Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™

In this episode, Nathaniel Swain, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University in Australia, discusses fluency instruction in literacy. Topics include the three components of fluency, practical strategies for practicing fluency in the classroom, the role of technology in creating engaging materials, and the value of fluency in reading instruction. Tips and strategies are shared to help students become fluent and confident readers.

Funds of Knowledge are the skills and knowledge gained by daily routines and practices, as well as cultural and historical interactions. It’s the social and cultural “stuff” that students know through personal experiences.  Background knowledge is the amount of information or knowledge someone has on a topic. Both funds of knowledge and background knowledge give us connection points for learning, and they’re both considered types of prior knowledge. So what does this mean for instruction? We should leverage our students' - and families’ - funds of knowledge when possible. We can use students' funds of knowledge and continue to build background knowledge on topics of study. ResourcesEpisode 170: All About Read-Alouds with Molly Ness  Funds of Knowledge Toolkit from Washington state Funds of Knowledge for 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.

Join Nancy Hennessy, a reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, as she discusses the intricate processes of reading comprehension and the complex interaction between a reader's knowledge, the text, and the author's intent. Discover how the Reading Comprehension Blueprint revolutionizes instructional design and learn about the importance of planning for instruction, teaching strategies, setting goals, and evaluating reading comprehension skills. Reflect on curriculum and support students in developing complex comprehension skills.

Are You Adopting a New ELA Curriculum? Where Do You Start?One place to start your curriculum adoption journey is EdReports. It’s not the ONLY place by any means, but it is a helpful jumping off point. EdReports asks educator-led review teams to use specific criteria to tell if a curricula meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations. They review ELA, math, and science curricula and provide public reports with detailed insight into the materials. ResourcesEdReports.org EdReports.org: Science of Reading Snapshots A Closer Look at the Five Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction National Reading Panel - Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Readin The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines Knowledge Matters Review Tool  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 October 21, 2021 Kory Jensen is a 4th grade teacher in Colorado, obsessed with learning more about reading science! He read The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler… which set him off to learn more about knowledge building. On today’s podcast, he talks about how background knowledge impacts his students’ comprehension and engagement (spoiler alert: they love going deep into topics!). He provides real-life examples and ways to supplement knowledge on topics through experiences, experiments, texts, videos, and more. Kory’s optimism shines through and we can’t get enough of his lifelong learner spirit. “When you build knowledge and give students opportunities to learn, you’ll be impressed by what they can do.” Thanks, Kory!  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.

A curriculum evaluation tool that helps teachers, leaders, and parents, determine if a curriculum meets high quality standards or not. There are two tools we recommend for curriculum review. These tools feel complementary to each other, so we recommend using both, starting with The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines, then digging deeper into the knowledge component of a curriculum with the Knowledge Matters Review Tool. ResourcesThe Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines Knowledge Matters Review Tool  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.

Today we talk to educator and author Molly Ness about intentionally planning for read-alouds. Molly will share an easy to prepare protocol for a read-aloud in any grade level or content area. ResourcesMolly's Website - purchase her book!  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.

What is a read aloud? It is very common to see early childhood and elementary school teachers reading aloud to their students. But what exactly is happening during this time? In episode 170, we talk with author and professor, Molly Ness about read alouds. We share her definition along with what to look for in a read aloud and the benefits of read alouds for all learners! Check out Molly's book: Read Alouds for All Learners 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 July 30, 2021 To connect with a practitioner lens, Duke (alongside Ward & Pearson) also penned The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. They ask the question: What have decades of research told us about the nature of comprehension and how to develop students’ comprehension in schools? Listen to find out! 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.

What is dysgraphia? The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines dysgraphia as referring to difficulty with either language or spelling-based aspects of writing.  Dysgraphia impairs letter writing by hand, which can affect spelling, learning to spell words, the speed of writing, reading word recognition, comprehension, and writing processes and products. ResourcesAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association Disorder of Reading and Writing International Dyslexia Association Understanding Dysgraphia 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.