Reach All Readers

 #068: What does phonics have to do with comprehension? A lot! We lay it all out in this episode. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources that align with the science of reading? Click here to learn more about our popular and affordable membership for PreK...

067: Should we teach letter sounds before letter names? Do kids need to learn syllable division rules? We'll examine it all in this episode, the first in our new series about teaching phonics. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources that align with t...

066: Fountas and Pinnell claim that administrators need to prioritize ongoing professional learning for teachers. But what happens when these teachers find out that what they're learning contradicts Fountas and Pinnell's approach? Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Lookin...

065: Fountas and Pinnell tell us that no literacy program can take the place of a teacher's expertise. And they're right! But expertise comes from knowledge, and that knowledge is not innate. In this episode I'll share online courses that will improve your understanding of the science of reading. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Esse...

 Fountas and Pinnell are proud to describe their approach as responsive; rather than follow a script, they make observations and tailor their instruction to meet individual needs. They insinuate that more structured programs don't allow teachers to adjust for individual students. Is that a correct assumption? Is structured literacy responsive? Click here for the show notes for this episode. S...

 063: Fountas and Pinnell are steering clear of the label "balanced literacy." But should they? Do they deserve the label? Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources that align with the science of reading? Click here to learn more about our popular...

 #062: Fountas and Pinnell caution against focusing "only on accuracy and decoding." If we do that, they say, students may not understand that what they read must make sense. But the science of reading community doesn't advocate phonics alone. Far from it! Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my...

061: Fountas and Pinnell aren't moving when it comes to decodable books. They believe these books are contrived and that decodable books teach children that their reading doesn't have to make sense. But decodable books are exactly what our beginning readers SHOULD be reading. Here's why. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Ste...

 For Fountas and Pinnell, guided reading is the key piece of the reading block. But there are some problems with the guided reading approach in K-2. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources that align with the science of reading? Click here to learn more a...

059: No one likes to admit they're teaching kids to guess at words, but that's exactly what's happening when we teach beginning readers to use three-cueing. This short episode explains the connection. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources...

058: Despite the lack of evidence for three-cueing, Fountas and Pinnell aren't budging. In this episode I respond to their recent blog post in which they claim that we must help students use multiple sources of information to solve words. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Loo...

 057: Fountas and Pinnell tell us they're staying out of the current debate about teaching reading because it isn't productive. But there ARE safe, sane places to discuss the current research. Tune in to learn more! Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable...

#056: Fountas and Pinnell are big names in the field of literacy education. But for years they've been accused of advocating methods that do not align with reading research. Fountas and Pinnell have finally responded to this criticism in a 10-part blog series called "Just to Clarify." This episode is the introduction to a 10-part series in which I respond to their blogs, one by one....

#055: We've learned that teaching students to memorize sight words as wholes isn't the way to go. But what should we do instead? This episode will walk you through a simple process for teaching sight words. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resource...

#054: There's a lot of misinformation out there about teaching sight words. In this episode, we boil it down to the MOST important thing to get right. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Reach All Readers! Looking for printable resources that align with the science of reading? Click here to learn...

#053: Should we use the Dolch grade-level lists to help us decide which sight words to teach? Should we teach our students to memorize sight words as wholes? And should beginning reading instruction START with sight words? Get answers to these questions and more as we look at common misconceptions surrounding the teaching of sight words. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign up for...

#052: What should you do with all your leveled books? Is there any place for them in a science of reading classroom? What should you do when students just can't master their short vowel sounds? When do you move on? And what about assessing struggling readers? Should you use Fountas & Pinnell's benchmark assessment to find their reading level? Get answers to these questions and more i...

#51: This past week Becky Spence and I shared a video workshop about the science of reading. Because of some technical difficulties, we weren't able to do our question and answer session live. Here are answers to questions submitted after the webinar. More to come next week! Click here for the show notes. Sign up for my free masterclass, 5 Essential Steps to Reach All Readers. Get my book, Re...

#050: Now that we've laid a strong foundation, it's time to apply the science of reading to your daily instruction. This episode will show you how to use what you've learned to schedule a powerful reading block that will meet the needs of all your students. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading. Also check out our online co...

#049: We know that the science of reading isn't a curriculum, a fad, or a pendulum swing. It's a body of research. So what does this research tell us about the Big 5? What does the science of reading have to say about phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary? In this episode we'll examine the research and make practical applications to our tea...

#048: Structured literacy is all the rage these days, but what exactly is it? Today we'll discuss the HOW and the WHAT of structured literacy. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading. Also check out our online course, Teaching Every Reader! It opens for enrollment on October 4, 2021. Get the details here. Click here for the show notes...

#047: If you study the science of reading, it won't be long until you hear mentions of the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough's Reading Rope. What are they? And what do they have to do with how we teach reading? Today's episode will answer those questions. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading. Also check out our online...

#046: Orthographic mapping is one of the key concepts in the science of reading, but it can feel a little confusing at first. It's all about how we read and remember words, and this episode breaks it down into easy-to-understand language. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading! Also check out our online course, Teaching Every Reader!...

#045: We're starting a science of reading bootcamp! Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more. In today's episode we define "science of reading" and explore why there's so much disagreement around this topic. Also check out our online course, Teaching Every Reader! It opens for enrollment on October 4, 2021. Get the details here. Click here for t...

#044: This concludes our official science of reading series, but there's a lot more to learn! Check out my top recommendations for books that will help you understand the science AND apply it to your classroom. Also check out our online course, Teaching Every Reader! It's open for enrollment through May 10, 2021. Get the details here. Click here for the show notes for this episode. Sign...