Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ™

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Imagine transforming the way you teach reading. Picture your students not just passively consuming the written word, but actively producing meaning and taking purposeful actions inspired by what they've read. This is the promise of our conversation with Doug Fisher, professor at San Diego State University and renowned author, as he takes us on a journey into the depths of reading comprehension.
We question the effectiveness of common literacy programs and discuss the intricate ties between vocabulary, comprehension, and prior knowledge. How do you feel about the 'letter of the week' approach? Listen as we scrutinize its validity and dig deeper into other foundational reading skills, such as letter recognition and sound blending. We also expose the symbiotic relationship between vocabulary and comprehension, underscoring the pivotal role of knowledge in decoding texts.
We then traverse the landscape of oral language in reading instruction and the implications of isolating reading from writing. Can you guess the impact of these practices on student learning? Doug enlightens us on the significance of comprehension strategy instruction and the importance of developing all elements of reading literacy. To cap it off, our conversation concludes with three practical suggestions that you, as an educator, can apply in your classroom for immediate impact. Prepare to awaken a new perspective on the world of reading.

Resources

• Articles by Natalie Wexler
• Steve Graham: Effective Writing Instruction (video)
• Powerful Writing Strategies for All Students, Harris & Graham (book)

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.
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Melissa and Lori are obsessed with the knowledge building connection to writing in this episode, and thought it deserved another release!

How can educators support students in clearly communicating their understanding through writing? How do HQIM support and execute this approach to writing for understanding? The Vermont Writing Collaborative authors chat with us about this grounded in a knowledge-building approach.

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Take time to notice.

Brendan O’Day shares an important message for educators - Start by noticing: Slow down and bring back the joy of schooling. He tells the story of preparing soon-to-be leaders, guiding them skillfully to seek curiosity rather than judgement. We realize this school year is unlike any other. Brendan writes that we should “Focus on bringing back the joy of schooling. Focus on this hard, with immense love and grace and compassion and rigorous expectations for academic achievement.” How? Start by noticing. 

Brendan O’Day, Ed.D. is a Founding Partner of the Meristem Group, LLC. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanODay.

 Bonus: For our Wit & Wisdom ELA educator listeners, we make explicit connections to the classroom and how this aligns with noticing and wondering about texts and students!  

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Matt Hoganson, Assistant Principal in Aurora, CO, is committed to unthinking and thinking again… or in other words, "in a turbulent world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.” In the book Think Again, author and psychologist Adam Grant discusses the ability to rethink and unlearn. 

 As literacy leaders (and lovers), how can we unthink what we think we know about literacy and become open, divergent learners to guide this work? Matt models a learning-first approach to leading literacy in his school. If you’re interested in learning more about how Clayton Elementary School made the shift to a content-focused curriculum, check out this blog. And, if you’d like to read about Matt’s Spartan kids foundation, read this. 

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