Melissa & Lori Love Literacy ® | Science of Reading for Teachers

Today Scott Dieter joins us to share the landscape in Lorain, OH pre-high-quality curricula implementation and the steps his district made to prioritize trust and confidence before and during the implementation process. He shares lessons learned from the curriculum pilot as well as pivotal implementation input from teachers involved in the pilot. Most importantly, the Lorain, OH team take a learne...

Join us as we hear from Brian Kingsley, CAO of Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools in Charlotte, NC. Brian shares his thoughts on how effective reading programs should be designed around evidence-based practices, how adopting a high-quality curricula and centering PD on curricula gives teachers a common purpose, resources to learn more about the science of reading, and advice to leaders who are looking...

Catlin Goodrow, consultant at Evidently Reading, addresses common assumptions teachers and leaders have about high-quality curricula. Why aren't more districts, schools, and teachers using high-quality curricula? We debunk these assumptions in this episode!  A central curriculum is boring/irrelevant. Providing a curriculum disrespects teacher expertise. Common Core-aligned curricula are &quot...

What happens when kids get to high school and are striving readers, struggling to fluently read grade-level text? We discuss the Libens' approach to addressing this issue, as well as share experiences of Baltimore City Schools Secondary Blueprint Literacy Coaches Zachary Jaffe & Tami James. Read Know Better, Do Better by David & Meredith Liben, Chapter 7, to have a deeper understandin...

TNTP's Kristen McQuillan and Regan Kelly share how important it is to adopt a high-quality curriculum. But... what happens after that? What should be considered as next steps? What's the bridge from adoption to implementation of a new curriculum? What does this mean for teachers? SO. MANY. QUESTIONS!!! LOTS of fabulous answers and ideas, grounded in research and experience.  EdReports ht...

Learning from Liz Manolis' great mind (see what we did there?) on successful structures for implementation of Wit and Wisdom curriculum including the Spotlight Schools Visit Program to support leadership coaching, trends on implementation successes and challenges, and preparing for mindset shifts to trust the process.  Liz-isms & Quotes:  "Go slow to go fast."  "Go back to...

Melissa and Lori begin the conversation around equity and access with Bree-L Ukoha, a Blueprint Literacy Coach in Baltimore City Schools. Bree-L shares stories from the field and how adopting Wit and Wisdom curriculum was a step in the right direction of leveling the equity playing field for Baltimore students. Unbound Ed - 5 charges:  https://blog.unbounded.org/reflecting-on-the-5-charges/ Adopt...

Today we are live with Natalie Wexler, the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–And How to Fix It (LISTENERS - IT’S AVAILABLE TODAY!). The book focuses on the lack of content in the elementary curriculum and its connection to what is commonly known as the achievement gap. Natalie provides a snapshot of research on building knowledge, then tangibly deco...

Pun intended. This episode takes us into the world of Geodes - decodable readers that bridge foundational skills and Wit and Wisdom ELA - through building knowledge and accessible text. Melissa and Lori talk with Lorraine Griffith and Emily Gula, who share the research and insight behind the development of Geodes and how they can be used in classrooms, as well as (and most importantly) why Geodes...

A teacher's perspective on curriculum implementation is invaluable... and today, we have not ONE, but TWO teacher perspectives on Wit and Wisdom year one implementation!  Kyair and Katie are funny, smart, and have incredible learner-mindsets. They discuss the engagement of their students in texts and tasks, how Wit and Wisdom provides equity and opportunity, and their thoughts on teaching wit...

We are thrilled to have Janise Lane, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, share how Baltimore City Schools used research and strategy to drive the high-quality curriculum implementation of Wit and Wisdom for K-8 schools district-wide. City schools drove structures for leaders and teachers by anchoring curriculum focused professional development, led by Wit and Wisdom experts, and taking th...

Melissa was inspired by a quote in Brene Brown's book: Dare to Lead https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/ .  Minouche Shafik, Director of the London School of Economics, who said, “In the past, jobs were about muscles, now they’re about brains, but in the future they’ll be about the heart.” Listen to her insightful and relatable take on curriculum with heart.  Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe to o...

We had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Amy Holbrook & Mandy Polen, literacy leads in Mad River, Ohio. The Mad River district adopted Wit and Wisdom's ELA curriculum two years ago district wide, and three years ago for several pilot schools. Since then, their teachers have been immersed in adaptive change and test scores have soared! They provide tangible strategies and tips for side...

Join us as we fangirl over Natalie Wexler's articles: The Biggest Education News Story You've Never Heard Of & Why American Students Haven't Gotten Better at Reading in 20 Years. We share our thoughts on the explicit connection to Wit & Wisdom curriculum, research, and building knowledge (CCSS Shift 3).  https://nataliewexler.com/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2...

Melissa and Lori dive into K-8 texts to highlight salty summer reads to get set for next school year! We share the why behind our choice for each summer read text choice and make recommendations for field trips and experiences connected to texts to further build background knowledge for students. Join us as you prep for summer - RSVP those books at the library NOW!  Visit OUR WEBSITE to subscribe...

Common Core Shift 3 is often understood as "a balance of literary and informational text types," but the most important part is misunderstood, the idea of building knowledge. How does the Wit and Wisdom literacy curriculum address building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction? Listen as we interview Sarah Woodard, who shares valuable insight and information on the intentional integr...

What does fidelity mean in a large, urban school district when implementing Great Mind's Wit and Wisdom ELA curriculum? Melissa and Lori share perspective, research, and resources to support teachers in unpacking the why behind fidelity.  In this episode, we reference:  Justice is Found in the Details - Kate Gerson - Summer 2018 Standards Institute Keynote Speech   https://www.youtube.com/wat...