

Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers
Sara Marye, Literacy Teacher, Elementary Teacher
Welcome to the Stellar Teacher Podcast! We believe teaching literacy is a skill. It takes a lot of time, practice, and effort to be good at it. This podcast will show you how to level up your literacy instruction and make a massive impact with your students, all while having a little fun!
Your host, Sara Marye, is a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world pass on their love of reading to their students. She has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Sara has made it her mission to create high quality no-fluff resources and lesson ideas that are both meaningful and engaging for young readers.
Each week, Sara and her guests will share their knowledge, tips, and tricks so that you can feel confident in your ability to transform your students into life-long readers.
For printable and digital resources, head to stellarteacher.com. Connect with Sara on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany
Your host, Sara Marye, is a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world pass on their love of reading to their students. She has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Sara has made it her mission to create high quality no-fluff resources and lesson ideas that are both meaningful and engaging for young readers.
Each week, Sara and her guests will share their knowledge, tips, and tricks so that you can feel confident in your ability to transform your students into life-long readers.
For printable and digital resources, head to stellarteacher.com. Connect with Sara on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 23, 2023 • 25min
164. 7 Ways to Incorporate More Sentence Level Work in Your Upper Elementary Classroom
We’ve spent the last three weeks discussing why sentences are important to a student’s reading and writing skills and activities to implement. So, even if you’re ready to focus on sentences more, where are you finding the time? I’ve got the answer for you! I’m sharing 7 ways that you can incorporate more sentence level work into your instructional day without changing up your schedule.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode164Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

Oct 16, 2023 • 18min
163. Sentence Deconstruction: What It Is, How It Helps, and Steps to Take To Fit It Into Your Day
Explore the benefits of sentence deconstruction for students, including improved literacy skills. Learn practical strategies to incorporate sentence deconstruction into the classroom. Discover how to integrate sentence deconstruction throughout the instructional day and the importance of dedicating time to this practice.

Oct 9, 2023 • 23min
162. Simple Strategies to Help Your Students Expand Their Sentences
Our role as literacy teachers is to grow our students as skilled readers and writers, and one of the most powerful ways to achieve this is through sentence writing. This is the second week in our four-part series on sentence writing, so be sure to check out last week’s episode, Episode 161, to get a more foundational outlook on developing sentences. But now, students need to build on their foundation with more detailed writing. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 simple strategies that help students write detailed sentences that expand their writing.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode162Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

Oct 2, 2023 • 20min
161. 5 Reasons Why You Need to Spend More Time on Sentence Writing in Upper Elementary
When students are in upper elementary, we often assume that they’re ready for more complex literacy skills, and therefore, we have higher expectations of them. However, that theory is completely false. I know when I was in the classroom, I thought that having my students write 5 paragraph essays was a sign they were excelling in writing. But what my students really needed was more foundational work. Today’s episode is the first of a four-week series on sentences, where I’m sharing 5 reasons why spending more time on sentence-level instruction benefits your students. Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode161Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

Sep 25, 2023 • 21min
160. 4 Movement Routines to Try in Your Upper Elementary Classroom
The school day can feel long for kids, especially being expected to focus and pay attention while sitting at their desks. One way to get students refocused while also incorporating learning is through movement. Getting students engaged and moving amongst your classroom benefits students in so many ways while also providing an aspect of fun. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 specific movement routines for you to incorporate in your upper elementary classrooms. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode160Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

Sep 18, 2023 • 29min
159. Avoid These Things During Grammar Instruction & See Students’ Writing Improve!
When I was in the classroom, grammar was not something that I particularly enjoyed teaching, or even thought I taught well for that matter. Then, after a few years, I realized I was making some major mistakes with my grammar instruction, student practice, and application. Once I made a few key changes, it not only improved my students’ grammar skills, but their writing as well. In today’s episode, I’m sharing what you need to avoid doing and what to do instead regarding grammar with student writing. Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode159Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

Sep 11, 2023 • 21min
158. Syllabication in Elementary Classrooms: What Is It & Why Teach It?
In elementary school, having a solid foundation of word knowledge skills is essential as students move throughout the grades. But one word study topic that’s on a lot of lower elementary teachers’ minds, but not so much for upper elementary teachers, is syllabication. With what seems like a simple concept, it actually correlates to bigger literacy skills. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 reasons why you should prioritize teaching syllabication in elementary classrooms this school year.Download my Syllable Types: Lesson Plans document here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode158Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop

5 snips
Sep 4, 2023 • 28min
157. The Secret to a Stellar School Year: Teach These 3 Essential Literacy Lessons
In this back to school episode, the podcast discusses the three essential literacy lessons for a successful year. They explore the five building blocks of literacy and the importance of generating student buy-in. Creating a strong reading community and incorporating discussions and writing into literacy lessons are also discussed. The episode concludes with key lessons for a successful year in literacy.

Aug 28, 2023 • 25min
156. Maximize Your Read Alouds With These 3 Tips
This podcast explores three tips to maximize read aloud sessions, including the importance of reading different genres, activating background knowledge, focusing on vocabulary, and promoting comprehension. It also encourages a love for reading, creating a routine, and prioritizing reading for fun.

Aug 21, 2023 • 23min
155. Get INSPIRED To Teach Writing This Year!
One of my goals this year was to incorporate more writing content into the podcast and available resources in The Stellar Literacy Collective because teaching writing can be challenging for upper elementary teachers and overwhelming for students. However, I want to ditch the negative stigma surrounding writing and provide you with a new mindset. I’m sharing 3 things you can do that will help you successfully teach writing to your students this school year!Grab my Sentence Writing Routine Free Sample here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode155Mentioned in this episode:Unlocking Comprehension WorkshopRegister to attend our Unlocking Comprehension Workshop: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/comprehension-webinar
Or go to stellarteacher.com/workshop