Shanahan on Literacy

Teachers are shifting from teaching at students' instructional levels to focusing on grade-level texts. The discussion highlights the importance of challenging students with complex materials. Listeners learn effective strategies for supporting struggling readers, such as scaffolding and pre-teaching vocabulary. Engaging students becomes a key theme, emphasizing how to build their confidence and improve reading skills with appropriate support. A fresh perspective on literacy empowers educators to rethink traditional approaches.

The podcast dives into the media's role in shaping reading education, critiquing its influence on literacy reform. It highlights the disparity in expertise among reading science authorities and the potential misinformation that can arise. Misconceptions about diverse linguistic backgrounds are challenged, emphasizing the need for evidence-based phonics instruction. Finally, it underscores the necessity for educators and journalists to rely on robust data rather than subjective opinions to enhance literacy outcomes.

School districts want higher test scores. Each year they promote programs of test preparation. Teachers are required to reduce the amount of reading instruction that they provide in the hopes that these efforts will make everybody look good whether the kids can read well or not. This podcast explores what it would take to end up with higher scores which reflect improved reading ability.

Each year, I identify regional, national, and international charities that support children's literacy. Only the highest rated charities are noted. This podcast identifies those charities, explains their good work, and points out how these organizations might help your schools and your children.

This podcast explains the three-cueing approach and why it is not a good idea for instruction. But several states have passed laws or formulated regulations prohibiting the practice. Is that a good idea? Tune in to find out the answer to that question.

Research continues to accumulate indicating that digital text is not comprehended as well as paper text, and some studies suggest that the use of digital texts with kids may stunt their comprehension ability. This podcast explores those studies and draws a surprising conclusion.

This discussion dives into the importance of fluency instruction for middle and high school students. It explores why fluency is crucial for reading comprehension at these levels. The conversation highlights differing opinions on whether all students require this instruction. Additionally, the need to engage students with challenging texts is emphasized as a way to bolster their skills. Resources for further exploration of fluency instruction are also provided, making the topic even more compelling.

Teaching students with texts above their reading levels can enhance literacy skills dramatically. The discussion tackles misconceptions about guided reading, emphasizing the role of complex literature in education. Effective scaffolding strategies for supporting below-grade-level readers are explored, particularly in subjects like science and social studies. This approach not only promotes fluency but also helps engage students with challenging content. It's all about empowering learners to rise to new literary heights!

The ability to identify the letters is one of the best predictors of later reading ability. That makes it a valuable tool for helping to identify which children are likely to struggle with reading. But why is that? This podcast explores what is known about the role of letter names in the learning to read. (This podcast includes a misinterpretation of a study by Byrne and Fielding-Barnsley. I assumed that when they introduced letters into their PA intervention that they named the letters. I was incorrect in that assumption as Christopher Such pointed out on my website and in social media. That means that there is no evidence that teaching letter names improves reading achievement (though including plastic letters in PA instruction was positive). There is also no evidence that students are benefited by not teaching letter names or that it is better to only introduce sounds for letters than for names. That means I still side with theories that argue for spending a small amount of time teaching letters, but unlike what is incorrectly claimed in this podcast there is still NO direct evidence supporting that belief. This note was added on September 30, 2024).

It makes sense that giving students lots of time at school to read independently, right? This podcast explores that idea and reveals why it isn't the way to go.