Shows
Reading Teachers Lounge7.18 Season 7 FinaleShannon 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 pod...2025-07-1231 min
Reading Teachers Lounge7.12 Effective Student EngagementShannon 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 websiteFidget Game TikTok accountShannon's favorite (FREE) growth mindset activities via TpT-lower gradesShannon's favorite (FREE) growth mindset activities vi...2025-05-3049 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 April 2025 Bonus EpisodeSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis is our April 2025 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 April 2025 bonus podcast episode, Shannon and Mary chat about the tutoring and advocacy work they've been doing. They talk about how they're preparing their students for the upcoming testing season. They discuss some of the struggles and succe...2025-04-3024 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 March 2025 BonusSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis is our March 2025 exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these bonus 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 and Mary provide details about their tutoring students of various ages and how they're using different curriculum resources with their readers. Shannon describes how she's using some Conquering Spelling Demons cards that she purc...2025-04-0229 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 February 2025 BonusSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis is our February 2025 exclusive bonus episode of Reading Teachers Lounge podcast. In these bonus 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. We start this episode with an apology and explanation for the missing January episode and the delay in publishing this one. (Back in January, Shannon's computer crashed unexpectedly and they lost 3 regular podcast episodes and the January bon...2025-03-0636 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 December 2024 BonusSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis 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 thr...2025-01-0438 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 November 2024 bonus episodeSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis 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...2024-11-2823 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 October 2024 bonus episodeSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis 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...2024-10-2459 min
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 September 2024 Bonus Episode for SubscribersSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textThis 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 Time...2024-09-2639 min
Reading Teachers Lounge7.2 Mending Teachers with Karen Gross 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 E...2024-09-201h 11
Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 AD FREE 7.2 Mending Teachers with Karen GrossSubscriber-only episodeSend us a textShannon 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...2024-09-191h 08Reading Teachers Lounge🔒 August 2024Subscriber-only episodeSend us a text 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...2024-08-2242 min
Reading Teachers LoungeDate Your DataShannon 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 EPISODEour Season 1 episode: Understanding the MAP test...2024-02-231h 26
Reading Teachers LoungeBuilding Knowledge with Linda RhyneShannon 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 EPISODEThe Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler *Amazon affiliate l...2024-02-091h 04
Reading Teachers LoungeGifts for Our Readers with Dr. Karen GazithShannon 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 EPISODEAsk the Right Questions about RTIWait to Fail Model The Power of Effective Reading Instruction: How Neuroscience Informs Instruction Across All Grades and Disciplines by Karen Gazith *Amaz...2024-01-051h 05
Reading Teachers LoungeRead Aloud to Boost ComprehensionMary 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 EPISODEReading Rockets: Reading Aloud to Build ComprehensionReading Rockets: Vocabulary Development During Rea...2023-12-0854 min
Reading Teachers Loungethe Comprehension ProcessShannon 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 EPISODEthe Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Hennessy *Amazon affiliate linkExecutive Skills and Reading Comprehension: A Guide for Educators by Kelly B. Cartwright *Amazon affiliate linkA Blueprint for Reading Comprehension webinar recordingA Comprehension Checkup webinar recordingexcerpt from Chapter 1: the Reading Comprehension BlueprintThe Science of Reading C...2023-11-2446 min
Reading Teachers LoungeBest Reading Instructional MovesShannon 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 EPISODE7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success by Lindsay Kemeny *Amazon affiliate linkVideos and Resources that accompany Lindsay's bookLindsay's websiteLindsay on Twitter @LindsayKemenyLindsay's Youtube cha...2023-11-1056 min
Reading Teachers LoungeWe Love MistakesShannon 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.RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODEActual Reading ErrorsReading Simpli...2023-10-2051 min
Reading Teachers LoungeIntervention in the Upper GradesShannon 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.RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODETexas Center for Learning Disabilities: Effective Reading Interventions for Upper Elementary StudentsProviding Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4-9 (What Words Clearinghouse)EdWeek: How Schools Can Support Older Students Who Lag in ReadingReading Roc...2023-10-061h 19
Reading Teachers LoungeEtymology and Orthographic StudyShannon 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 EPISODEOnline Etymology DictionaryWhen is an O a Scribal O?Literacy Nest resource for Sc...2023-09-221h 05
Reading Teachers LoungeBack to School Reflections and PlansShannon 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 EPISODEGeorgia Department of Education: Dyslexia InformationGreat E-books about Structured Shared Reading & Writing and other guides Regarding DyslexiaAssessing Reading Multiple Measures from Core Literacy Library *Amazon affiliate link*Book a free call with us to tour our Patreon and see if it...2023-09-0838 minReading Teachers LoungeSummer Reading TipsShannon 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 EPISODEScholastic Summer Read...2023-06-1636 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 5 Finale: Ends & BeginningsShannon 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 EPISODESeason 5 Episo...2023-05-191h 08
Reading Teachers LoungePutting the Science of Reading Into Action with Malia Hollowell from Playdough to PlatoShannon 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:Science of Reading: Defining Guide from The Reading Lea...2023-05-051h 01
Reading Teachers LoungeTeaching and Reaching Diverse LearnersShannon 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 Modalities10 Visual Literacy StrategiesMedia LiteracyVisual LearningTips for Viewing Images in Picture BooksTrauma Informed TeachingTeaching Visual Literacy: Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills *Amazon affiliate link*Teaching Visual Literacy in...2023-04-211h 04
Reading Teachers LoungePractical Tips for Reading Teachers with guest Jamie Sears from Not So Wimpy TeacherShannon 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:Ja...2023-04-0756 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSpeaking and Listening StandardsShannon 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.Episode Links for Resources:Common Core StandardsReading Rockets: Speaking and Listening in Content Area LearningSpeaking and Listening standards UtahElementary Nest: How to...2023-03-2455 min
Reading Teachers LoungeBuilding Reading FluencyShannon 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. Episode Links for Resources mentioned:What is fluency?Fluency methodsNote from Timothy RaskinskiThe Megabook of Fluency by Timothy Raskinski *Amazon affiliate link*Reading Rockets: Reading Basics-FluencyReading Rockets: Developing Fluent ReadersReading Plus-a reading fluency softwareThe Measured Mom: How to Improve Reading F...2023-03-1147 min
Reading Teachers LoungeBuilding VocabularyShannon 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. Episode Links for Resources mentioned:How do we teach the Language Comprehension strand of Scarborough's Reading Rope?Word Building: 20 root words and 14 prefixes= 100,000 words (Dyslexia Associates)Academic Word Finder (AchievetheCore.org)Word Study that Sticks: Best Practices by Pamela Koutrakos *Amazon affiliate link*Llamophones by Janik...2023-02-2454 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMeaningful Learning AssessmentsOften 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.Episode Links for Resources mentioned:SoR assessment list Reading Rockets: Assessment In DepthCORE Phonics SurveyWiley Blevins Comprehensive Phonics SurveyDibels 8th Edition Cherry Lee Informal Writing Screener our Getting to Know Your Readers episode Season 1 Episode 3our MAP te...2023-02-1041 min
Reading Teachers LoungeDecodable Texts with Emily Gibbons, the Literacy NestShannon 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. Episode Links for Resources mentioned:Decodable Texts Guide UFLIA tweet with a graphic that says "Decodable texts are a bridge, not a destination!" -C. TartaglioneA Research Study on the Effects of Using Decodable Texts...2023-01-2757 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSimple View of Reading and Beyond with Dr. Janet MortShannon 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 ReadingThe Readi...2023-01-131h 09
Reading Teachers LoungeOrthographic Mapping with Anna Geiger (The Measured Mom)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:D...2022-12-2358 min
Reading Teachers Loungethe Reading Brain with Dr. Marnie GinsbergShannon 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 b...2022-12-091h 09
Reading Teachers LoungeBalancing It All as a Reading Teacher (with Guest Linda Rhyne)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...2022-11-251h 08
Reading Teachers LoungeClassroom Libraries with Donalyn Miller and Colby SharpShannon 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 BlogNerdy Book Club (joint blog)Donalyn Miller's website The Book Whisperer.comGame Changer! Book...2022-11-1132 min
Reading Teachers Loungethe SchwaShannon 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 AmazonUncovering the Logic of English by Denise Eide *Amazon af...2022-10-2839 min
Reading Teachers LoungeOur Favorite Literacy ResourcesShannon 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 resourcesFlorida Center for Reading Research Student Center ActivitiesOpen Source PhonicsTools4Teaching (formerly West Virginia Phonics)UFLI new...2022-10-1447 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSupporting English Language LearnersMary 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.Episode Resources:How Does the Science of Reading Apply to Teaching Multilingual Learners?Podcast episode about SOR...2022-09-301h 22
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 5 Opener: New School Year, New Season of the PodcastShannon 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.Episode Resources:Shannon's Phonics UnitsDecodable readers from HeggertyDecodable readers from High NoonDecodable readers from GeodesDecodable readers from FlyleafMorpheme Magic from Deb GlaserMary's updated websiteVan Cleave vocabulary resourcesour Patreon site and detailsCOME JOIN THE CONVERSATION!Our Website Support the show2022-09-1650 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSchool Year and Season 4 Wrap UpShannon 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.Episode Resources:Shannon's Phonics UnitsDecodable readers from HeggertyDecodable readers from High NoonDecodable readers from GeodesDecodable readers from FlyleafMorpheme Magic from Deb Glaserour Morphology episodeour Wiley Blevins Scope and Sequence episodeour Nancy Young Differentiation episodeMary's updated websiteVan Cleave vocabulary resourcesour Patreon site and detailsHot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l (*Amazon affiliate link)2022-07-0145 min
Reading Teachers LoungeLong and Short VowelsShannon 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.Episode Resources:The ABC's and All Their Tricks by Margaret M. Bishop (*Amazon affiliate link)our Season 1 episode about Short Vowelsour Season 1 episode about Long Vowelsour Season 4 episode about Sound WallsShannon's Long and Short Vowel Soccer gameShannon's phonics unitsFCRR Long and Short Vowel picture sortFCRR Long and Short Vowel word sortHot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l...2022-06-2413 min
Reading Teachers LoungeDifferentiation for Different ReadersShannon 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.Episode Resources:Nancy Young's websiteNancy's blog post about...2022-06-171h 16
Reading Teachers LoungeJust Right Reading Books for Families and StudentsShannon 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.Episode Resources:Decodable Book Collection from Just Right ReaderSample Decodablesabout Just Right ReaderFamily Literacy BoxesJust Right Reader on InstagramJust Right Reader on FacebookJust Right Re...2022-06-0323 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSound WallsShannon 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.Episode Resources:Transitioning from Word Walls to Sound Walls (Reading Rockets)Understanding the How and Why of Sound Walls (Tools4Reading)Implementing a Sound WallSound Wall Instruction and Template (Louisiana Literacy)Timothy Shanahan: Should We Build a...2022-03-2552 min
Reading Teachers LoungePhonemic Awareness: In the Dark or With Letters?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 othersTimothy Shanahan: RIP to Advanced Phonemic AwarenessI Think I was Wrong about Phonemic Awareness (a Teacher's perspective)Heggerty ResourcesPhonological Awareness AssessmentYouTube discussion about the topic among other reading te...2022-03-0437 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMorphologyShannon 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.Episode Resources:Wiliam Van Cleve: Morphology Matters, Word Sums, and MoreVan Cleve-Morphology Matters VideoODE-Using Word Bases videoWhat Should Morphology Instruction look like? (Reading Rockets)The Base Bank from Jason Wade Education (Sounds & Syllables)Morphology—A Gateway to Advanced LanguageMorphological Awareness & Assessments articleTeaching Morphology to Impr...2022-02-1143 min
Reading Teachers LoungeNew Understandings about EncodingShannon 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 Hosp...2022-01-2840 min
Reading Teachers LoungeThe Updated Ladder of Reading and WritingShannon 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. Episode Resources:Nancy Young's websiteNancy's blog post about her updates to the LadderThe Updated Ladder of Reading and Writing (in pdf form)Nancy Young's Structured Literacy PrimerLadder of Reading and Writing: Te...2021-12-3150 min
Reading Teachers LoungeThe Importance of StorytellingShannon 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:Information for parents about BOOKR Class App2 week free trial on BOOKR Class for teachers Holiday Calendar campaign from BookrOur previous episode Books as Mirrors, Doors, and WindowsStorytelling Improves Lite...2021-12-1741 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSupporting Reading TeachersShannon 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 programWebinars & TrainingsTwitter @teachingmattersContact Teaching Matters : inquiry@teachingmatters.orgEarly Reading Assessment Toolkit from Teaching MattersReading MattersLiteracy activities from Teaching MattersBookr Class App (interactive storytelling) 70% off promotion linkHot Logic Mini Oven https://amzn.to/3jO2C4l (*Amazon affiliate link)Daily Harvest (Get $35 off your first box when you use this link)2021-11-2549 min
Reading Teachers LoungeScarborough's Reading Rope with Tess KraftShannon 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 RopeReading Rope padlet20 years of Reading Rope recordingsNell Duke Reading Rope RedefinedComplete Nell Duke article linkReally Great Reading article about the Reading RopeAnimated Reading Rope39 Clues Text Series (*Amazon affiliate link)The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler (*Amazon affiliate link)Literacy Program from American College of...2021-11-121h 05
Reading Teachers LoungeScience of Reading with Heidi MartinShannon 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 websiteScience of reading YouTube video Science of Reading Blog and video seriesScience of Reading Comprehension Instruction What is the SOR?Timothy Shanahan What is science of reading?SOR guideWhat teachers should know about SOR The Science of ReadingThe sciences of reading Teaching Rubrics aligned with SORCreativity to the CoreEquipped for Reading Success by David Kilpatrick *(Amazon affiliate link)Amplify...2021-10-011h 05
Reading Teachers LoungeChatting about Scope and Sequence with Wiley BlevinsShannon 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 BriefA 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...2021-09-161h 25
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 4 Opener: Back To School & Together AgainIn 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:Link to our MAP episode from Season 1Heggerty Phonemic AwarenessLLI kits by Fountas & PinnellHD Word by Really Great ReadingJennifer Serravallo Complete Comprehension KitsWhat To Do About Dyslexia by Richard Selznick *Suddenly Diverse: How Districts Manage Race and Inequality by Erica O...2021-09-0649 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 3 FinaleIn 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 COME JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Our Website Facebook ...2021-07-1519 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAuditory LearnersThis 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 LearnersTips for Auditory LearnersThe Auditory LearnerAuditory Learning Style ExplainedAuditory Learner InfographicCharacteristics of Learning StylesMultisensory TriangleActivities for Auditory Learners Engaging Different Types of Learners in Your Classroom Our Shared Reading podcast episodeLearning Ally audiobooks25 Sight Word Songs and Mini Books (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amoun...2021-04-3024 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMaking the Most of Your Online Reading InstructionShannon 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 hereCommunity of Inquiry FrameworkMorning Meeting Ideas book -Jolly Ju...2021-01-1049 min
Reading Teachers LoungeVisual LearningShannon 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 LearnerTips for Visual LearnersJennifer Serravallo Reading Strategies book (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amount on your purchase.)Main Idea stool videoReading 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 GeneratorCOME JOIN THE CONVERSATION!...2020-12-1115 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMake It MultisensoryMultisensory 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 IMSEWhat is Multisensory Learning: Waterford.orgMultisensory OverviewLiteracy Nest Multisensory Part 1 Emily Gibbons Make it Multisensory - especially sight word practice The Language Triangle Emily GibbonsLadder of ReadingThree Reasons Why Multisensory Learning is Food for the BrainSentence builder magnet tiles* (This is an Amazon affiliate link, where we would make a small commission amo...2020-11-1326 min
Reading Teachers LoungeIt's Time to Talk About Dr. SeussShannon 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. CatherineNPR Code Switch episodeDr Seuss Art.com Should Dr. Seuss be cancelled? Opinion page with links...2020-10-2324 min
Reading Teachers LoungeBooks as Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Doors (Diverse Books)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:THE Actual Paper that started this discussion 2020-10-0234 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSeason 2 FinaleShannon and Mary catch up after their Season 2 hiatus to discuss Quarantine Life, Home Learning, and what's next.RESOURCE LINKS: COME JOIN THE CONVERSATION!Our WebsiteFacebookInstagramShannon's TpT StoreSupport the showGet Literacy Support through our Patreon 2020-07-2229 min
Reading Teachers LoungeWe love FCRR!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.)FCRR homepageJill Shook loves F...2020-02-2943 min
Reading Teachers LoungeSpelling Tests: Good or Bad? with special guest Alison from Learning at the Primary PondShannon 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. Resource Links:blog post by Alison at Learning At the Primary PondLiteracy website by AlisonBlog post about Best Practices in Phonics by AllisonWords Their Way Primary Spelling InventoryBest Practices in Literacy Instruction, Sixth Edition*Words Their Way by Donald Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, & Francine Johnson *Rethinking Phonics: Making the Best Decisions by: Karin Dahl, Patricia Grogan, Lora Lawson, and Patricia Scharer*Letter Lessons and...2020-02-2140 min
Reading Teachers LoungeShared ReadingShannon 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. Resource Links:Reading Rockets: Shared ReadingMedium Shared Reading with Small Groups of Struggling Re...2020-01-3130 min
Reading Teachers LoungeReading WarsShannon 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 ReadersLucy Calkins' response: No One Gets to Own the Term "The Science of Reading"Need to practice Phonics instruction? *Speec...2020-01-2437 min
Reading Teachers LoungeBalanced Literacy versus Structured LiteracyMary 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. Resource Links:Nancy Y...2019-12-1319 min
Reading Teachers LoungeIndependent ReadingShannon 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 gr...2019-11-2937 min
Reading Teachers LoungeRead AloudShannon 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. Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*The Art of Teaching Reading by Lucy Calkins*The Book Whisperer...2019-11-0844 min
Reading Teachers LoungeGuided ReadingShannon 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.Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Guided Reading videoLucy Calkins videos (small group videos on this page)Decodable text guided reading lesson videoComprehension Discussion promptsAMAZING free resources from Jan Richardson, a guided reading guruGuided reading...2019-10-2536 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAlphabetic PrincipleMary discusses the concept of alphabetic principle and strategies for teaching blending. Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Reading Rockets Blending and Segmenting StrategiesThe Alphabetic Principle from Phonological Awareness to Reading WordsWhat is the Alphabetic Principle? This Reading MamaFlorida Center for Reading Research - Letter CorrespondenceTeaching Word Recognition, Second Edition: Effective Strategies for Students with Learning Difficulties (What Works for Special-Needs Learners) by Rollanda E. O'Connor*Finger tappingBlending B...2019-10-1819 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMore Listener Questions AnsweredGreat news! Shannon is here to help address more listener questions about Lucy Calkins, comprehension strategies and professional development for reading specialists.Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Lucy Calkins Writing Units of StudyThe Writing Revolution by Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler*Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis*Dyslexia Training InstituteCOME JOIN THE CONVERSATION!2019-10-1137 min
Reading Teachers LoungeKids Who Fly Under the RadarMary 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."Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Hiding in...2019-09-2712 min
Reading Teachers LoungeListener Questions AnsweredMary responds to listener questions about time management and the components of a tutoring session. Resource Links:OG Drill informationI 2019-09-2031 min
Reading Teachers LoungeStudents Need Systematic, Explicit Phonics - ILA says so!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. Resource Links:Education Week July 18, 2019 Influential Reading Group Makes it Clear: Students Need Systematic, Explicit PhonicsBrief from ILA Meeting the Challenges of Early Phonics InstructionHard Words Why Aren't Kids Being Taught to Read (APM report by Emily Hanford)our Episode about reading terms: Phoneme and Graphemeour Episode about Phonological and Phonemic Awareness2019-09-1330 minReading Teachers LoungeBack to SchoolThis 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.Resource Links:SMART Goals (lol)Fundations Phonics Programour Sight Words Episodeour Short Vowels episodeour Long Vowels episodeour R-Controlled Vowels episodeour Vowel Teams episodeour Syllables episodeour Phonemic Awareness episodeKindergarten activities for books about different colorsFollow Us:Our Revised WebsiteFacebookInstagram2019-09-0628 min
Reading Teachers LoungeHands On Learning in the SummerAre 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. Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*What Mom's Love blog with 101 ideas to encourage learning with chalkLetter Sounds (Beginning, Middle, Ending sound Or or Sight Word with a spray bottle)Pool Noodle games...2019-05-1738 min
Reading Teachers LoungeFacilitating Digital LearningShannon 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. Resource Links:Digital Assignments Sheet Cult of Pedagogy Podcast - Check Your Tech: 6 StrategiesBoom LearningImagine LearningMoby MaxLexiaAmplifyNessyLanguage LiveEpicFollow Us:Our WebsiteInstagramShannon's TpT StoreSupport the showGet Literacy Support through our Patreon 2019-05-0336 min
Reading Teachers LoungeTeacher Jargon Defined: Phoneme and GraphemeShannon and Mary review the terms phoneme and grapheme. They're important terms to understanding the connections between letters and sounds.Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Phonics they Use Words for Reading and Writing by Patricia CunninghamPhonics A-Z by Wiley BlevinsPhonemes, Graphemes, and Letters: The Word Burger44 Phonemes in EnglishFollow Us:Our WebsiteInstagram2019-04-2606 min
Reading Teachers LoungeImproving Encoding InstructionShannon 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?Resource Links:Article: Why Phonics Instruction Must Change Encoding, Decoding, and Understanding the Print LanguageTeaching Encoding and DecodingEquipped for Reading Success by David KilpatrickReview of Left and Right Brain - HealthlineFREE sound wall bulletin board Follow Us:Our Website2019-04-1938 min
Reading Teachers LoungePreschool LiteracyShannon 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. Resource Links:All About Learning - Motivation to Read 10 Tips for PreschoolersConscious Discipline - Social/Emotional curriculumPlay based curriculum Types of preschool programmingFollow Us:Our WebsiteInstagramShannon's TpT StoreSupport the showGet Literacy Support through our Pa...2019-04-1236 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAuthentic WritingReading 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.Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*Thinking Maps The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subject Areas by Judith C. Hochman and Amanda Wexler*Reading and Writing S...2019-03-2926 min
Reading Teachers LoungeMindfulness About LearningShannon 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. Resource Links:NOTE: As an Amazon Associate program, we earn a small amount from your qualifying purchases. We'd appreciate if you would use our links to help support the podcast.*How Metacognition Can Help KidsExecutive Functioning Task CardsStrategies that Work book link*Strategies that Work Study Guide5 Ways to Boost Metacognition in the ClassroomMetacognition Overview3 Ideas for Teaching Students Struggling...2019-03-2225 min
Reading Teachers LoungeLet's Talk About Phonemic AwarenessMary 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!Resource Links:Phonological and Phonemic Awareness IntroductionOrton Gillingham Educators' GuideEquipped for Reading Success by David KilpatrickPhonological Awareness and DyslexiaPhonemic Awareness Overview (from U. of Oregon)Getting Ready to Read Phonemic Awareness Centers (with the Frog book cover)FCRR Student Activities-look at the Phonological Awareness resourcesThe Literacy Nest:Building Phonemic Awareness for Struggling ReadersLong and...2019-03-0835 min
Reading Teachers LoungeA Conversation about ZPD and RigorShannon 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. Resource Links:ZPD Overview (Wikipedia)ZPD and ScaffoldingReading Levels and ZPDsZone of Proximal DevelopmentZPD and Accelerated Reader/Renaissance LearningHow do you find the instructional reading level? Analyzing AccuracyFree Data Folder resourceEpisode 4...2019-03-0131 min
Reading Teachers LoungeB and D ReversalsShannon 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.Resource Links:Bat and Ball; Drum and StickB is a bad, bad boy; D's like to talkLetter reversal posterGuest Blogger from...2019-02-2226 min
Reading Teachers LoungeRecognizing a Struggling ReaderShannon 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.Resource Links:Struggling Reader Behavior ChecklistWhy Millions of...2019-02-1525 min
Reading Teachers LoungeA Conversation About DyslexiaMary 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! Resource Links:Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally ShaywitzYale Center for Dyslexia and...2019-02-0839 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAll About Sight WordsAre 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. Resource Links:Red Words Sight Word Stories by Margaret HillertStructured Word Inquiry WebinarSight Word PhrasesSight Word Parking LogSight Word Guess WhoShannon's Sight Word Teaching resourcesFollow Us:O...2019-02-0129 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAll About SyllablesShannon 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. Resource Links:FCRR Speedy Syllables activityCurated Syllables Youtube clips playlistWiley Blevins upper grade p...2019-01-2528 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAll About Vowel TeamsVowel 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. Resource Links:The Literacy Nest Tips for Teaching Vowel TeamsCurated Vowel Teams Youtube clips playlistFCRR Same...2019-01-1825 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAll About R-Controlled VowelsShannon 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. Resource Links:R-Controlled Spin game from FCRRGREAT Youtube video clips to introduce & practice the sounds!The Literacy Nest article about r-controlled vowelsSmitten with First R-controlled FriendsThe Measured Mom Gem r-controlled gamePat Cunningham Looks Right StrategyPat Cunningham Making Words activityThe Measured Mom FREE Elkonin boxesR-Controlled word list and...2019-01-1125 min
Reading Teachers LoungeAll About Long VowelsMary 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 PlaylistFree Reading.net Decodable passagesThe Literacy Nest Syllable gameThe Literacy Nest Long Vowel Clip CardsFCRR Short and Long Vowel Word sortShannon's Long Vowels Lesson Plans and ActivitiesLong Vowel Foldable *c...2018-12-2126 minReading Teachers LoungeAll About Short VowelsShannon 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. Resource Links:FCRR Short vowel reading center FCRR Real & Nonsense word center FCRR CVC make words & pictures Really Good Stuff teaching guide wit...2018-12-1428 min
Reading Teachers LoungeDecoding the MAP testYou'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...2018-11-3030 min