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Reading Teachers Lounge

This is the Reading Teachers Lounge where listeners can eavesdrop on professional conversations between elementary reading teachers. We are passionate about literacy and strive to find strategies to reach all learners. Shannon and Mary are neighbors who realized that they were “literacy soul sisters” at a dinner in their Atlanta neighborhood. Once they started chatting about reading they haven’t really stopped. Come join the conversation.

Copyright: © 2023 Reading Teachers Lounge

Latest Episodes:

7.8 Importance of NonFiction Jan 23, 2025

Shannon and Mary talk with Melissa Taylor from ImaginationSoup.net about the importance of nonfiction texts in a student's reading diet. They chat about the flexible comprehension strategies students need to organize the information gathered from nonfiction and text features and structures that are specific to nonfiction texts. Listeners should walk away inspired to put more NF texts in their readers hands.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD Free 7.8 Importance of NonFiction Jan 23, 2025

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary talk with Melissa Taylor from ImaginationSoup.net about the importance of nonfiction texts in a student's reading diet. They chat about the flexible comprehension strategies students need to organize the information gathered from nonfiction and text features and structures that are specific to nonfiction texts. Listeners should walk away inspired to put more NF texts in their readers hands.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.7 System Changes with LaMonica Williams Jan 09, 2025

Shannon and Mary welcome LaMonica Williams from Teaching Matters back to the Reading Teachers Lounge. This time they chat about professional development experiences and the most effective ways to bring about positive change in school systems. They discuss the differences between management and leadership and how to foster student-centered school improvement.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD Free 7.7 Systems Change with LaMonica Williams Jan 09, 2025

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary welcome LaMonica Williams from Teaching Matters back to the Reading Teachers Lounge. This time they chat about professional development experiences and the most effective ways to bring about positive change in school systems. They discuss the differences between management and leadership and how to foster student-centered school improvement.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 December 2024 Bonus Jan 04, 2025

Subscriber-only episode

This is our 5th exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these episodes, Shannon and Mary will share about the students they're helping in reading, the resources they're using, and the books and other materials they're studying to further their practical knowledge about the Science of Reading.
In this episode, Shannon continues to share about the new learning and insights she's had about her instruction since getting training in Structured Word Inquiry and spelling out orthography. Mary updates Shannon on some patterns she's seeing through her advocacy work.

Pete Bowers' website -lots of helpful links at the bottom of the home page
Spelling Out Orthography
free once a week Zoom with Dr. Pete Bowers about SWI
Structed Word Inquiry for Early Readers
Cox Campus Structured Literacy course

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.6 The Reading Team Dec 05, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with Katherine Hamilton about maximizing the learning impact of co-teaching. The conversation is centered around an article from Choice Literacy written by Franki Sibberson titled Aligning Curriculum with Struggling Readers in Mind. The article proposes that co-teachers need to reflect and determine how their various teaching activities and strategies align into a cohesive instructional plan for the students, so that the readers can build transferable skills they can apply across the school-day.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD FREE 7.6 The Reading Team Dec 05, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary chat with Katherine Hamilton about maximizing the learning impact of co-teaching. The conversation is centered around an article from Choice Literacy written by Franki Sibberson titled Aligning Curriculum with Struggling Readers in Mind. The article proposes that co-teachers need to reflect and determine how their various teaching activities and strategies align into a cohesive instructional plan for the students, so that the readers can build transferable skills they can apply across the school-day.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 November 2024 bonus episode Nov 28, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

This is our 4th exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these episodes, Shannon and Mary will share about the students they're helping in reading, the resources they're using, and the books and other materials they're studying to further their practical knowledge about the Science of Reading.
In this episode, Shannon shares the new learning and insights she's had about her instruction since getting training in Structured Word Inquiry and spelling out orthography. (Mary was out sick during this recording).

Pete Bowers' website -lots of helpful links at the bottom of the home page
Spelling Out Orthography
free once a week Zoom with Dr. Pete Bowers about SWI
Structed Word Inquiry for Early Readers
Cox Campus Structured Literacy course

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.5 Spelling that Sticks Nov 13, 2024

Shannon and Mary welcome @MindfulTeacherRachel back to the podcast to discuss strategies for helping their students strengthen spelling skills. They talk about the stability of English spelling and the meaning-based reasons for a word's spelling, beyond sound-symbol connections. Listeners will know what to look for in students' spelling errors and accuracies and walk away with fresh ideas for spelling instruction.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Our Etymology episode with Rachel
our Schwa episode with Rachel
Morrison-McCall Spelling Scale
spelling error analysis sheets from Rachel
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link*
Spelling for Life by Lyn Stone *Amazon affiliate link*
How to Teach Spelling by Laura Toby Rudginsky and Elizabeth C. Haskell *Amazon affiliate link*
Dyslexia and Spelling by Kelli Sandman-Hurley *Amazon affiliate link*
And Sometimes Y by Rachel
Short Vowel Proctors by Rachel
Schwa in 1st Grade by Rachel
Rachel on IG
Rachel on Tiktok
Explode the Code
Words Their Way Spelling Inventory
Spelling Choice Tests
Sound Mounds (the Eppich Classroom)
Scribal O

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD FREE 7.5 Spelling That Sticks Nov 13, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary welcome @MindfulTeacherRachel back to the podcast to discuss strategies for helping their students strengthen spelling skills. They talk about the stability of English spelling and the meaning-based reasons for a word's spelling, beyond sound-symbol connections. Listeners will know what to look for in students' spelling errors and accuracies and walk away with fresh ideas for spelling instruction.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Our Etymology episode with Rachel
our Schwa episode with Rachel
Morrison-McCall Spelling Scale
spelling error analysis sheets from Rachel
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link*
Spelling for Life by Lyn Stone *Amazon affiliate link*
How to Teach Spelling by Laura Toby Rudginsky and Elizabeth C. Haskell *Amazon affiliate link*
Dyslexia and Spelling by Kelli Sandman-Hurley *Amazon affiliate link*
And Sometimes Y by Rachel
Short Vowel Proctors by Rachel
Schwa in 1st Grade by Rachel
Rachel on IG
Rachel on Tiktok
Explode the Code
Words Their Way Spelling Inventory
Spelling Choice Tests
Sound Mounds (the Eppich Classroom)
Scribal O

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 October 2024 bonus episode Oct 24, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

This is our 3rd exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these episodes, Shannon and Mary will share about the students they're helping in reading, the resources they're using, and the books and other materials they're studying to further their practical knowledge about the Science of Reading.
In this October 2024 bonus podcast episode, Shannon and Mary chat about the tutoring and advocacy work they've been doing. Mary shares how she's fostering learning engagement and building relationships with her students. Shannon talks about the new 3rd grade student she's started working with and some of the assessments she used to evaluate his reading skills. Shannon also provides details about the Spelling Out Orthography strategy she's learning about in her Structured Word Inquiry training.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.4 Word Knowledge Oct 17, 2024

Shannon and Mary welcome Heidi Martin (@Droppin' Knowledge with Heidi) back to the podcast, and Heidi's husband, Adam, a LETRS trainer, also joins the conversation. They talk about all the aspects that go into the topic of Word Knowledge. What are all the things students should know and understand about a word to demonstrate complete knowledge of that term? You'll walk away from listening to this episode with a more complete understanding of all the layers of skills within Word knowledge that we need to help our readers build.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 7.4 AD FREE Word Knowledge Oct 17, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary welcome Heidi Martin (@Droppin' Knowledge with Heidi) back to the podcast, and Heidi's husband, Adam, a LETRS trainer, also joins the conversation. They talk about all the aspects that go into the topic of Word Knowledge. What are all the things students should know and understand about a word to demonstrate complete knowledge of that term? You'll walk away from listening to this episode with a more complete understanding of all the layers of skills within Word knowledge that we need to help our readers build.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.3 Book Equity Oct 03, 2024

Shannon and Mary welcome Marty Martinez from Reach Out and Read and Judy Newman from Scholastic to the podcast to talk about Book Equity. They share ideas for getting quality books in students' hands and nurturing students' reading diversity.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD Free 7.3 Book Equity Oct 03, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary welcome Marty Martinez from Reach Out and Read and Judy Newman from Scholastic to the podcast to talk about Book Equity. They share ideas for getting quality books in students' hands and nurturing students' reading diversity.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 September 2024 Bonus Episode for Subscribers Sep 26, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

This is our 2nd exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these episodes, Shannon and Mary will share about the students they're helping in reading, the resources they're using, and the books and other materials they're studying to further their practical knowledge about the Science of Reading.
In September 2024, Shannon and Mary provide details about their tutoring students of various ages and how they're using different curriculum resources with their readers. Mary shares how she's using Bookworms, All About Spelling, Measured Mom Plus, and the Times Tales resources with her students. Shannon talks about the free Structured Literacy training she's taking online through Cox Campus. She also chats about how she's working on handwriting skills, preparing for the structure of MAP testing questioning format, and using the UFLI reading curriculum with the 1st grader she's working with.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.2 Mending Teachers with Karen Gross Sep 19, 2024

Shannon and Mary have an informative and inspiring chat with Karen Gross. They learn details about how the Covid-19 pandemic affected teachers and students. Karen shares why the role of teachers is more difficult today, and she provides tons of specific ways teachers can fill their cups and take care of themselves and their class. If you've experienced stress or trauma, you'll discover ideas from this discussion with Karen about healing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Mending Education: Finding Hope, Creativity, and Mental Wellness in Times of Trauma by Karen Gross and Edward K. S. Wang * Amazon affiliate link
Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door: Strategies and Solutions for Educators, PreK-College by Karen Gross * Amazon affiliate link
Virtual Teachers Lounge
Yoga with Adriene on YouTube (This is Shannon's favorite yoga channel)
Mirror Neurons (article by American Psychological Association)
The Other 3 Senses You Never Knew Existed but You Should: vestibular system, proprioception, and interoception
Understanding and treating a dysregulated nervous system: signs, symptoms, and rebalancing techniques
Karen's website
Follow Karen on Facebook @karengrossedu

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 AD FREE 7.2 Mending Teachers with Karen Gross Sep 19, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Shannon and Mary have an informative and inspiring chat with Karen Gross. They learn details about how the Covid-19 pandemic affected teachers and students. Karen shares why the role of teachers is more difficult today, and she provides tons of specific ways teachers can fill their cups and take care of themselves and their class. If you've experienced stress or trauma, you'll discover ideas from this discussion with Karen about healing.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Mending Education: Finding Hope, Creativity, and Mental Wellness in Times of Trauma by Karen Gross and Edward K. S. Wang * Amazon affiliate link
Trauma Doesn't Stop at the School Door: Strategies and Solutions for Educators, PreK-College by Karen Gross * Amazon affiliate link
Virtual Teachers Lounge
Yoga with Adriene on YouTube (This is Shannon's favorite yoga channel)
Mirror Neurons (article by American Psychological Association)
The Other 3 Senses You Never Knew Existed but You Should: vestibular system, proprioception, and interoception
Understanding and treating a dysregulated nervous system: signs, symptoms, and rebalancing techniques
Karen's website
Follow Karen on Facebook @karengrossedu

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

7.1 New Opportunities Sep 05, 2024

Mary and Shannon catch up with each other after the summer & podcast break. They chat about their own children, their personal lives, and their plans for this upcoming school year. They discuss the implementation of Georgia's dyslexia bill this year. They share about their professional reading and learning. And they fill listeners in on the activities they've done through their Patreon community and about some free reading guides they've created over the summer. This new year is full of changes and possibilities!
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 7.1 New Opportunities AD FREE Sep 05, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

Mary and Shannon catch up with each other after the summer & podcast break. They chat about their own children, their personal lives, and their plans for this upcoming school year. They discuss the implementation of Georgia's dyslexia bill this year. They share about their professional reading and learning. And they fill listeners in on the activities they've done through their Patreon community and about some free reading guides they've created over the summer. This new year is full of changes and possibilities!
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

🔒 August 2024 Aug 22, 2024

Subscriber-only episode

This is our first exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these episodes, Shannon and Mary will share about the students they're helping in reading, the resources they're using, and the books and other materials they're studying to further their practical knowledge about the Science of Reading.
In August 2024, Shannon and Mary go step by step through interpreting the results of a student's writing screener. Shannon talks about using Fundations handwriting guide and the UFLI curriculum and apps with her first grade tutoring student. Mary shares how she's using Bookworms, Mrs. Wordsmith, Times Tales, and the Measured Mom with her tutoring students.
Resources Mentioned

Cherry Lee Writing Screener PDF
Measured Mom Plus - a paid membership for materials created by Anna Geiger. There are also many freebies!
fundations letter formation guide
Times Tales - a story based way for students to practice multiplication automaticity (once they have mastered the concept of multiplication only.)
UFLI Toolbox
UFLI apps
handwriting app
Bookworms Shared Reading
Mrs. Wordsmith
The Writing Revolution by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler *Amazon affiliate link
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link
Teaching Reading in Small Groups by Jennifer Serravallo *Amazon affiliate link
The New Art and Science of Teaching Reading by Julia A. Simms and Robert J. Marzano *Amazon affiliate link
The Reading Comprehension Blueprint Activity Book by Nancy Lewis Hennessy *Amazon affiliate link

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Reading Lessons with Jennifer Serravallo Jul 01, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with Jennifer Serravallo, whose literacy work they have long admired. Jennifer shares how her view about reading instruction have evolved over time. Jennifer's written a new book showing teachers different structured models for responsive teaching called Teaching Reading Across the Day, and she gives us many ideas from us the book about how teachers can apply the art of teaching to set up their literacy blocks to best meet their students' needs.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Reaching All Readers Jun 13, 2024

We have a summer bonus episode for you!
Shannon and Mary have Anna Geiger, the Measured Mom, join them in the lounge again to discuss the best evidence based practices that teachers can use to reach all readers. Anna's new book provides teachers and parents with a consolidated understanding of the Science of Reading findings.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Season 6 Finale Jun 04, 2024

Shannon and Mary gather together to review the school year and close out the podcast season. They give updates on their personal and teaching lives and share their summer plans. Later they're joined by Kelsey (wifeteachermommy) to talk about Educate and Rejuvenate 2024.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Meeting Students Needs May 17, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with Nancy Young and Jan Hasbrouck about differentiation and the latest updates to the Ladder of Reading and Writing. Listeners will get a better understanding of WHY it's so important to make adjustments to curriculum, instruction, activities, and/or assessments in order to meet the various needs of their students.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

our season 4 episode with Nancy Young
our 2021 episode about the updates to the Ladder of Reading and Writing (more updated have been done since then, which Nancy details in this current episode)
the Ladder of Reading and Writing infographic, references, terminology, and usage/permission guides
Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing: Meeting the Needs of ALL Leaners by Nancy Young and Jan Hasbrouck *Amazon Affiliate link*
extra resources related to the book from Benchmark Education
Conquering Dyslexia: A Guide to Early Detection and Intervention for Teachers and Families by Jan Hasbrouck Ph.D. *Amazon affiliate link*
The Science of Reading video, with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck and ReadWA
Read Washington
Contact Nancy via e-mail: nyoung@nancyyoung.ca
Nancy Young's account on Twitter
Jan Hasbrouck's account on Twitter
Join us at Educate and Rejuvenate July 2024
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Delightful Word Learning with Colette Hiller May 04, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with critically acclaimed author and experienced actress & advocate Colette Hiller about ways to make word learning innovative and fun. Colette is releasing a new book titled Colossal Words for Kids, which combines educational poetry with vibrant illustrations to teach new words and related content knowledge. The book is delightful and so is Colette. Listen to this episode to gain creative ideas about how to help get students excited about word learning and how to help make the vocabulary stick in the students' minds.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, Illustrated by Tor Freeman *Amazon affiliate link*
The B on Your Thumb: 60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling by Colette Hiller, Illustrated by Tor Freeman *Amazon affiliate link*
Colette's website
NPR Ways with Words
Street Pianos project
Statue Stories Chicago
our episode about Building Vocabulary-check out the show note links
our episode about Morphology-check out the show note links
our episode about Etymology-check out the show not links
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Supportive Strategies for Working Memory Apr 19, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat about how to best support learners with working memory challenges. This is a companion episode to a deep dive learning topic we went through with our Patreon community about Working Memory. Listeners to this episode will walk away with increased awareness about which students may have working memory challenges AND strategies to help those students during reading instruction.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Meaningful Professional Learning Apr 06, 2024

Shannon and Mary talk with Kelly Butler and Carla Stanford about professional learning that is meaningful. Kelly Butler worked with the Barksdale Reading Institute to bring about systems change in reading instruction in the state of Mississippi over the last twenty years. Kelly and Carla share about a free resource they're working on now called Reading Universe, which is a one-stop shop for teachers and interested stakeholders to learn about best practices in teaching reading.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

ReadingUniverse.org
Reading Universe Taxonomy
REAP (Reading is Essential for All People)
Timely Talks
10 Maxims
Scaling Up for Success
Why It Matters
Right to Read Project (Lunch & Lit)
Simple View of Reading Episode Season 5 Episode 9
Cuban Literacy Initiative
Contact Kelly Butler via e-mail: kbutler@msreads.org
Contact Carla Stanford via e-mail: cstanford@weta.org
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

the Intersection of Speech, Reading, and Language Mar 22, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with speech therapist Dr. Karen Dudek Brannan about the overlaps between speech, reading, and language. Dr. Karen helps us understand the challenges facing students with language impairments. From this episode, teachers can understand the perspective of a speech therapist to better understand speech and language challenges. After listening, you should walk away with ideas about conversations to have with the speech therapist in your building and an awareness of language challenges your students may face within your curriculum.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Dr. Karen's website
De Facto Leaders Podcast
Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure
free Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams from Dr. Karen
Free Training from Dr. Karen about the 5-component Framework for Language Intervention
Free training from Dr. Karen about support that is evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming (by building executive functioning skills)
Contact Dr. Karen on LinkedIn
Dr. Karen on IG
Dr. Karen on Facebook
Super Sentences graphic organizer (Bookworms) -need to sign up for a free login & then find in grades 3-5 printables
Super Sentences rubric grade 5 (Bookworms) -need to sign up for a free login & then find in grades 3-5 printables
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Brilliant Beaver Guidebook - Audio Version
Engage kids aged 6-9 with fun, screen-free activities from the world of scouting

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

the Importance of Handwriting Mar 07, 2024

Shannon and Mary discuss the importance of prioritizing handwriting instruction simultaneously with reading and writing instruction in the early grades. Learn why handwriting is essential for overall literacy development and how to include it in your daily instruction.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Date Your Data Feb 23, 2024

Shannon shares with Mary the steps she follows for analyzing student data. This Date Your Data process requires multiple steps of looking at test scores, improvement goals, student strengths and weaknesses, and then connecting the data to standards to facilitate data-driven instruction. This method of data review makes the test score information meaningful to teachers, students, parents, and other stakeholders. Listen to find out how to Date Your Data to get to know your students and their learning better.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

our Season 1 episode: Understanding the MAP test
Date Your Data free handout for MAP scores *created by Shannon
Date Your Data free handout for analyzing other data sources *created by Shannon
NWEA MAP Test information (login needed)
NWEA MAP Test website (no login needed)
MAP Quadrant Chart Analysis & Reflection *created by Shannon
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Building Knowledge with Linda Rhyne Feb 08, 2024

Shannon and Mary are joined in by Linda Rhyne in the Reading Teachers Lounge. They share a deep dive of information from the book, The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler. This episode is full of information and strategies to increase your student's knowledge helping them dive deep into comprehension and knowledge building. Linda Rhyne is a returning guest to the show and shares her expertise in guiding professional discussions to help educators meet their student's literacy goals.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler *Amazon affiliate link
The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy *Amazon affiliate link
The Reading Comprehension Blueprint Activity book by Nancy Lewis Hennessy *Amazon affiliate link
Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Gholdy Muhammad *Amazon affiliate link
Linda Rhyne Consulting
Placing Texts at the Center of the Science Aligned ELA Classroom PDF
M. Liben, S. Pimentel
Podcast recommended listening: Melissa and Lori Love Literacy, Ep. 37: Placing Text at the Center of the ELA Classroom with Meredith Liben & Sue Pimentel
Knowledge Matters Campaign
Tim Shananon blog: Knowledge or Comprehension Strategies?
Centering Knowledge Building: An Interactive Reading Guide. Users can access the materials Shannon and Mary used in exploring The Knowledge Gap. Linda created this interactive course and now for $25 you can access this treasury of science of reading texts and recommended articles. Listeners can use the code "LOUNGE" for $5 off!
Contact Linda through e-mail contact@lindarhyneconsulting.com
Follow Linda on Instagram @lindarhyneconsulting
our season 5 episode with Linda Balancing It All
Get a free Green Chef box using our link.

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Ideas for Differentiation with Wiley Blevins Jan 18, 2024

Shannon chats with her favorite literacy guru, Wiley Blevins, about the decisions and methods that go into differentiation. Shannon picks his brain about some of her reading students. Also, Wiley shares insights from his coming book about adjustments that teachers can make before or during their lessons to better suit the learning levels of their students. We always get some much wisdom from Wiley, whether it be from a direct chat, a webinar he hosts, or from a book he's authored. Listen to this entire episode to get inspired about ways you can best meet your students' needs.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Gifts for Our Readers with Dr. Karen Gazith Jan 05, 2024

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Karen Gazith about her new book The Power of Effective Reading Instruction. The conversation flowed through many topics but ultimately what you can gain from our discussion is the gifts we give our readers when we teach with intention. Listen to this episode to gain fresh ideas for enhancing your own reading instruction.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Ask the Right Questions about RTI
Wait to Fail Model
The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines by Karen Gazith *Amazon affiliate link
Teaching with Purpose: How to Thoughtfully Implement Evidence-Based Practices in Your Classroom by Karen Gazith *Amazon affiliate link
Website for Karen Gazith
Connect with Karen on Facebook
Connect with Karen on LinkedIn
Connect with Karen on Twitter
Karen's E-mail: Karen.gazith@hotmail.com

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

Read Aloud to Boost Comprehension Dec 07, 2023

Mary and Shannon chat with Dr. Molly Ness about her new book Read Alouds for All Learners. Molly shares how teachers should intentionally plan their read alouds, with thought put into the vocabulary instruction, the purpose for reading, the think aloud process, and engagement and extension activities for students after reading. Listen to this episode for TONS of ideas from our guest about how to get the most learning out of your read aloud experiences.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Support the show

Get Literacy Support through our Patreon

the Comprehension Process Nov 23, 2023

Shannon and Mary wrestle with understanding the nature of the comprehension process. They discuss ideas from the Blueprint for Reading Comprehension and Executive Skills and Comprehension to understand the different cognitive processes and executive functioning required for students to extract and construct meaning from texts.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Support the show

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Best Reading Instructional Moves Nov 09, 2023

Shannon chats with Lindsay Kemeny about her new book titled 7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-3 Reading Success. Both Shannon and Lindsay have classroom experience teaching Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students, so their discussion was filled with details and stories about the best instructional strategies and techniques teachers should use to help their students become fluent readers.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

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We Love Mistakes Oct 19, 2023

Shannon and Mary talk about why they love student mistakes. They share how to make mistakes meaningful in the ways they show insight into students' learning. They chat about establishing a trusting relationship with students so they feel comfortable showing us mistakes. Lastly, they discuss ways to provide student feedback without inducing shame. Learning happens between the lessons, and in this episode, you'll find concrete ideas for what to do and say each day with your students to promote a growth mindset and engagement in learning.
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Intervention in the Upper Grades Oct 05, 2023

Shannon and Mary meet with Kionna Squires (@DaLiteracyLady) to talk about the challenges facing older struggling readers. During the discussion, they explain how meeting students where they are IS rigorous and the right thing to do for our readers. They also share ideas for boosting student engagement and their favorite activities for upper grade reading intervention.
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Etymology and Orthographic Study Sep 21, 2023

Shannon and Mary host a returning guest to the Reading Teachers Lounge @MindfulTeacherRachel, who you heard in Season 5 on the Schwa episode. In this episode, Shannon, Mary, and Rachel talk about English word histories and how they may inform how a word is spelled. Check out this discussion to get ideas for how to share word origin stories with your reading students and help students see how important morphology is in addition to sound symbol connections.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Online Etymology Dictionary
When is an O a Scribal O?
Literacy Nest resource for Scribal O
Scribal O video
Latin Connective I
Word Smarts: Van Cleave Vocabulary
Connecting Vowels
Historical Layers of English: Reading Rockets
IG Post from Laura.Loves.Teaching: English Language Layer Cake
Scribal O slides by Laura Watkins
Real Spelling Toolbox
Sounds & Syllables (Jason Wade) on Twitter
Word Origins by John Ayto *Amazon affiliate link
Once Upon a Word by Jess Zafarris *Amazon affiliate link
Beneath the Surface of Words by Sue Scibetta Hegland *Amazon affiliate link
And Sometimes Y by Rachel *Amazon affiliate link
Short Vowel Protectors by Rachel *Amazon affiliate link
Science of Reading book list (compiled by Rachel and others)
Contact Rachel on Twitter @TeachRachelSOR
contact Rachel on IG @MindfulTeacherRachel
contact Rachel on TikTok @TeacherRachelSORSEL
our SCHWA episode with Rachel from last season
Book a free call with us to tour our Patreon and see if it's right for you!
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Back to School Reflections and Plans Sep 07, 2023

Shannon and Mary meet again to begin the 6th season of the podcast. They recap their summer activities in both professional and personal lives, update the audience on the plans they're making for their reading students this school year, and preview what's coming next in Season 6 of the podcast.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

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Summer Reading Tips Jun 15, 2023

Shannon and Mary bring you a surprise bonus episode for Season 5. They chat with Dr. Amanda Alexander from Scholastic about statistics about summer reading. In the episode, they all share tips about how to make the most of the summer reading experience.
Note: The research statistics cited were compiled by Scholastic in conjunction with Fluent Research. The findings are based on a nationally representative sample of 1,724 parents and children, including 531 parents of children ages 0–5; 1,193 parents of children ages 6–17; plus one child aged 6–17 from the same household.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Scholastic Summer Reading Home Base
Scholastic Ultimate Summer Reading Guide
Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report
How Educators Can Strengthen Summer Reading Connections with Families by Dr. Amanda Alexander
Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale
our Season 3 Episode 1: Books as Windows, Doors, and Mirrors
our Season 5 Episode 5: Classroom Libraries
Learning Ally: Audiobooks
The Good Egg by Jory John *Amazon affiliate link*
Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
Educate & Rejuvenate June 27-28, 2023 <---This is the link for ALL the information and WHERE to sign up!
Shannon's bundle of lesson plans for teaching syllables (You get this free if you upgrade to the Conference Platinum Pass!)

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Season 5 Finale: Ends & Beginnings May 18, 2023

Shannon and Mary meet up to review how season 5 of the podcast has gone. They share some of the things they learned during the season and list some of their favorite episodes and guests. They also chat about the school year as it winds down, their upcoming summer plans, and what is in store for the podcast in Season 6. At the end of the episode, they're joined by Kelsey Sorenson from Wife Teacher Mommy to talk about the Educate and Rejuvenate event they're all participating in during June 2023.
RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE

Season 5 Episode 4: the Schwa with Mindful Teacher Rachel
Season 5 Episode 6: Balancing It All with Linda Rhyne
Season 5 Episode 7: The Reading Brain with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg
Season 5 Episode 8: Orthographic Mapping with Anna Geiger
Season 5 Episode 9: the Simple View of Reading and Beyond with Dr. Janet Mort
Season 5 Episode 10: Decodable Texts with Emily Gibbons
Season 5 Episode 15: Practical Tips for Reading Teachers with Jamie Sears
Season 5 Episode 17: Putting the Science of Reading Into Action
Great E-books about Structured Shared Reading & Writing and other guides Regarding Dyslexia
Get Literacy Support through our Patreon
Educate & Rejuvenate June 27-28, 2023 <---This is the link for ALL the information and WHERE to sign up!
Shannon's bundle of lesson plans for teaching syllables (You get this free if you upgrade to the Conference Platinum Pass!)

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Putting the Science of Reading Into Action with Malia Hollowell from Playdough to Plato May 04, 2023

Shannon and Mary chat with Malia Hollowell (@Playdough2Plato) about her new book, Science of Reading In Action. They summarize the big ideas within the Science of Reading for listeners and share practical actions teachers and parents can take to ensure they're doing best practices for students that are backed by literacy research. After listening, you'll understand more about WHAT the SoR is, WHY it is important, and HOW to put it in action, no matter your literacy role.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

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Teaching and Reaching Diverse Learners Apr 20, 2023

Shannon and Mary chat with Khadijah Abdullah, a public school teacher in their area, about how she balances the wide variety of reading abilities in her classroom. Khadijah shares about her trauma-informed teaching practices and how she uses visual literacy to provide learning scaffolds for her students.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Teaching With Multiple Modalities
10 Visual Literacy Strategies
Media Literacy
Visual Learning
Tips for Viewing Images in Picture Books
Trauma Informed Teaching
Teaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills *Amazon affiliate link*
Teaching Visual Literacy in the Primary Classroom: Comic Books, Film, Television and Picture Narratives (David Fulton Books) *Amazon affiliate link*
Visual Approaches to Teaching Writing: Multimodal Literacy 5 - 11 (Published in association with the UKLA)
Journey (Aaron Becker's Wordless Triology, 1) *Amazon affiliate link*
Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad by Henry Cole *Amazon affiliate link*
Connect with Khadijah on Instagram @the_whole_heart_teacher

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Practical Tips for Reading Teachers with guest Jamie Sears from Not So Wimpy Teacher Apr 06, 2023

Shannon and Mary chat with Jamie Sears from Not So Wimpy Teacher about how to get more done as a reading teacher in less time. Jamie shares practical tips for teachers from her newly published book titled How to Love Teaching Again. Listeners will walk away with ideas on how to save time in preparing lesson plans, routines for lesson structure, easy grading techniques, and ways to simplify reading groups. Check out this episode to find out how to make your jobs as reading teachers easier and more enjoyable!
Episode Links for Resources:

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Speaking and Listening Standards Mar 23, 2023

Shannon and Mary read over and discuss the Speaking and Listening standards in Reading to develop a deeper understanding of how and why these standards exist and help the students grow in literacy. They show how the standards develop in the depth of knowledge across the grade levels from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade. They also share ideas of ways to embed Speaking and Listening standards practice in classroom routines and project-based learning.
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Building Reading Fluency Mar 11, 2023

Shannon chats with Stephanie Summers from Pride Reading Program about the topic of helping students build their reading fluency. They talk about what skills go into a student's reading fluency. They share ways to work on fluency with readers. In their chat, they reference ideas from The Megabook of Fluency by Timothy Rasinski.
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Building Vocabulary Feb 23, 2023

Shannon and Mary focus their conversation on how to build students' vocabularies. They share less effective methods used in the past and how they've evolved their vocabulary instruction to help students the most. In the chat, they reference ideas from Bringing Words to Life by Isabel Beck.
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Meaningful Learning Assessments Feb 09, 2023

Often Shannon and Mary discuss different types of student assessments. Today we are going to dive a little deeper and discuss how we use data analysis to make meaningful adjustments and decisions to our teaching practices. Shannon brings the perspective of a classroom teacher and Mary shares how she individualizes plans for her private tutoring clients.
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Decodable Texts with Emily Gibbons, the Literacy Nest Jan 26, 2023

Shannon and Mary chat with Emily Gibbons from the Literacy Nest about decodable texts. This discussion provides information about how decodables are similar and different to trade books and leveled texts. In this episode, teachers will find out how and when to use decodable texts in reading instruction. Listeners will also learn the best sources for high quality decodable books and short texts.
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Simple View of Reading and Beyond with Dr. Janet Mort Jan 12, 2023

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Janet Mort, who has fifty years of experience in the field of education and reading. We discuss the Simple View of Reading and how that affected reading instruction in the 1980s and 1990s. Dr. Mort then shares how the research following the Simple View of Reading has shifted and become more defined. This discussion provides context to reading research over the last few decades and helps reading teachers understand how Science of Reading discoveries impact classroom instruction.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Reading Rockets: Simple View of Reading
The Reading Universe: Understanding the Big Picture: A Professional Development Guide to Illustrate the Universe of Skills for a Structured Approach to Early Literacy Instruction
Twitter photo of the Simple View of Reading
Path to Proficient Reading (Dr. Spear-Swerling)
Video explanation of 4 quadrants
Nell Duke: Beyond Simple View
Simple View of Reading YouTube
Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guide
Language Comprehension
Fatal flaw in SOR
Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Sanislas Dehaene *Amazon affiliate link, where we earn a small commission from your purchase*
Strategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis *Amazon affiliate link*
NAEYC Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers by Tanya Wright, Sonia Cabell, and Nell Duke *Amazon affiliate link*
Hugh Catt's Florida State University
Dr. Mort's website Joyful Literacy Online
Science of Reading Summit May 2023
Sprig Learning's partnership with Joyful Literacy Interventions
Shannon's High Frequency Word Mapping resources

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Orthographic Mapping with Anna Geiger (The Measured Mom) Dec 22, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Ann Geiger from The Measured Mom about how readers orthographically stores words in their reading brains. This episode follows our overview of the reading brain, where we talked about the reader's journey to whole word recognition and how reading teachers can help their readers bolt on the orthography to what students already know in spoken language and language comprehension. In this episode, we go into greater detail about best practices to do in the classrooms to help your students gain this meaningful letter sequence storage.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Dr. Linnea Ehri's List of Instructional Guidelines for Orthographic Mapping
Why 3 Cueing is Ineffective
Grapheme Deck
Sight Words, Orthographic Mapping, Phonemic Awareness by Stephen Parker
ISME tweet about Orthographic mapping
Visual model showing morphology as a binding agent relating semantics, orthography, and phonology (J. Kirby and N. Bowers)
How Orthographic Mapping Starts with Phonemic Proficiency
Song for Kids about Orthographic Mapping
Word Mapping Tool
Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Sanislas Dehaene *Amazon affiliate link, where we earn a small commission from your purchase*
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf *Amazon affiliate link*
The Measured Mom on Twitter
The Measured Mom on Instagram
The Measured Mom's Website
The Measured Mom's Membership
Shannon's High Frequency Word Mapping resources

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the Reading Brain with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg Dec 08, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Marnie Ginsberg from Reading Simplified about what happens in the brain during reading. We talk about the reader's journey to whole word recognition and how reading teachers can help their readers bolt on the orthography to what students already know in spoken language and language comprehension. Listeners will learn how to build a strong foundation for reading and how to help their students build flexible decoding strategies. Teachers will also hear examples of feedback to provide to readers in order to promote orthographic mapping. Check out this episode to learn all about how the brain learns to read.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Twitter image of the Reading Brain image by @empoweredliteracy
Our Brains Were not Born to Read...right?
Brain Builders Amplify-video series
The Brain Dictionary
Dr. Molly McCabe on the Science of Reading video
Lecture by Dr. Stanislas Dehaene on "Reading the Brain"
Cortex in the Classroom video
Reading in the Brain: The New Science of How We Read by Sanislas Dehaene *Amazon affiliate link, where we earn a small commission from your purchase*
Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain by Maryanne Wolf *Amazon affiliate link*
Keys to Literacy: How the Brain Learns to Read
Lexia Learning: How the Human Brain Learns to Read
Hill Learning Center: The Reading Brain video
Cognitive Load
Reading Brain patterns
Eternal Triangle Model
The Role of Set for Variability (Reading Rockets)
Reading Simplified Switch It Activity
Reading Simplified's YouTube Channel
Reading Simplified on IG

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Balancing It All as a Reading Teacher (with Guest Linda Rhyne) Nov 24, 2022

Shannon and Mary ask Linda Rhyne to join them for a live Reading Teachers discussion about how to find balance in our reading instruction. Teachers are asked to follow various curriculum programs, teach the grade level standards, differentiate for their students' needs, and utilize their own expertise & experience. How can teachers blend all this together into cohesive literacy instruction that makes sense to students and themselves and balance what they're asked to do with what they know their students need to be successful in reading? All these points are brought up in the chat, and Linda shares some tips for how teachers can be critical consumers and advocates for their students in their individual school buildings. We hope this chat inspires you to think critically about your own teaching practice and instructional decisions.
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Classroom Libraries with Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp Nov 10, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Donalyn Miller & Colby Sharp about their recently published Common Sense Guide to Your Classroom Library. The reading teachers discuss how to set up and use the library to maximize its impact with kids. This conversation provides the WHY behind decision making and instructional use of the classroom library.
Episode Resources:

The Commonsense Guide to Your Classroom Library: Building a Collection that Inspires, Engages, and Challenges Readers by Donalyn Miller & Colby Sharp * Amazon affiliate link*
Colby Sharp's Blog
Nerdy Book Club (joint blog)
Donalyn Miller's website The Book Whisperer.com
Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids by Donalyn Miller & Colby Sharp *Amazon affiliate link*
Reading Rockets: Creating a Classroom Library
Scholastic: 6 Tips to Help Set Up a Classroom Library
Education to the Core: Setting Up Your Classroom Library
our episode about Books as Windows, Doors, and Mirrors
Building an Effective Classroom Library by Susan Catapano, Jane Fleming, and Martille Elias (Journal of Language and Literacy Education 2009)
Choice Literacy: Creating a Student-Organized Classroom Library
ASCD: Creating a Classroom Library Together
BookSource to Organize your Collection
Regie Routman: Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library
Booksourcebanter: Resources for Building a Classroom Library
Follett Classroom Library Manager
The Yarn (Children's Literature Podcast by Colby Sharp and Travis Jonker)
Colby's Youtube description of a Book Pass
Twitter: https://twitter.com/colbysharp
https://twitter.com/donalynbooks
IG: https://www.instagram.com/donalynm/
https://www.instagram.com/colbysharp/

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the Schwa Oct 27, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Mindful Teacher Rachel about the Schwa vowel sound and how to teach it to students. She shares great stories from her classroom about teaching reading and all about her newly published book that can be used to introduce the Schwa to readers. You'll want to listen in on this chat between reading teachers to get strategies and resources for working on the Schwa with your own reading students.
Episode Resources:

Rachel's book Schwa in 1st Grade on Amazon
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link*
Tools4Teachers Schwa information
Phonics Hero The Schwa Explained and How to teach it
Literacy Nest: How to Teach Schwa Part 1
Literacy Nest: How to Teach Schwa Part 2
Keys to Literacy: Teaching Schwa in Unaccented Syllables
Five from Five: The Schwa
Lists of Multi-Syllable Words with Schwa from Reading Rockets
Schwa Words and Activities
Rachel on Instagram @mindfulteacherrachel
Rachel on Tiktok @teacherrachelsorsel

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Our Favorite Literacy Resources Oct 13, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat about their favorite free and low cost literacy resources to use in reading lessons and tutoring sessions. They share links to: complete phonics curriculum resources that include scope and sequences, decodable texts, vocabulary lists and activities, phonics and phonemic awareness activities, and strategies for teaching comprehension. Check out the links in the show notes to find resources to use with your own reading students.
Episode Resources:

our episode about favorite FCRR resources
Florida Center for Reading Research Student Center Activities
Open Source Phonics
Tools4Teaching (formerly West Virginia Phonics)
UFLI new reading resources (Univ. of Florida)
CKLA Curriculum Resources
Emily Gibbon's Literacy Nest -Also check out her podcast, TpT resources, and her Tuesday newsletter for tips!
The Measured Mom
This Reading Mama
Walpole & McKenna Open Up Resources
Academic Vocabulary Word Lists by Grade Level (Flocabulary)
Get More Vocabulary.com: Shades of Meaning
Reading Rockets: Semantic Gradients
Edison Literacy
Readwritethink lessons
Flyleaf Publishing Decodables
Open Source Phonics Decodable Texts
Free passages according to Lexile (Read Works)
Jan Richardson's resources
Emily Gibbon's Word List Builder
ISME (Institute for Multi-Sensory Education) Digital Resources
Getting Reading to Read Phonemic Awareness activities *Amazon affiliate link*
How to Teach Spelling *Amazon affiliate link*
Handwriting Joke book *Amazon affiliate link*
Learning Ally Audiobook Solution
Recipe for Reading Success books
our Patreon site and details

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Supporting English Language Learners Sep 29, 2022

Mary and Shannon chat with Stephaney Jones-Vo about how to best support the reading needs of English Language Learners. Stephaney describes the differences in needs of ESOL students at various levels and provides easy ideas for differentiation and scaffolding for students at different levels. Stephaney shares how to understand the language load of class assignments and assessments, and this lens will help teachers view their own learning assignments in a fresh and supportive way for their students.
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Season 5 Opener: New School Year, New Season of the Podcast Sep 15, 2022

Shannon and Mary meet up after the summer hiatus to chat about going back to school. They catch up on their personal activities from the summer and then share their instructional plans for the new school year in 2022-2023.
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School Year and Season 4 Wrap Up Jun 30, 2022

Shannon and Mary catch up on their teaching activities and personal lives during the past school year. They share highlights from the past season and what is coming next in Season 5 and the 2022-2023 school year.
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Long and Short Vowels Jun 23, 2022

Shannon and Mary share some new understandings they've discovered about the differences between long and short vowels. They chat about how they'll modify some phonics activities for students after discovering these new understandings.
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Differentiation for Different Readers Jun 16, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Nancy Young, the creator of the Ladder of Reading & Writing, about differentiated instruction for readers at different levels. [Note: Our podcast has explicit permission from Nancy Young to use her Ladder infographic image and information with our audience.] In this episode we discuss the equitable need for differentiation, in order to "offer children what they need based on where they are." Strategies, examples, and activities are shared for teachers to modify their literacy instruction based on the unique needs of their readers.
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Just Right Reading Books for Families and Students Jun 02, 2022

Shannon chats with Sarah Rich, CEO of Just Right Reader, about her company that provides decodable readers to students, families, teachers, and schools. Sarah and Shannon talk about how decodable texts are important for the right reading practice for students. Sarah provides details about their mission to make reading fun and for students to learn to read with engaging decodables that are representative of students in America's schools.
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Sound Walls Mar 24, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Christina Edmondson (@literacywithmrs.e) about implementing Sound Walls into your literacy classrooms. Christina shares how Sound Walls compare to traditional word walls and provides ideas for using them with students in reading and writing. She describes exactly how to set up your own Sound Wall and start using with your readers.
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Phonemic Awareness: In the Dark or With Letters? Mar 03, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat about the recent debate in the science of reading community about whether phonemic awareness drills without letters are a worthwhile exercise for readers. They describe activities they've done with struggling readers to build phonemic awareness, and they talk about the use of those activities as a part of Tier 1 reading instruction.
Episode Resources:

Research article
Response from David Kilpatrick and others
Timothy Shanahan: RIP to Advanced Phonemic Awareness
I Think I was Wrong about Phonemic Awareness (a Teacher's perspective)
Heggerty Resources
Phonological Awareness Assessment
YouTube discussion about the topic among other reading teachers
Phonemic proficiency
Reading Meetings with Mark and Molly
Getting Ready to Read by Jo Fitzpatrick (*Amazon affiliate link)
Equipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick (*Amazon affiliate link)
Shannon's Phonemic Awareness resources

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Morphology Feb 10, 2022

Shannon and Mary chat with Emily Conlan from @wordmorphed_ on Instagram about Morphology. Emily shows how and where Morphology fits into structured literacy instruction and the science of reading. Their discussion provides easy ways to strengthen students' word meaning knowledge at different grade and age levels of readers.
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New Understandings about Encoding Jan 27, 2022

Shannon describes some new ways she's helping her older elementary students learn how to encode and spell. Mary shares the S.O.S strategy for Spelling and explains the research about encoding and the brain processing that happens as students make spelling choices.
Note: The S.O.S. strategy is typically included with all Orton-Gillingham training organizations and isn't just attributed exclusively to IMSE. We appreciate Emily Gibbons from The Literacy Nest for this clarification. Also, we incorrectly stated that she had trained with IMSE, which was said in error. She first trained with IMSLEC (MA General Hospital O-G Training Curriculum) and then AOG (Academy of Orton-Gillingham). You can learn more about her and the incredible work she does with multi-sensory resources and instruction at her website: The Literacy Nest.
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The Updated Ladder of Reading and Writing Dec 30, 2021

Shannon and Mary discuss the revised Ladder of Reading and Writing that was recently updated by Nancy Young. [Note: Our podcast has explicit permission from Nancy Young to use her Ladder infographic image and information with our audience.] In this episode we compare the updates to the Ladder to its original form and discuss the changes and how they may impact literacy instruction.
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The Importance of Storytelling Dec 16, 2021

Shannon and Mary chat with Anna Boldog from Bookr Class about the Importance of Storytelling. They share their own memories and experiences with stories as readers and teachers. And they talk about what research shares about how storytelling impacts language and literacy development. This discussion should prompt your own memories of stories and how they've impacted your life, your instruction, and your readers.
Episode Resources:

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Supporting Reading Teachers Nov 25, 2021

Shannon and Mary chat with LaMonica Williams, Director of Programs for Teaching Matters, about how to support reading teachers and their students through intensive but supportive coaching and literacy training.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Jumpstart program
Webinars & Trainings
Twitter @teachingmatters
Contact Teaching Matters : inquiry@teachingmatters.org
Early Reading Assessment Toolkit from Teaching Matters
Reading Matters
Literacy activities from Teaching Matters

Bookr Class App (interactive storytelling) 70% off promotion link

Hot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l (*Amazon affiliate link)
Daily Harvest (Get $35 off your first box when you use this link)
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Scarborough's Reading Rope with Tess Kraft Nov 12, 2021

Shannon chats about the different strands of Scarborough's Reading Rope with Tess Kraft. They talk about all the many different skills that weave together into skilled reading and share ideas about transferring the science of reading into effective literacy instruction.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Overview of the Reading Rope
Reading Rope padlet
20 years of Reading Rope recordings
Nell Duke Reading Rope Redefined
Complete Nell Duke article link
Really Great Reading article about the Reading Rope
Animated Reading Rope
39 Clues Text Series (*Amazon affiliate link)
The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler (*Amazon affiliate link)
Literacy Program from American College of Education
Know Better, Do Better by Meredith Liben (*Amazon affiliate link)
Dyslexia and Spelling by Kelli Sandman-Hurley (*Amazon affiliate link)
LETRS trainings
Science of Reading Facebook group
Tess's website
Tess on Instagram @tessthekraftyteacher

Bookr Class App (interactive storytelling) 70% off promotion link

Hot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l (*Amazon affiliate link)
Daily Harvest (Get $35 off your first box when you use this link)
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Science of Reading with Heidi Martin Sep 30, 2021

Shannon and Mary chat with Heidi Martin about her journey into learning about the Science of Reading. Heidi has been documenting her literacy transformation on Tiktok (@learningwithheidi) and Instagram (@droppinknowledgewithheidi).
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

Heidi's website
Science of reading YouTube video
Science of Reading Blog and video series
Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction
What is the SOR?
Timothy Shanahan What is science of reading?
SOR guide
What teachers should know about SOR
The Science of Reading
The sciences of reading
Teaching Rubrics aligned with SOR
Creativity to the Core
Equipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick *(Amazon affiliate link)
Amplify resources
Really Great Reading free training about SOR
Heart Word Magic
Junior Learning resources
Magnet Chips & Wand *Amazon affiliate link
Zingo game *Amazon affiliate link
Really Great Reading free letter tiles

Bookr Class App (interactive storytelling) 70% off promotion link

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Chatting about Scope and Sequence with Wiley Blevins Sep 16, 2021

Shannon and Mary chat with literacy expert Wiley Blevins about the scope and sequence of phonics instruction.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

ILA Brief Meeting the Challenges of Early Phonics Instruction by Blevins
Our Previous episode about Wiley's ILA Brief
A Fresh Look at Phonics by Blevins *
Choosing and Using Decodable Texts by Blevins *
Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades by Blevins *
Phonics from A to Z by Blevins *
10 Common Causes of Phonics Instruction failure by Blevins (free)
Decodable Text Lesson Sampler (shared with us from Wiley)
Decodable Text Lesson Planner (shared with us from Wiley)
Leveled Books with a Phonics (shared with us from Wiley)
Look Fors: Routines (shared with us from Wiley)
Jeanne Chall
Wiley's training on Decodable Texts
Wiley Blevins website
Find Wiley on Twitter @wbny
Reading Rockets Scope and Sequence
University of Texas Scope & Sequence
University of Florida Scope & Sequence
Learning at the Primary Pond Scope & Sequences for each grade

(*These are Amazon affiliate links, where we make a small commission.)

Hot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l *
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Bookr Class app (Digital Storytelling)
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Season 4 Opener: Back To School & Together Again Sep 06, 2021

In their Season 4 opener, Shannon & Mary update listeners on their summer activities and their plans for the upcoming school year and podcast season. They share what they've been reading and learning about lately, which leads to a discussion about differentiating for students at various points on the Reading Ladder.
Episode Links for Resources mentioned:

(*These are Amazon affiliate links, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)

Join our Patreon www.patreon.com/readingteacherslounge
Hot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l (*Amazon affiliate link)
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Season 3 Finale Jul 15, 2021

In this episode, Shannon closes out the third podcast season. She describes the struggles from the 2020-2021 school year and shares what's coming next for the podcast in Season 4.
Resource Links:

1. Boundaries podcast episode (We Can Do Hard Things with Glennon Doyle)

2. Ross on Friends ("Pivot!")

3. How to Set Boundaries as a Teacher (Cornerstone for Teachers)

4. Teachers, This Should be the Summer of Saying No

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Auditory Learners Apr 29, 2021

This title continues our multi-sensory series. In this episode, Shannon shares the characteristics of auditory learners. She gives some strategies and resources for incorporating more auditory practice in your literacy instruction.
Resource Links:

Is your Child an Auditory Learner?
Working with Auditory Learners
Tips for Auditory Learners
The Auditory Learner
Auditory Learning Style Explained
Auditory Learner Infographic
Characteristics of Learning Styles
Multisensory Triangle
Activities for Auditory Learners
Engaging Different Types of Learners in Your Classroom
Our Shared Reading podcast episode
Learning Ally audiobooks
25 Sight Word Songs and Mini Books (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)

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Making the Most of Your Online Reading Instruction Jan 09, 2021

Shannon and Mary chat with Maria Halkias about her on-line reading instruction. They talk about parent engagement with virtual instruction, teaching challenges during these unprecedented times, and what resources have been most helpful when teaching virtually. Maria shares about the community of inquiry and how she's using that framework to provide structure to her reflective teaching practice during this unusual teaching year. This episode provides ideas and inspiration for increasing student presence, teacher presence, and cognitive presence in your online reading instruction.
Resource Links:

Contact Maria here
Community of Inquiry Framework
Morning Meeting Ideas book -Jolly Jump Up is in here! (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)
Community of Inquiry Tips

Online resources mentioned:

PearDeck for Google Slides
Boom Learning (Shannon's Boom Store Link click here)
Word Wall.net
Blending Board free online resource (customize with your own Bitmoji)
Learning A to Z RAZ Kids
Epic books
https://www.biguniverse.com/
https://www.flippity.net/
Flyleafpublishing.com is offering their books for the rest of the school year. The books are beautiful and engaging! 2020-2021
List of Parent Resources

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Visual Learning Dec 10, 2020

Shannon and Mary continue the discussion about multisensory reading instruction. This episode focuses on strategies for visual learners.
Resource Links:

New Girl Youtube clip (Visual Learning chant)
The Visual Learner
Tips for Visual Learners
Jennifer Serravallo Reading Strategies book (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)
Main Idea stool video
Reading Graphic Organizers book (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)
Make Your Own Word Shapes Worksheet Generator

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Make It Multisensory Nov 12, 2020

Multisensory learning is something we have been preaching for a long time. It's time it deserved it's own episode. Shannon and Mary discuss the importance of when and how to implement multi sensory learning strategies.
Resource Links:

Multisensory Learning: Types and Strategies IMSE
What is Multisensory Learning: Waterford.org
Multisensory Overview
Literacy Nest Multisensory Part 1
Emily Gibbons Make it Multisensory - especially sight word practice
The Language Triangle Emily Gibbons
Ladder of Reading
Three Reasons Why Multisensory Learning is Food for the Brain
Sentence builder magnet tiles* (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)
Sentence builder reading rods*(This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)
NOTE: The above two products are similar to the ones that Shannon mentions in the episode but are not the exact product. It's an older product that Shannon has, and we're having trouble finding a link to the exact product.

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It's Time to Talk About Dr. Seuss Oct 22, 2020

Shannon and Mary explore how to start conversations about sensitive topics surrounding race, inequality, apathetic attitudes and apologism related to books. They discuss the controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss is a prolific children’s book author and global icon. And Dr. Seuss has a history of racial baggage that educators should understand when introducing his writing to their students.
Resource Links:

It's Time to Talk about Dr. Seuss (Teaching Tolerance)
Research on Diversity in Youth Culture - St. Catherine
NPR Code Switch episode
Dr Seuss Art.com
Should Dr. Seuss be cancelled? Opinion page with links to news stories.
BBC The Surprisingly Radical Politics of Dr. Seuss
How Racist Are Dr. Seuss Books?
What TO DO: Is the Cat in the Hat Racist? Read Across America Shifts Away From Dr. Seuss and Toward Diverse Books
https://www.theconsciouskid.org/
Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty* (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)

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Books as Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Doors (Diverse Books) Oct 01, 2020

Shannon and Mary open the season with a discussion about the importance of books to represent the diversity of our students giving them an opportunity to see themselves in books and opportunities to view other cultures, family structures and values.

Resource Links:

Follow: @diversereads & @thetutututeacher @loveteachbless @weneeddiversebooks
@readlikearockstar @littlesandlit @nouvelle_ela @theapron_education @hereweread
#ownvoices

Specific Book Titles Mentioned:

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Season 2 Finale Jul 22, 2020

Shannon and Mary catch up after their Season 2 hiatus to discuss Quarantine Life, Home Learning, and what's next.

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We love FCRR! Feb 29, 2020

Are you familiar with the FCRR? They have done incredible work making free effective research-based literacy activities. The centers include directions for teachers and all the necessary materials. They are mostly print and go activities requiring minimal teacher prep!
In this episode, Shannon and Mary share their favorite FCRR reading center activities. They give ideas for storage and organization of the materials and ways to scaffold.

RESOURCE LINKS:
(General links are listed first, then below those you will see the links for the specific games mentioned.)

SPECIFIC GAME DIRECT LINKS FOR ACTIVITIES CREATED BY FCRR or SHANNON

FCRR: Vowel Picture Sort
FCRR: Phoneme Swap
FCRR: Vowel Stars
FCRR: Multiple Meaning Match
FCRR: Medial Phoneme Dominoes
FCRR: Speedy Phrases
FCRR: Word Web
FCRR: Sandpaper Words
FCRR: Contraction Bingo
FCRR: Root-A-Word
FCRR: Synonym and Antonym Connections
Shannon's Soccer Goal DIGITAL Vowel Sound Sort on Boom
Shannon's Read Around the Shape on Boom

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Spelling Tests: Good or Bad? with special guest Alison from Learning at the Primary Pond Feb 20, 2020

Shannon and Mary speak with consultant and literacy specialist Allison from Learning at the Primary Pond all about spelling tests and best practices in phonics instruction.
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Shared Reading Jan 30, 2020

Shannon and Mary discuss another pillar in the Balanced Literacy Series: Shared Reading. Shared reading is interactive reading with teacher guided support. This is essential for helping struggling readers build their fluency and expression as well as explicitly modeling how proficient readers approach text. It can be done in whole group, small group, or with individualized instruction. Sometimes you will see shared reading experiences modeled with big books or books that are projected for the whole class to share.
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Reading Wars Jan 23, 2020

Shannon and Mary talk about the recent discussions in the news and educational circles related to the reading wars. Additionally, based on listener questions, they recommend some resources for teachers who want to implement more structured literacy into their classroom practices.
Resource Links:

Emily Hanford APM Reports Educate Podcast New Salvos in the Battles over Reading Instruction
Emily Hanford APM Reports How a Flawed Idea is Teaching Millions of Kids to be Poor Readers
Lucy Calkins' response: No One Gets to Own the Term "The Science of Reading"
Need to practice Phonics instruction? *Speech to Print Workbook by Louisa Cook Moats and Bruce Rosow *
Shannon recommends *Phonics A to Z by Wiley Blevins*
Shannon recommends *Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades by Wiley Blevins*
Free webinars IDA Upper Midwest Branch
IDA PDF Structured Literacy: Effective Instruction for Students with Dyslexia and Related Reading Difficulties
Comprehensive List of Programs based on Structured Literacy
Mary recommends Equipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick
our Encoding episode (Season 1, episode 22): Encoding First, Decoding Second

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Balanced Literacy versus Structured Literacy Dec 12, 2019

Mary describes the differences between Balanced Literacy vs. Structured Literacy.
We have been doing a series on Balanced Literacy which might confuse some of our listeners. RTL wants to bring best practices to our conversations. If you, like us, believe that a strong phonics practice is essential, you will want to help your school transition to using a stronger structured literacy approach to word study. In this episode, we will be discussing ways to effectively bring stronger phonics instruction to your schools' teaching practices.
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Independent Reading Nov 28, 2019

Shannon and Mary continue the conversation about balanced literacy elements by discussing supporting students' independent reading in the classroom and at home. They share ideas about goal setting, making time for reading, reading conferences, and helping students develop literacy preferences.
"Teaching children to read and providing them with something worthwhile to read is not a job for the faint of heart in this world. But I'll keep at it, and I won't be alone. You'll come too. We're fortunate, you know. Too many people in this world spend their lives doing work that doesn't matter in the great scheme of things, but bringing children and books together does matter. And we get to do it."
~Katherine Patterson
Resource Links:
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Read Aloud Nov 07, 2019

Shannon and Mary share their tips and tricks for one of the most enjoyable experiences of reading with young readers: Read Aloud! We share professional resources, essential tips for working with struggling readers, and how parents can make reading aloud at a home a treasured time for any type of reader.
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Guided Reading Oct 24, 2019

Shannon shares how guided reading groups are the non-negotiable element in her daily classroom. In this episode Mary and Shannon weigh in on the importance and power of small group teaching of guided reading.
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Alphabetic Principle Oct 17, 2019

Mary discusses the concept of alphabetic principle and strategies for teaching blending.
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More Listener Questions Answered Oct 10, 2019

Great news! Shannon is here to help address more listener questions about Lucy Calkins, comprehension strategies and professional development for reading specialists.
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Kids Who Fly Under the Radar Sep 26, 2019

Mary discusses a student she is working with who flies under the radar in his general education classroom. In this discussion, she poses the question "Who are kids who fly under the radar? How can we better address their needs?" This episode will engage listeners to consider their own students and reflect on who and why kids "fly under the radar."
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Listener Questions Answered Sep 19, 2019

Mary responds to listener questions about time management and the components of a tutoring session.
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Students Need Systematic, Explicit Phonics - ILA says so! Sep 12, 2019

Mary discusses a brief that has been put out by the International Literacy Association that shares information about how phonics instruction must be systematic and explicit as part of an overall efficient, effective, and timely reading curriculum.
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Back to School Sep 05, 2019

This is the beginning of season 2! Shannon and Mary catch up about what they have been up to during the summer and how they're getting ready for the new school year.
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Hands On Learning in the Summer May 16, 2019

Are you ready for summer? We can't wait to play with our kids! Mary and Shannon have compiled some resources for hands-on summer play to practice important reading skills outside of the classroom.
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Necessary Phonics Lessons May 09, 2019

We share some of the unexpected phonics lessons that students need that aren't always obvious in the curriculum guides. These important and necessary phonics lessons are essential in phonics instruction.
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Facilitating Digital Learning May 02, 2019

Shannon and Mary share how to facilitate digital assignments in the reading classroom. We go into detail about using Moby Max, Imagine Learning, and Boom Learning with students.
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Teacher Jargon Defined: Phoneme and Grapheme Apr 25, 2019

Shannon and Mary review the terms phoneme and grapheme. They're important terms to understanding the connections between letters and sounds.
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Improving Encoding Instruction Apr 18, 2019

Shannon and Mary discuss a professional article, "Why Phonics Teaching Must Change" published in Educational Leadership, September, 2008 by Jeannine Herron. They talk about a different approach to teaching students to read. What if we focus more on encoding rather than starting with decoding?
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Preschool Literacy Apr 11, 2019

Shannon and Mary talk about pre-reading skills and other school readiness skills that students need before going to Kindergarten. They interview Emily Howland, a pre-school educator about important early literacy skills and language development.
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Teacher Jargon Defined: Executive Functioning Apr 04, 2019

Executive Functioning is a term being thrown around a lot in schools today. We break down what this term means and why it's important for educators to understand it. We discuss the importance of teaching these essential life-long skills.
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Authentic Writing Mar 28, 2019

Reading and Writing go hand-in-hand. Hesitant readers tend to be hesitant writers. We ask students to do a lot of writing throughout the day. Shannon and Mary discuss the importance and elements of quality writing instruction.
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Mindfulness About Learning Mar 21, 2019

Shannon and Mary discuss the concept of metacognition - thinking about the way you think. We discuss tips about how to teach your students how to evaluate their performances, learning, and reading.
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All About Consonants Mar 14, 2019

Consonants deserve their own episode! We can't let vowels steal all the glory. Learn about the building blocks of language: vowels/consonants, blends, digraphs. Learn more about how we teach our students about consonants as we share our tricks, tips, and resources.
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Let's Talk About Phonemic Awareness Mar 07, 2019

Mary and Shannon sort out the complex terms that are related to phonological processing. What is the difference between phonological awareness and phoneme awareness? We discuss how we teach these skills and provide resource ideas for you to try!
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A Conversation about ZPD and Rigor Feb 28, 2019

Shannon and Mary discuss how to determine "just right activities" for their students by working within the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development) and how analyzing your students' scores can lead to developing rigorous activities within the student's instructional level. We believe that learning to read is rigorous and teachers must continue to teach students where they are while developing their lofty learning goals.
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B and D Reversals Feb 21, 2019

Shannon and Mary have a conversation about reversals of letters and numbers. Many parents and teachers are concerned about reversals, but the truth is that all reversals do need to be explicitly taught. Some children will make developmentally appropriate errors, while others are struggling with working memory, visual, and phonological processing. Direct instruction with model (verbal and visual cues) and demonstration is the only research-based strategy to help children correct their reversals.
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Recognizing a Struggling Reader Feb 14, 2019

Shannon and Mary talk about coping behaviors that struggling readers use to hide the "big secret" that they can't read. They share details about students' actions that teachers can look for in the classroom to gather more insight about their learners. Some tactics that are labeled as troublesome are actually deflection tactics that struggling students use to mask their learning deficits. Come join the conversation! Do the children in your room display these behaviors? We think you'll recognize many of your kids in these examples.
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A Conversation About Dyslexia Feb 07, 2019

Mary and Shannon discuss Dyslexia. There are a lot of misconceptions that are due to lack of training. Many teachers are somewhat familiar with dyslexia and may even say that they have previously taught students with dyslexia. However, the reality is that almost 20% of the population struggles with dyslexia and may or may not be formally diagnosed. Find out more about dyslexia and join the conversation. Are you wondering what you can do to keep your classroom "dyslexic-friendly?" We have plenty of ideas!
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All About Sight Words Jan 31, 2019

Are you teaching sight words in your classroom? Parents, are you supporting your child's practice in learning sight words? It's important to have a large bag of tricks. Listen as Shannon and Mary discuss many different ideas for parents and teachers to reinforce multiple practice turns for students as they are gaining automaticity in reading and spelling sight words.
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All About Syllables Jan 24, 2019

Shannon and Mary discuss the final pattern of the six syllable types: 'consonant+le'. Listen and join the conversation as they review CLOVER (closed, consonant + le, open, vowel teams, magic-e, and r-control syllable types). Find resources for how to teach syllables in your classroom and some clever tricks to reach your struggling readers. If you have students in your classroom who still haven't "cracked the code", come learn some strategies that will help you reach readers with phonics-based reading instruction.
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All About Vowel Teams Jan 17, 2019

Vowel teams are combinations of vowels (two or more) that make one sound. When students begin learning about vowel teams they have to demonstrate an understanding of sound symbol relationship where multiple vowel teams represent a single sound. This developmental decoding milestone is quite complex and is a critical step that students must take on their journey to mastering syllable patterns. Shannon and Mary will walk you through some of the important steps in teaching readers vowel teams.
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All About R-Controlled Vowels Jan 10, 2019

Shannon and Mary discuss how they discovered the importance of teaching phonics instruction and syllable division to help their student begin to crack the code of reading. Throughout the episode they will talk about strategies and activities that include multi-sensory phonics instruction for teaching r-controlled vowel patterns.
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All About Long Vowels Dec 20, 2018

Mary and Shannon describe how they teach long vowels to their struggling readers. They share their favorite resources and routines for conducting phonics lessons. Are you challenged by your struggling readers? Do you need some casual professional development without sitting in the media center? Come join the conversation and start implementing new strategies tomorrow!
Resource Links:

FCRR Long & Short Vowel Picture sort
Long Vowels Videos Playlist
Free Reading.net Decodable passages
The Literacy Nest Syllable game
The Literacy Nest Long Vowel Clip Cards
FCRR Short and Long Vowel Word sort
Shannon's Long Vowels Lesson Plans and Activities
Long Vowel Foldable *created by Shannon*
CVC to CVCe word list *created by Shannon*
Short and Long Vowel Soccer reading center & lesson *created by Shannon*
Short and Long Vowel Soccer Boom Cards digital game *created by Shannon*

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All About Short Vowels Dec 13, 2018

Shannon and Mary discuss background and strategies for teaching short vowels. You will learn facts and tidbits about literacy and why short vowels make their short, unique sounds. Hint! It has to do with the consonant next door. Learn about multi-sensory phonics based games and strategies for teaching struggling readers in your classroom. In the show notes you will find links to the resources we enjoy and use with our students.
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Learning Disabilities 101 Dec 06, 2018

The process for identifying a specific learning disability such as dyslexia is complicated in the public school setting. In this episode Mary explains the RTI (Response to Intervention) process. She also breaks down how a student is eligible for special education in the public school. Key take away is ensuring that the student is receiving appropriate instruction to remediate their decoding struggles. Strong Tier 1 and 2 instruction is necessary to determine whether the student has a learning deficit or a learning disability.
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Decoding the MAP test Nov 29, 2018

You've completed the benchmark assessments. You have done what has been asked of you by the administration. But really...what does that MAP score mean? Can you explain it to your students? Is it valid? Can you help your students set meaningful goals with the data? Are you just doing what is asked to get by, or are you really able to interpret and utilize the data for meaningful support? Shannon can help you! We have both been there! It's honest talk about data. We are here to help you work smarter and not harder.
Resource Links:

Parent Toolkit from NWEA (makers of MAP test)
NWEA Professional Learning for Teachers
RIT to Concept Document *need NWEA login*
Shannon's free MAP Quadrant Reflection document

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Getting to Know Your Readers Nov 15, 2018

How do you get to know your readers? Shannon and Mary share some of their experience using basic assessment tools to check foundational skills of their students:

oral reading fluency
sight words
phonemic awareness
decoding skills
spelling

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Becoming a Reading Teacher Nov 08, 2018

When was it that you first felt like you were a reading teacher who made the reading "magic" happen? When did you start to see growth from your students? What was the difference in your instruction or approach?
In this episode, Shannon and Mary describe their development as literacy teachers. They talk about the "moment when it clicked" and they figured out the magic of how to teach someone how to read.
Listen to this episode to learn more about the hosts and figure out their secrets to reading success.

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Introduction, Why we became teachers Nov 01, 2018

In this first episode, Shannon and Mary (two elementary reading teachers) introduce themselves and tell the stories about why they chose education and describe their varied teaching experiences.

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