Why the science of reading needs the science of learning

Hello, this is Anna Geiger from The Measured Mom. In today's episode I'm kicking off a series of short, to-the-point solo podcast episodes that will serve as a countdown to the release of my new book "Reach All Readers," coming on July 23rd, 2024.

I'd like to start with an endorsement from one of my favorite people, Dr. Pamela Snow. She wrote, "Anna Geiger has managed, with this book, to fill a special gap in the reading instruction library. She has written both from the heart and from a critical, open mind, of her painful but illuminating discoveries about the reading process and how best to support children on their reading journeys. Educators will feel safe, challenged, and informed in equal measure."

I want to thank her for that very kind endorsement.

Now let's get into our first episode of the series, Why The Science of Reading Needs The Science of Learning.

The book is eleven chapters, and in the first chapter I talk about the big picture. I explain the reading wars, discuss some important foundational things we've learned from the science of reading, and then I also explain what led me out of balanced literacy.

Chapter 2 is called The Science of Learning, and in that chapter I explain that the science of reading tells us what to teach, but the science of instruction is how to teach, and that's informed by the science of learning.

The science of learning is everything we've learned from the field of cognitive psychology, and this is so important because when we put the science of learning into practice, our students learn more efficiently and effectively. Think of it as the art of teaching.

One thing we know from the science of learning is that working memory is limited. In other words, we can only keep so many things in our mind as we're trying to learn something new. You may have heard of cognitive load theory by John Sweller, which tells us that teachers need to be aware of the limits of working memory. If we over-complicate our lessons or we don't break things down enough, we overload working memory and our teaching is less effective. Students learn less.

Something else we know from the science of learning is that explicit instruction is a powerful way to teach new skills. Our students don't need to discover everything on their own. Instead, they learn better when we use explicit instruction when teaching new skills, that, "I Do, We Do, You Do" model.

This isn't the teacher just talking at the students and the students listening passively. There's a lot of back and forth, brisk teaching, and quick affirmative and corrective feedback. It's just good teaching.

In this chapter, I break down explicit instruction. I give practical ways that teachers can optimize instructional time, increase opportunities for students to respond, provide feedback, and scaffold instruction.

Reach All Readers is available where books are sold. You can pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, BAM!, or ThriftBooks. Thanks so much for considering, and I'll talk to you next time!

That's all for this episode of Triple R Teaching. For more educational resources, visit Anna at her home base, themeasuredmom.com, and join our teaching community. We look forward to helping you reflect, refine, and recharge on the next episode of Triple R Teaching.