What if the biggest obstacle to student success isn't summer, it's what teachers stop doing after the standardized test?
In Part 1 of my S5E40 Schoolutions conversation with Dr. Katherine (Kay) Stahl, literacy consultant, clinician, and former director of the NYU Literacy Clinic, she shares what 25+ years in classrooms taught her about reading, assessment, and what actually works. Learn about effective methods for teaching reading and supporting learning to read, ensuring summer reading is a time of continued progress. This conversation offers practical education tips for teachers, emphasizing the importance of phonics and ongoing teaching, especially after standardized testing concludes.
🎯 In this episode, you'll also learn about:
• The constrained vs. unconstrained skills framework every teacher needs to understand
• Why diagnostic assessment has fallen by the wayside and how to bring it back
• What fluency really means beyond reading speed (hint: it's about comprehension)
• The case for morphology instruction in 3rd grade and beyond
• How to turn end-of-year data into something useful for families and next year's teacher
• Paired reading: the research-backed strategy parents can use at home this summer
Some resources mentioned:
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction ➡️Dr. Kay Stahl
1:45 Who is Kay? Background & NYU Literacy Clinic
2:45 Constrained vs. unconstrained skills (Scott Paris research)
5:30 The biggest mistake teachers make at year-end
8:30 Turning data into action ➡️ end-of-year assessment tables
11:00 Why diagnostic assessment has fallen by the wayside
13:00 Science of reading & Assessment for Reading Instruction
13:45 Morphology ➡️what it is and why it matters
15:40 Fluency beyond reading speed ➡️accuracy, prosody & comprehension
18:00 The speedometer➡️teaching kids to match reading rate to purpose
20:30 Paired reading ➡️ the research-backed family strategy
22:30 Lightning round ➡️summer tips, myths & quick wins
25:30 Wrap-up & what's coming in Part 2
Part 2 drops Friday: covering summer reading plans, what counts as reading, and a comprehension finding that changes everything.
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🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
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