The Six Shifts

In this podcast episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This much-awaited sequel to the first Shifting the Balance book introduces six more shifts for elementary teachers. In this episode, the authors discuss the fifth new shift, which invites teachers to revisit their fluency instruction. They talk about decoding skills, the relationship between silent reading and oral reading, and the important role of fluency in reading comprehension. They suggest that teaching fluency should involve carefully selected text and powerful instructional practice. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.

In this podcast episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This much-awaited sequel to the first Shifting the Balance book introduces six more shifts for elementary teachers. In this episode, the authors discuss the fourth new shift, which addresses reclaiming the role of word recognition instruction in the upper elementary grades. They talk about the false assumption that students will know everything they need to about how words work by the time they reach third grade. The authors also introduce the “Filling-the-Gaps” challenge and the “Moving Forward” challenge and suggest that carefully selected high-utility routines can help with both of these. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.

In this podcast episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This much-awaited sequel to the first Shifting the Balance book introduces six more shifts for elementary teachers. In this episode, the authors discuss the third new shift, which involves recommitting to vocabulary instruction. They talk about the roles of implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction and address concerns that formal vocabulary instruction will look like the lamented practices of yesteryear with looking up definitions, writing sentences, and taking tests. They address the connections between vocabulary, language comprehension, and reading comprehension and suggest that teachers adopt some high-leverage routines to make learning vocabulary easier for children. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.

In this podcast episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom discuss the second new shift, which involves rethinking the way we teach comprehension strategies. They unpack two important misunderstandings about strategy instruction in light of reading research. They suggest that a few strategic moves are sufficient for readers, and they encourage teachers to make brain-friendly adjustments to their instructional practices. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.

In this podcast, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This much-awaited sequel to the first Shifting the Balance book introduces six more shifts for elementary teachers. In this episode, the authors discuss the first new shift: building knowledge. They explore the role that knowledge plays in reading comprehension and why content area instruction is so important. They challenge educators to give knowledge building the instructional time it deserves as an essential component of reading comprehension. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.