Shanahan on Literacy

Latest Episodes:

Reading Achievement and the Long Tail of the Pandemic Oct 03, 2026

Show notes

The latest PISA scores reveal that reading achievement is still dropping for many populations of 15 year olds. This podcast explores what -- if anything -- can be done to reverse these ongoing aftereffects of the 2020 pandemic (yep, it is still with us).

What Should Morphology Instruction Look Like? Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

This podcast explores the role that morphology instruction should play in the teaching of reading -- both in terms of decoding and comprehension -- and provides practical, research-based recommendations for how that teaching should proceed.

Towards Better Decodables and Better Use of Decodables Sep 05, 2026

Show notes

These days any reading program that doesn't include decodables will have a lot of trouble doing business. Research isn't particularly supportive of the use of these simplified beginning reading text, but it seems reasonable to provide kids with practice of what we teach and we should be teaching decoding. Unfortunately, most decodables provide a weak kind of practice. This essay demonstrates how this could be improved upon.

Should We Still Teach Close Reading? Aug 29, 2026

Show notes

The Common Core emphasized the teaching of close reading. Many states have revised those standards. Should close reading still have a place in your classroom in reading comprehension instruction? This podcast explores what close reading is and why it still should matter as part of comprehension instruction.

What We Talk About When We Talk About the Love of Reading (Part II) Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

In the previous episode, the research on how much we are reading these days was reviewed. This episode explores the reasons for the decline in reading and what can be done to change its direction. The solution will surprise you.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love of Reading, Part 1 Aug 01, 2026

Show notes

Recently, a number of reports have revealed that Americans (and Brits and Australians) aren't reading for pleasure as much as they used to. This has led some to conclude that we are in big trouble. Is that the case? What does the decline in reading mean? This is the first of a two parter -- the follow up podcast will explore possible solutions.

What's the Role of Amount of Reading Instruction? Jul 25, 2026

Show notes

We talk a lot about what to teach in reading, but not so much about how much reading we should teach. This episode aims at making sense of the amounts of time needed to teach reading as effectively as our society requires.

How Do We Deal with Fluency Instruction in the Middle and High School? Part 2 Jul 11, 2026

Show notes

This podcast explores how reading fluency is best improved in the upper grades -- explaining when instruction should shift to Tier 2 settings and the methods and texts best used for teaching.

Why Deal with Fluency Instruction in the Middle and High School (Or Ever)? Jun 27, 2026

Show notes

Should we teach reading fluency in middle school and high school? This podcast explores the differences in fluency development in the primary grades and middle school grades and explains why fluency instruction matters in the upper grades. It provides a realistic explanation of what fluency development looks like over these years.

Do You Have Any Pet Peeves About Reading? Here Are My Top Ten Jun 06, 2026

Show notes

A pet peeve is an irritating annoyance. We can have pet peeves about anything, including reading education and the arguments that rage around it. Here are some of the things that I find annoying about those practices and debates.

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