In this captivating conversation, Tim Rasinski, a literacy education professor at Kent State University and an expert in reading fluency, sheds light on effective fluency instruction. He discusses how repeated reading can boost fluency and why text difficulty plays a crucial role. Tim introduces innovative strategies like 'Fluency Friday' and 'Morphology Monday' to engage students and enhance comprehension. The importance of integrating game-like learning and thematic content in literacy instruction is also emphasized, making for an enriching listen!

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)Fluency is a crucial aspect of reading. It involves automaticity and the ability to connect different aspects of word knowledge.In this episode, Maryanne Wolf and Melissa Orkin discuss:the importance of fluency in readingthe factors that contribute to fluent readingthe need for an integrative approach to fluency instruction the POSSUM approach to building word knowledgeBig Takeaway: Fluency is essential for comprehension and has social-emotional implications for struggling readers. The POSSUM approach can help students make the needed connections to be able to read fluently. Want to Learn More? The More You Know: How Teaching Multiple Aspects of Word KnowledgeBuilds Fluency Skills by Melissa Orkin, Kirk Vanacore, Laura Rhinehart,Rebecca Gotlieb, and Maryanne WolfBuilding Fluency with POSSUMDownloadable lessons featuring the POSSUM approach:Grades K-2Grades 3-5Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect: Repeated Reading Is No More Effective Than Continuous Reading for Improving Fluency and Comprehension in School-Age Struggling Readers by Elizabeth S. NortonRAN and the reading brain with Elizabeth Norton (youtube video)Word Finder wordfinder.yourdictionary.com - find words with similar patterns!Crafting Minds Group NIDO LearningDon't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)Secondary educators have students in their classrooms who weren’t taught to read. Because of these reading deficits, students  likely have a difficult time accessing secondary texts and tasks. Our guests today, Supt. Sherry Sousa and Educator Julie Brown, discuss a secondary intervention they developed that WORKS and is totally doable. The best part? Students partake in the intervention in addition to - not instead of - their regular high school English classes. ResourcesNo Time to Waste: Structured Literacy for Young AdultsAmeer Baraka video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyFiOYCqvyk Don't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)Fluency is complex, especially for older students. In this episode, Janee' Butler shares:how fluency instruction looks from early grades to secondaryabout challenges students and teachers face, practical strategies for improving fluency,a reminder not to forget about student motivation, especially for older students struggling with reading fluently. The Big Takeway: Reading fluency is essential for older students to be able to comprehend what they read. Teachers need the knowledge of how to help each student!Want to Learn More? Janee's presentation at PaTTAN Symposium 2024: Achieving Adolescent Literacy Proficiency: The Importance of Fluency Teaching Oral Reading Fluency to Older Students by Tim ShanahanPhonics and Spelling through Phoneme-Grapheme Mapping by Catherine Grace  Really Great Reading assessments (free)DIBELS assessments- 8th Edition (free)Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning Conference 2025email Janee': janee@mycll.org Don't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)From June 3, 2022 Today middle school educators from Baltimore City Public Schools join us to discuss their focus on fluency through Continuous Improvement work with fluency using HQC. What is Continuous Improvement? Why is this a useful framework? “Possibly wrong, definitely incomplete”  is a mantra that resonates. The educators share their approach, impact, and outcomes for students. Secondary teachers… this one’s for you. Related EpisodesEp. 98: Improving Student Reading Growth in Months with Fluency Instruction and Practice Ep. 62: Effective Fluency Instruction with Tim Rasinski ResourcesCarnegie Foundation Continuous Improvement in Education Resources such as videos, tools, and publicationsDon't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

Chase Young, an experienced literacy researcher and author, dives into the enriching world of Reader's Theater. He reveals how this dynamic approach enhances reading fluency through structured practice and engaging performances. Listeners learn practical strategies for implementing theater in various subjects, fostering collaboration among students. Young discusses the transformation in students' abilities, using engaging texts like 'Rumpelstiltskin' to tackle vocabulary challenges. His insights promise to invigorate literacy instruction with fun and effective methods.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)The science of learning is what research says about how our brains learn. In this episode, Nathaniel Swain discusses the science of learning, emphasizing its connection with the science of reading.  He shares: key mindset shifts for teachersthe significance of coherent curriculum planningpractical strategies like using mini whiteboards and advanced organizers to enhance student engagement and understandingHe also highlights the need for responsive whole-class instruction and the importance of closing learning gaps early in students' educational journeys.ResourcesNathaniel Swain's websiteHarnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement by Nathaniel Swain Asubel’s Meaningful Learning in Action by Sarah CottinghamEp. 63: Kindergarten Teacher Reaches 100% Success Using Evidence-Based PracticesEp. 115: Kindergarten TEAM Reaches 100% Success Using Evidence-Based Practices Ep. 154: Fluency Instructional Routines with Nathaniel SwainDon't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

In this discussion, Nathaniel Swain, a Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University, dives deep into fluency instruction in literacy. He highlights the three core components of fluency: speed, accuracy, and prosody. Swain shares practical classroom strategies like choral and paired reading that engage students effectively. He also explores the impact of technology on literacy, advocating for balance between efficiency and comprehension. Delving into the self-teaching hypothesis, he emphasizes exposing students to challenging texts to enhance their reading confidence.

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)The authors of No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book discuss the importance of teaching comprehension strategies in a text-centered approach. They emphasize the need to move away from isolated strategy instruction and instead focus on using texts as the center of instruction. They highlight the importance of background knowledge, vocabulary, and text structure in preparing students for reading. During reading, they suggest using explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students. They also emphasize the need for students to do the heavy lifting during reading and for teachers to support and guide their thinking. The conversation explores the different stages of comprehension instruction: before reading, during reading, and after reading. TakeawaysTeaching comprehension strategies should be done in a text-centered approach, where the focus is on using texts as the center of instruction.Before reading, it is important to activate or build background knowledge, pre-teach vocabulary, and attend to text structure.During reading, teachers should provide explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students.Students should be doing the heavy lifting during reading, with teachers supporting and guiding their thinking.Engaging students in meaningful reading experiences and connecting comprehension strategies to authentic texts is crucial for effective comprehension instruction. Explicit strategy instruction is crucial for teaching comprehension skills.Modeling how to use comprehension strategies helps students understand how to apply them.Providing opportunities for students to practice and apply comprehension strategies is essential.Engaging students in discussions and writing activities after reading helps consolidate learning and deepen understanding.No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the BookDon't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com

We would love to hear from you! Send us a message (if you'd like a reply, email us at literacypodcast@greatminds.org)Imagine transforming the way you teach reading. Picture your students not just passively consuming the written word, but actively producing meaning and taking purposeful actions inspired by what they've read. This is the promise of our conversation with Doug Fisher, professor at San Diego State University and renowned author, as he takes us on a journey into the depths of reading comprehension.We question the effectiveness of common literacy programs and discuss the intricate ties between vocabulary, comprehension, and prior knowledge. How do you feel about the 'letter of the week' approach? Listen as we scrutinize its validity and dig deeper into other foundational reading skills, such as letter recognition and sound blending. We also expose the symbiotic relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, underscoring the pivotal role of knowledge in decoding texts.We then traverse the landscape of oral language in reading instruction and the implications of isolating reading from writing. Can you guess the impact of these practices on student learning? Doug enlightens us on the significance of comprehension strategy instruction and the importance of developing all elements of reading literacy. To cap it off, our conversation concludes with three practical suggestions that you, as an educator, can apply in your classroom for immediate impact. Prepare to awaken a new perspective on the world of reading.ResourcesArticles by Natalie WexlerSteve Graham: Effective Writing Instruction (video)Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, Harris & Graham (book) Don't miss out - tons of 5 STAR REVIEWS! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night 💙 Podcast for teachers🎧 Exploring the science of reading💡Bridging the gap between research and the classroomStay Connected: Facebook and join our Facebook Group Twitter Instagram Sign up for FREE resources and episode alerts at LiteracyPodcast.com