mathew
TRT Podcast #134: Making change at the school level: A conversation with Reena Mathew Reena Mathew was the reading interventionist at a balanced literacy school. Learn how she helped her school make the switch to the UFLI phonics program. They've had so much success that the program will be implemented across the district! Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Resources mentioned in this ... Read More
What is cognitive load, and why does it matter?
TRT Podcast #133: What is cognitive load, and why does it matter? Learn what cognitive load has to do with teaching reading, and discover specific things you can do to avoid overwhelming your students' working memories. Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Cognitive load theory resources ... Read More
Why it’s time to stop using guided reading levels
Breaking up is hard to do. But I'm doing it. I'm breaking up with a system I've held onto for twenty years. I'm breaking up with Fountas and Pinnell's text leveling system. You know - the guided reading levels from A to Z. I was all in on F & P. I spent countless hours leveling my classroom library. I even helped other teachers level their libraries. Read on to learn why I'm replacing my popular ... Read More
When should children stop using decodable books?
What are decodable books and passages? Why should we use them? And when should children stop using decodable books? These are all important questions that I'll be answering in today's blog post! What are decodable books and passages? Decodable texts are written to reinforce a particular phonics pattern. The vast majority of the words can be read using phonics knowledge. I like this definition from Iowa ... Read More
How to help students who have problems with letter recognition and letter sounds
Do you have students who can't seem to remember letter names and sounds? This post is for you! Step 1: Examine your current methods. Make sure that what you're currently doing aligns with the research (references are at the bottom of this post). Here's a summary of what we know: Step 2: Think about your goal. Letter names and sounds are a means to an end ... this knowledge is useless if students ... Read More
