Reading Teachers Lounge

Latest Episodes:

8.1 New Season, New Stories Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary kick off the new season with reflections on how far the podcast has come, from family anecdotes to stories of former students thriving—like Rigby, a once-struggling reader now headed to college. They share practical tips for using Canva to teach morphology, highlight successes from their summer tutoring, and discuss balancing work, rest, and family life. Additionally, they unveil exciting plans to feature more teacher voices in the show through their bonus episodes, available to all subscribers.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

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7.18 Season 7 Finale Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary look back over Season 7 and reflect on what really matters for our reading students. "The right things for our learners" emerged as the unofficial theme of our seventh season. This phrase encapsulates what each of us strives for – cutting through the noise to identify the most impactful practices for the unique students in front of us.
The conversations with our guests this season revealed a common thread: the need to simplify and focus on what's most important. In this episode, Shannon and Mary share some of their key takeaways from the discussions with the podcast guests over the course of the season. They also provide details about the professional learning they've done over the past year, changes they've made in their own teaching practices, and new resources they're using with their students.
We want to hear from YOU in Season 8! If you're interested in joining us as a guest to discuss real classroom experiences, email us at team@readingteacherslounge.com or reach out through our social media handle @ReadingTeachersLounge

LINKS FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Magic School AI
Chat GPT (Mary uses for decodables)
Dyslexia GA DOE resources
Season 7 overall link
SWI resouces
Uncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon affiliate link
All About Spelling
Spelling for Life by Lyn Stone *Amazon affiliate link

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7.17 Impactful Interventions Jul 05, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Katie Pace-Miles about MTSS and RTI, sharing practical tips for delivering effective reading interventions, choosing quality resources, and running efficient team meetings to support struggling readers. Whether you're a classroom teacher trying to support struggling readers, a specialist designing intervention programs, or a parent advocating for your child, this conversation provides clear, actionable guidance for making literacy interventions both manageable and truly impactful.

LINKS FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

Easy CBM
Making Words Stick by Katie Pace Miles and Molly Ness *Amazon affiliate link*
our episode with Molly Ness from Season 6
overview of MTSS/RTI from understood.org
meeting norms
FCRR Fast Phrases
Wrights Law
Caregiver Guide from Katie Pace Miles
Letter Knowledge Guide from Katie Pace Miles
The Reading Institute website
The Reading Institute on IG
The Reading Institute (LinkedIn)
The Reading Institute (Facebook)
Katie Pace Miles' website
Connect with Katie through LinkedIn
Find Katie on IG
McGraw Hill Science of Literacy Library:
A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.

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7.16 Executive Functioning Demands Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

What's really happening when students struggle to stay on task, complete assignments, or transition between activities? In this illuminating conversation with literacy experts Dr. Matt Strader and Dr. Douglas Fisher, Shannon and Mary delve into the complex world of executive functioning and its impact on classroom performance. Executive functioning isn't just about behavior—it's about cognitive processes happening in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Both guests help us understand the crucial distinction between the neurological processes of executive functioning and the observable skills of self-regulation.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
Dr. Douglas Fisher's website
Dr. Matt Strader on LinkedIn
Executive Skills and Reading Comprehension: A Guide for Educators by Kelly Cartwright and Nell Duke *Amazon affiliate link
Center on the Developing Child from Harvard University
Deborah Phillips-EF as the "air traffic control system"
Lynn Meltzer- mountain versus trees (cognitive flexibility)
Amy Berry- Teacher expectations on engagement
Timothy Shanahan's blog from 2022 on Executive Functioning and Reading
Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University): EF- video
Unmasking Autism by Devon Price *Amazon affiliate link*
FCRR: Alphabet Arc
Promoting Executive Functioning in the Classroom by Lynn Meltzer *Amazon affiliate link*
Cognitive Challenges article by Stephen Chew and William Cerbin
Bandura-outcome expectations
Understood.org: What is neurodiversity?

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7.15 Language Demands Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary talk with Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez about supporting Multi-Language Learners, exploring language development, daily classroom language demands, and practical strategies to help MLLs thrive. The information presented is relevant for teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking practical tools to enhance instruction for multilingual learners.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Our Season 5 Episode 2: Supporting English Language Learners
McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.
Vanderbilt University: Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez
Edutopia: Using SIOP with English Learners
Savvas Learning Company: SIOP Model Professional Learning
Impact of Multilingualism and Learning Patterns on Student Achievement in English and other subjects by Raees Calafato and Kevin Simmonds
WIDA Can Do Descriptors for various grade levels
Reading Rockets: What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners?
Academic Language and ELLS: What Teachers Need to Know
Reading Horizons: What's the Difference Between ESL, EFL, ESOL, ELL, MLL, and ESP?

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7.14 Literacy Leaders Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Shannon chats with Laura Stewart (from 95 Percent Group) about bold moves that literacy leaders can take to transform the literacy practices in their learning communities. Laura provides stories and strategies relating to successfully implementing best practices informed by the Science of Reading into schools and classrooms, and Shannon shares some real-life examples of what she's learned to do and not to do as a literacy leader. Listen and also download the recommended resources from the show notes to be empowered in your transformation efforts.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

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7.13 The Right Things for Our Learners Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary welcome Dr. Timothy Shanahan to the Reading Teachers Lounge to quiet the noise within the literacy community and help us all realize the MOST important things we should be doing for our learners according to the reading research. Listeners will find out what practices and activities they should prioritize to improve their students' reading achievement.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students' Reading Achievement Has Been Held Back and What We Can Do About It by Timothy Shanahan (available for PreOrder) *Amazon affililate link
Dr. Shanahan's website (Shananan on Literacy)
Dr. Shanahan's blog
Connect with Dr. Shananan via Facebook
Dr. Shanahan's blog post about Comprehension (mentions text cohesion)
Are We Teaching Reading Comprehension Part II: 6 Things Every Teacher Should Know (blog post by Dr. Shanahan)
30 Second Mysteries *Amazon affiliate link
McGraw-Hill Science of Literacy Library:
A free resource hub containing blogs, videos, research reports, and more— designed to connect teachers with practical classroom resources and Professional Learning tips.

Support the show

7.12 Effective Student Engagement May 30, 2025

Show notes

Shannon and Mary chat with Brandi Dugal from The Fidget Game, featured on Shark Tank, about unique ways to engage and motivate students to learn. They share methods for gamification, brain breaks, and other strategies teachers can use to increase student engagement. Listen for ideas to make reading more fun and how to help motivate even the most reluctant readers to get excited about their learning.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

The Fidget Game website
Fidget Game TikTok account
Shannon's favorite (FREE) growth mindset activities via TpT-lower grades
Shannon's favorite (FREE) growth mindset activities via TpT-upper grades
The Fidget Game for purchase *Amazon affiliate link
King Komodo game for purchase *Amazon affiliate link
SquishyLand game for purchase *Amazon affiliate link
The Vocabulary game for purchase *Amazon affiliate link
ASCD: New Thinking about Student Engagement

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7.11 Structured Word Inquiry May 23, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Pete Bowers shared how Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) transforms spelling and vocabulary into tools for deep thinking - perfect for engaging advanced and struggling readers in the elementary reading classroom.
We encourage the listeners to also check out this episode on YouTube to learn from the visuals Dr. Bowers shared during the discussion (link is at the top of the show notes).

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

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Challenging Advanced Readers May 18, 2025

Show notes

How can teachers effectively support advanced readers in elementary school? In this insightful episode, we’re joined by literacy expert Nancy Young to explore practical, evidence-based strategies for meeting the needs of gifted and high-achieving readers in the classroom.
Nancy shares her expertise on differentiation strategies, including offering choice in reading materials, using tiered assignments, and implementing project-based learning to keep advanced readers engaged. We also discuss how to encourage critical thinking, promote independent reading, and create meaningful peer discussion and mentorship opportunities.
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, reading specialist, or literacy coach, this episode offers valuable tools and inspiration to elevate your elementary reading instruction and ensure all students—especially your strongest readers—are challenged and supported.

RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE:

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