Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™

Melissa & Lori Love Literacy™ is a podcast for teachers. The hosts are your classroom-next-door teacher friends turned podcasters learning with you. Episodes feature top literacy experts and teachers who are putting the science of reading into practice. Melissa & Lori bridge the gap between the latest research and your day-to-day teaching.  We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

From 5/10/24In this conversation, Stephanie Stollar discusses the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).  MTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps to provide support for students with various needs. The MTSS framework focuses on using data to identify barriers to student performance and making plans to eliminate those barriers. Stollar explains that word recognition skills are more discreet and sequential, while language comprehension skills are more unconstrained and complex. Stephanie recommends that special education resources should be blended with general education resources from the beginning, and students should receive intensive support as soon as it is needed, without having to go through a series of interventions and assessments. She also emphasizes the importance of evidence-aligned instruction and the need for team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.TakeawaysMTSS is a framework for school improvement that helps teachers provide support for students with various needsThe tiers in MTSS are prevention of reading failure, with tier one being primary prevention for all students, tier two providing extra support for students at higher risk, and tier three offering intensive and individualized support for struggling readersDifferentiate tier one instruction and provide targeted instruction based on screening and diagnostic dataAssessments in MTSS include screening assessments to identify students at risk, diagnostic assessments to determine specific instructional needs, and progress monitoring assessments to track student progress.Blend special education resources with general education resources from the beginning and provide intensive support as soon as it is needed.Focus on evidence-aligned instruction and team-based decision-making in the MTSS model.Resources Stephanie's Reading Science Academy Stephanie's MTSS Course Watch Stephanie discuss...  the importance of using universal screening data to reflect the effectiveness of Tier 1 instruction  and design core instruction the elements in a coordinated, comprehensive assessment systemwhy you should teach word recognition and language comprehension at the same time We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Phonics alone won’t solve the literacy crisis.Natalie Wexler's new book: Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning advocates, which connects the science of reading to the broader science of learning.Key Points:The current reading crisis is fundamentally a learning crisis.Cognitive science principles, such as retrieval practice, should apply to all learning.Advocating for a knowledge-building curriculum supports all students, particularly those who struggle. Writing instruction should start with explicit techniques.All teachers should integrate literacy within their content.Beyond the Science of Reading advocates for an integrated approach to literacy that combines cognitive science principles with literacy instruction, emphasizing content knowledge, explicit writing instruction, and cross-disciplinary teaching to boost student success.ResourcesNatalie's new book Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of LearningDo We Need to Teach Comprehension Strategies Explicitly?The Writing Effect We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

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!

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 Learning We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Julie Brown, an experienced educator from Vermont, discusses the pressing issue of reading challenges faced by secondary students. She highlights a successful dual intervention program that complements regular English classes. The podcast emphasizes practical strategies to tailor reading instruction based on individual needs, fostering a supportive community in the classroom. Brown also shares innovative methods to engage students, including using peer influence and structured lesson plans, ultimately aiming to empower all learners in their literacy journeys.

In this discussion, Janee' Butler, Director of Program Design and Implementation at the Center for Literacy and Learning, shares her expertise on improving reading fluency for older students. She highlights the complexities of fluency instruction from early grades to high school and the unique challenges older students face, such as cognitive overload. Janee emphasizes the crucial link between fluency and comprehension and offers practical strategies to motivate struggling readers, ensuring they engage with texts and build a love for reading.

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 publications We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

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.

Nathaniel Swain, author of "Harnessing the Science of Learning," dives into how understanding the science of learning can transform education. He discusses essential mindset shifts for teachers to boost engagement and the importance of coherent curriculum planning. Swain shares practical techniques like using mini whiteboards for instant feedback and strategies to close learning gaps early. Highlighting real success stories, he emphasizes the impact of early intervention and responsive teaching in ensuring every student thrives.