Route2Reading

Full Show Notes Here   All About Dr. Stollar: Former Vice President for Professional Learning at Acadience Learning Inc. Part-time assistant professor in the online Reading Science Program at Mount St. Joseph University. Founding member of a national alliance for supporting reading science in higher education. Support educators to learn about and implement the science of reading. Consults and helps other teacher programs to align programs to reading research. Has an online membership community called The Reading Science Academy where she supports educators to learn about the science of reading and implement it in their various educational roles. What does MTSS stand for? MTSS: …stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support.   …is first and foremost a framework for putting into place things that we know about reading research.   …uses data to make decisions that allow schools to eliminate barriers to student reading success.  For example, we know that reading problems can be prevented for the vast majority of students primarily through the way we teach reading for the first time in the classroom.  Research also tells us there are effective ways to intervene for the students who have difficulty with reading.  …is all about making decisions as a team at a variety of levels within schools (district, school, grade) that will allow the educational system to get all students reading.  Everyone can become a reader, but they’re not going to do so with the same type or amount of instruction.   …is made up of three tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.  These are tiers of instruction and intervention. …is set up to be a continuum of instructional supports that are available to every student from day one of kindergarten.  It’s the school’s job to get the system of supports in place.  Each school will have its own way of doing this - think of these tiers as customized to the needs of the school community, its students, and its resources.   …and the science of reading aren’t separate - they’re joined together.  They are not separate initiatives.  Let’s think about MTSS as the delivery system for what’s in the reading research. ..is a model where each and every student is considered (from accelerated to struggling).  Check Out Dr. Stollar: Website: https://www.readingscienceacademy.com/ https://www.readingscienceacademy.com/#section-1591199462991 Check out her MTSS course, plus her Reading Science Academy membership!: Instagram: readingscienceacademy YouTube: @readingscienceacademy Email:  stephaniestollar@gmail.com  

Let’s talk assessments and get straight to the point: We can’t have meaningful, effective instruction without assessments.  If instruction is the sail of a boat, assessments are the winds that drive and guide it.  Before we can teach effectively, we need to know the needs of our students as well as their capabilities. Let’s chat! Assessments are important because they: identify strengths and weaknesses Inform instruction track progress guide intervention support differentiation inform curriculum planning Tools and Resources Check out my Phonics Quick Checks for the best starting place!  They are easy to use and, yep, you guessed it - quick!   Check out my Phonemic Awareness Screener for free! My Phonics Screener for Units 2-4 assesses both decoding and encoding. Also check out my Letter Name/Sound Check (5 Word CVC).   Remember that reading is not a race - it’s a journey.  When we embrace ongoing assessments in our classroom as well as data-driven instruction, we can ensure that we are delivering the best possible instruction to our students - no matter where they are.  Full show notes here!

The Importance of Phonics Instruction Phonics instruction, which teaches the relationship between sounds and letters, is a fundamental component of reading development. To ensure effective phonics instruction, teachers must follow a well-designed scope and sequence. When it comes to choosing or creating a phonics scope and sequence, there are many things we should consider.    In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of choosing and following a phonics scope and sequence by drawing insights from current research. Understanding the significance of this structured approach to phonics instruction can lead to improved reading outcomes for our students.  So let’s dive in!   Full Show Notes Here  

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Heather O'Donnell Former special education teacher who worked with kids with autism Dyslexia practitioner through Wilson Reading System Structured literacy dyslexia interventionist Started tutoring practice called New Paltz Multisensory in September 2018 Works with students not only with dyslexia but also with kids with special needs, autism, and children who are in self-contained classrooms. Passionate about reading and writing instruction and loves watching kids’ confidence soar Full Show Notes Here  

Even though I’m now a literacy coach, I too have been caught teaching with leveled readers!  In my first-grade classroom, when my students came across an unknown word, I’d have them guess by looking at the picture or skipping the word.   I was creating a classroom full of great guessers - not great readers.  But as we always say here at Literacy Edventures - when you know better, you do better! I had a hunch this wasn’t the best approach, but I also didn’t know what else to do.  That’s when these decodables entered my life and saved the day!  Today, we will chat about decodable texts, what they are, who needs them, and how best to utilize them in the classroom. Full Show Notes

            Congrats!  You’ve got students who can decode words effectively.  This is half of the battle!  Now for the other half: Are they efficient yet?  This second part can take an ample amount of time, and students need plenty of practice building fluency.  Fluency is so important because it bridges the gap from decoding to comprehension, especially in the foundational years.  For our kindergarten through 2nd graders, developing fluency in reading, writing, and communication is crucial for future academic success.  Today, I’m sharing some tips and tricks to help build fluency during these foundational years that you can walk away with and start tomorrow!  FULL SHOW NOTES HERE Resources from Episode My Favorite Resources Regarding Fluency: Scooping Phrases (FREE) Fluency Builders ...and MORE! My Favorite Books and Articles Regarding Fluency: Rasinski, T. V. (2020). The importance of fluency instruction in the early grades. Chard, D. J., & Pikulski, J. J. (2005). Developing fluency: Theory, research, and practice. Gambrell, L. B., & Morrow, L. M. (2017). Best practices in fluency instruction for early readers. Allington, R. L., & McGill-Franzen, A. (2016). Fluency: Still waiting after all these years.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful that as soon as students knew their letter sounds and could blend phonemes, blending CVC words would be a breeze?  We can dream, can’t we!?  Sometimes it’s not always that simple. We still need to explicitly teach them how to put all of the reading pieces together.  CVC instruction still needs to be systematic, logical, practiced in whole group and small group, and needs to follow a “gradual release” model - I Do, We Do, You Do.   I’ve found that having a prerequisite list to word reading is super helpful when beginning to learn CVC words.  I’m here to share that with you today, along with what it looks like to put CVC instruction into practice in a classroom setting.   Full Show Notes and Freebies Here!

These days, we’re often told what not to do while teaching reading, but what we’re often lacking is what we should replace those “don’t do” activities with.  Well,  I have a list of don’ts that are accompanied by a list of do’s when it comes to specifically teaching letter sounds Full Show Notes Here More of What You Need: Check out my other two podcasts that compliment this one and give you more info on how to make your students masters of letter sounds: Podcast #9: Letter Sounds: Your Questions Answered  Podcast #10: Making Letter Sounds Stick.  

  I don’t know about you, but teaching blends can be tricky. Blends (also known as consonant blends) are two or three consonant sounds that appear together in a word without any vowel sounds in between. These are words like flip, stop, strip, help, desk and spring. When students begin learning blends, they struggle to hear both sounds at the beginning or at the end. They often leave out the second sound. This happens because they are so used to reading and writing CVC words and this shift makes it difficult.  But it doesn’t have to be!  That’s why today I am going to share with you a few ways that you can make blends stick for your students. No longer will you have to fear blends on your scope and sequence, because these tips and tricks will make them easy and fun! FULL SHOW NOTES HERE

"Phonics instruction should be an essential component of a comprehensive reading program to ensure that children develop strong foundational skills necessary for reading success."  -National Reading Panel Report The Role of Phonics Instruction Phonics instruction plays a crucial role in developing strong reading skills in young learners. By teaching the relationship between sounds and letters, we can equip students with the necessary tools to decode words and comprehend texts. To ensure effective phonics instruction, it is essential to incorporate explicit and systematic teaching methods into our instruction. In this blog post, we will explore five powerful strategies that can boost phonics instruction and promote reading proficiency in your students. See Full Show Notes Here

Meet Chrissy Beltran Check her out! Website: Buzzing with Ms. B Instagram: buzzingwithmsb YouTube: Buzzing with Ms. B Podcast: Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast Courses: Instructional Coaching Courses   Three Moves Literacy Coaches Should Make at the Beginning of the Year The beginning of the year can be tough - there’s lots to do, lots of overwhelm, and the tasks ahead seem daunting.  But it’s important to start it off right, because it can set the tone for the entire year.  Below, Chrissy shares three tasks that literacy coaches can do to begin the year on the right foot. First things first:  Chrissy states that it’s foundational to introduce your role as a literacy coach to teachers and staff and let them know what they can expect from you.  Before these three steps, be sure to define your role within the school and in what ways you’ll be helping them.   Full Show Notes Here

Recap:  In today’s podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Julia Lindsey, author of Reading Above the Fray. Julia is a literacy expert and reading researcher. In this episode, she helps us bust some common myths about decodables. Full show notes here.    

Meet Kaylee McCaslin: Currently teaching second grade in Washington 9th year of teaching Our very own Literacy Edventures member! Reach out to her!: kaylee.kinsey@gmail.com  We love to feature all kinds of people here on the LE Podcast, and we feel that teachers who are still in the classroom are so important to hear from because they’re in the trenches with us.  Today, we’re chatting with Kaylee about a “day in the life” in her amazing classroom!   Full Show Notes Here

Show Notes:  Michelle Sullivan, a literacy coach in New Jersey talks with listeners all about background knowledge. She shares what it is, why it’s important, and five ways we can easily implement it in our classrooms. See full show notes here.

Meet Lindsay Kemeny: Currently teaching first grade Once a kinder teacher who taught balanced literacy, she went on a quest to find out what it really meant to teach reading when her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression. Author of Seven Mighty Moves Check her out! Website:  Lindsay Kemeny Podcast:  Literacy Talks Instagram: lindsaykemeny Facebook: Teaching with Lindsay Kemeny Book: Seven Mighty Moves Full Show Notes Here  

Full Show Notes Here: Automaticity of letter names and sounds is important because letter-sound correspondences are the foundation to phonics and decoding.  So the quicker they are, the faster they can decode.  When we help students connect the letters and sounds and help them both master and be automatic, we’re giving them a strong reading foundation.

One common question that’s always asked when talking about the science of reading is, “Where do I start my instruction?  What do my students need?”  The answer lies in assessments.   Four aspects to keep in mind when choosing assessments: Each assessment serves a different purpose.   The assessments we are using need to be closely linked to our instruction and should be the driving force behind our instruction. The data from these assessments must answer the questions we have about our students and those questions must drive our instruction. It’s absolutely vital that the assessments you’re choosing are at the developmental abilities of the students so that the data can reflect their areas of strength and weakness. We need to be informed of what assessments are out there and how each one can help us in different ways. Full Show Notes Here

Dictation and its Importance: What Is Dictation: Dictation is an activity that provides students the opportunity to spell phonics patterns that they are currently focusing on, as well as the opportunity to practice previously-taught skills. What it Is Important:  When students practice dictation, they’re connecting sound to symbol.  Many studies show that when students practice these letter-sound relationships, students excel.  Dictation is a great way to practice this.  Reading and writing go hand-in-hand, and once you incorporate dictation into your lessons, you’ll find quicker student success! Full Show Notes Here

Full Show Notes Here The other day, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Sarah Paul, the mastermind behind Sarah’s Teaching Snippets.  She’s a current reading interventionist for K-3rd and a prior first-grade teacher.  As with many of the experts on my podcast, she too was a balanced literacy teacher who found that her students were struggling to read and wasn't sure why.  So, she set out on her own science of reading journey in order to learn more about how kids really learn to read.  Through this, Sarah’s Teaching Snippets was born and now she helps educators teach reading the right way.   Where to Find Sarah: Blog - Sarah’s Teaching Snippets YouTube Channel - Sarah’s Teaching Snippets Instagram - Snippets by Sarah   Today, we’re asking Sarah all of our fluency questions and getting some awesome answers.  Through this conversation, we chat about what exactly fluency is, how we can help our kids achieve fluency, and the importance of it.  

Savannah Campbell shares all about the importance of cumulative review! Full Show Notes Here Cumulative Review: Cumulative review is simply giving children enough practice in the skills that we have taught them, so they are able to read to automaticity. We do a great job teaching the “skills” from day to day, but what we don’t do is give them multiple opportunities to practice. Automaticity is a precursor to reading comprehension. We have to practice these skills 4-6 weeks after we have taught them. Connect with Savannah: Website Instagram Facebook Resources for Cumulative Review: Cumulative Review Blog Post- Savannah Campbell Sound Decks Fluency Grids Word Chaining Dictation Helpers