Shanahan on Literacy

This podcast explores the idea of teaching students to read at their instructional level. It explains why this is not such a good idea beyond beginning readers.

These days there is a big push to emphasize knowledge in reading programs. This has led to welcome increases in emphasis on social studies and science texts in reading. But what about literature? Is there anything to be learned from stories and poems that would count as knowledge in this new regime? This podcast will explore that issue and provide some guidance to teachers on the matter.

This episode explores the value of professional development for improving reading achievement. Some school districts are investing heavily in very expensive professional development programs in the hopes these will raise reading achievement.

Exploring the effectiveness of small group phonics instruction and the need to tailor teaching methods, debunking the notion that one method is superior, advocating for whole-class programs to enhance teaching efficacy and ensure comprehensive learning outcomes.

School administrators often believe that students can be evaluated on the individual reading comprehension standards and they push teachers to teach and assess these individually. The research suggests that such efforts won't work.

Teachers are often told to teach comprehension strategies, but what if many of the strategies that are recommended only incidentally address comprehension? Learn to distinguish comprehension strategies form study skills.

This blog entry explores the three ways that teachers can teach their students about the relationships that exist between reading and writing.

These days people are claiming that brain science has proven that phonics instruction is the way to go. However, brain science doesn't work that way. This podcast will explore what it is and isn't that brain science can tell us about reading instruction -- and what a safer bet would be to getting things right.

A teacher asks about the benefits of phonics in the upper grades and this podcasts provides an exploration of the research on this issue along with practical advice on how best to meet students learning needs in reading.

This podcast replies to a teacher's question that asks about the proper sequence to teach the alphabet and phonics skills. It explores what research has to say about sequence and whether it matters and provides some specific criteria to consider in selecting or constructing curricula. You can read a transcription of this podcast and reader comments here: Shanahan on Literacy Blog.