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

From October 21, 2021 Kory Jensen is a 4th grade teacher in Colorado, obsessed with learning more about reading science! He read The Knowledge Gap  by Natalie Wexler … which set him off to learn more about knowledge building.  On today’s podcast, he talks about how background knowledge impacts his students’ comprehension and engagement (spoiler alert: they love going deep into topics!). He provide...

A curriculum evaluation tool that helps teachers, leaders, and parents, determine if a curriculum meets high quality standards or not.  There are two tools we recommend for curriculum review. These tools feel complementary to each other, so we recommend using both, starting with The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines, then digging deeper into the knowledge component of a curriculum...

Today we talk to educator and author Molly Ness about intentionally planning for read-alouds. Molly will share an easy to prepare protocol for a read-aloud in any grade level or content area.  Resources Molly's Website - purchase her book !  Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com ....

What is a read aloud? It is very common to see early childhood and elementary school teachers reading aloud to their students. But what exactly is happening during this time?  In episode 170, we talk with author and professor, Molly Ness about read alouds. We share her definition along with what to look for in a read aloud and the benefits of read alouds for all learners! Check out Molly's bo...

From July 30, 2021 To connect with a practitioner lens, Duke (alongside Ward & Pearson) also penned The Science of Reading Comprehension Instruction. They ask the question: What have decades of research told us about the nature of comprehension and how to develop students’ comprehension in schools? Listen to find out! Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast...

W hat is dysgraphia?  The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association defines dysgraphia as referring to difficulty with either language or spelling-based aspects of writing.  Dysgraphia impairs letter writing by hand, which can affect spelling, learning to spell words, the speed of writing, reading word recognition, comprehension, and writing processes and products.  Resources American Speech-La...

Today talk to researcher Tiffany Hogan about language comprehension. We’ll start with the Simple View of Reading, exploring the relationship between phonics and language comprehension. Then we’ll discuss knowledge as the result of systematic and explicit language comprehension instruction and share approaches that work in the classroom - like read-alouds and discourse.  Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, is a...

What is Developmental Language Disorder, or DLD? Developmental Language Disorder is a brain-based neurodevelopmental diversity - such as autism or dyslexia or dysgraphia. Students with DLD are six times more likely to have reading difficulties. DLD is a brain variation that makes it difficult to learn language from the environment.  Resources New IDEA Guidance Includes Developmental Language Disor...

From October 7, 2022 In this episode, we talk with former balanced literacy teacher and parent, Missy Purcell. She authored a blog post titled Dear Balanced Literacy Teacher . Missy writes, “ According to Nancy Young’s ladder of reading, roughly 10-15% of kids can figure out reading out with this type of instruction, but my child, who would later be diagnosed with dyslexia, would never be able to...

Nadine Gaab, Associate Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, joins us on the podcast to talk about how brains learn to read. Reading development starts in utero because the fundamental milestones for learning to read are sounds and language processing. Brain research shows us the brain of children learning to read is different in struggling readers. Dr. Gaab debunks d...

From September 30, 2022 Dr. J. Richard Gentry , Dyslexia Expert and the “Guru of Spelling,” joins us on the podcast today to discuss dyslexia. Dyslexia is a specific learning disability, neurobiological in origin. It’s the #1 reading disability that manifests itself in a continuum. People with dyslexia have difficulty in accurate fluent reading,  spelling, and decoding abilities. Dr. Gentry shares...

Ever wondered why reading isn't as natural as speech? Carolyn Strom, an accomplished early literacy expert, reveals that unlike speech, reading doesn't come naturally. In fact, it requires well-structured, explicit instruction which we'll discuss in this episode. The importance of a structured approach to teaching reading cannot be understated. We'll be taking a deep look at th...

Resources CleverNoodle International Dyslexia Association Gaab Lab   Student Achievement Partners EdReports.org   The Reed Charitable Foundation LETRS Training Looking for more literacy support and resources? Explore all of our podcast episodes, free listening guides, and classroom tools at literacypodcast.com . Interested in bringing Melissa & Lori Love Literacy to your school or event? Email...

From May 2022  Kim Lockhart, Canadian French immersion teacher and special educator in Kingston, Ontario, shares how she meets the needs of students in her classroom. As stated in a recent report, Right to Read inquiry report from Ontario Human Rights Commission, Ontario is removing the three cueing system completely from all materials and turning to reading science instead. In this episode, Kim m...

Listen Again from July 9, 2019: A teacher's perspective on curriculum implementation is invaluable... and today, we have not ONE, but TWO teacher perspectives on Wit & 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 & Wisdom provides equity and opportunity...

It's our first CALL IN EPISODE! Teachers voices are so important in this reading science movement.  We asked teachers to call in and answer two questions:  What is the most important thing you've learned so far about the science of reading? What is a goal you have this year connected to reading science? Listen and learn as fellow educators share about what big things are happening in the...

Crystal Lenhart is a literacy coach who developed a resource that clearly and transparently explains to families and caregivers how the school is teaching reading and writing differently with reading science research! As we head Back to School, this practical resource is a helpful tool to communicate big changes happening in classrooms and schools.  Resources How we teach reading at big horn eleme...

Ever wondered how to navigate the complex world of reading research as an educator? Get ready for a great conversation with education researcher Neena Saha, who reveals the role of science in education and the importance of pseudoscience in developing theories. We delve into the significance of meta-analyses and discuss the need for caution when using this method.  Neena then shares some current r...

Ever wonder how to decipher the Science of Reading or how to evaluate a curriculum that claims to be founded on it? We've got an episode just for you. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Holly Lane, a leading expert in the field, who will help us unlock this complex topic. Holly does an incredible job of breaking down the differences between research and evidence-based approaches, and she r...

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 comprehensio...

What if the key to unlocking your students' reading comprehension could be found through a deeper understanding of the intricate processes at work in their minds? Prepare to have your teaching world transformed as we journey with reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, Nancy Hennessy. Together, we’ll map out the cognitive and linguistic processes that underpin comprehension, and na...

Ever thought about the power of words? Join us as we discuss our most requested topic of all time: vocabulary. We have a special guest, fifth-grade teacher Sean Morrisey. We discuss Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary words and discuss how you can strategically select words to teach using research-based approaches.  We also share the importance of continuously embedding words into language throughout the day...

Ever wondered how the fascinating world of words impacts our lives? Join us as we sit down with linguist and author Lyn Stone, who shares her insights about vocabulary and etymology. Through her expertise, we explore the powerful impact on learning outcomes and literacy development. In this engaging discussion, we emphasize the joy of teaching language and words, with Lyn encouraging us to tap int...

What if you could unlock the secrets to fluency instruction in literacy, and transform your students into confident and skilled readers? Join us as we delve into this crucial topic with Nathaniel Swain, Senior Lecturer at La Trobe University in Australia, who shares his expertise on the three components of fluency: speed, accuracy, and prosody. Let's explore together how balancing speed with...

Today we talk about fluency and assessment with Jan Hasbrouck. She shares tips and tricks for how to to best assess and teach fluency. She also debunks frequent fluency misunderstandings and explains the scientific evidence that underlies the Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart .   Note : During the podcast, we mentioned we would link Jan’s previous studies on ORF. But… we want to make sur...