Read by Example

In this episode, Gen Arcovio, Debra Crouch and I share what we are reading this summer for pleasure. * Gen Acorvio is a literacy trainer at the Lesley Reading Recovery & Literacy Collaborative ( @Lesley_CRRLC ). She is also the co-contributor for @LiteracyPages at https://literacypages.wordpress.com/ . * Debra Crouch works nationally as an independent literacy consultant, collaborating with distri...

How long have “the reading wars” been a part of the national education discourse? What are the recurring themes? What can 4K-12 practitioners do to engage in a dialogue that leads to a better understanding of effective literacy instruction? In this episode, Paul Thomas shares his findings about the science of reading movement and how educators can navigate this conversation. Paul, a professor at F...

“What is the goal of independent reading, and why does this goal so often get lost in instruction?” We asked this and other questions of Hannah Schneewind. She is the author along with Jennifer Scoggin of Trusting Readers: Powerful Practices for Independent Reading (Heinemann, 2021). We explored how to best use our limited classroom time, as well as how leaders can support this critical element of...

In this episode, Mary Howard , Debra Crouch and I speak with professors Michiko Hikida and Leah Durán, authors of the article “ Making sense of reading’s forever wars ” ( Phi Delta Kappan , 2022). Leah Durán is an associate professor in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona, Tucson. Michiko Hikida is an associate professor in the Department of...

In this month’s podcast, I spoke with Terry Underwood about portfolio assessment in the context of literacy instruction. Terry is a former classroom teacher and a university professor. He is the author of Portfolio Practices: Lessons from Schools, District, and States with Sandra Murphy, and The Portfolio Project: A Study of Assessment, Instruction, and Middle School Reform . Terry writes frequent...

Several esteemed colleagues and I engaged in a question-and-answer session with Maren Aukerman around her three articles for the Literacy Research Association: * Part 1: The Science of Reading and the Media: Is Reporting Biased? * Part 2: The Science of Reading and the Media: Does the Media Draw on High-Quality Reading Research? * Part 3: The Science of Reading and the Media:  How Do Current Repor...

When it comes to the science of reading, asking who is right or who is wrong seems...wrong. A better question: "What do I believe, and how might I be wrong?" This is a response four educators and I considered as we discussed Maren Aukerman's article, "The Science of Reading and the Media: Is Reporting Biased?" ( Literacy Research Association , 2022). Journalists who offer "simple stories" about ho...

This podcast episode is an audio recording from a recent conversation with Peter Afflerbach, author of Teaching Readers (Not Reading): Moving Beyond Skills and Strategies to Reader-Focused Instruction (Guilford, 2022). Several community members were able to join us and ask questions of Peter. We discussed a variety of topics related to his book, including: * Peter’s influences as a reader, teacher...

In this special podcast for the Teaching Readers (Not Reading) book study, I discussed the first five chapters with literacy educators Belinda Whyte and Sally Rowlands. * Belinda is a resource teacher of literacy in Aotearoa, New Zealand. ( twitter ) * Sally is a retired teacher and works at the Department of Education in Tasmania. Three questions that guided our discussion: * How have you success...

In this special episode/post, I was joined by Sandy Brumbaum, Reading Recovery teacher leader and consultant, and Denise Johnson, a literacy professor at William & Mary, to kick off the book study for Teaching Readers (Not Reading): Moving Beyond Skills and Strategies to Reader-Focused Instruction by Peter Afflerbach (Guilford, 2022). In our conversation, we responded to and discussed three questi...

In this recorded conversation with Regie Routman and esteemed colleagues, we discussed: * Why trust is so important for schoolwide improvement * Why it is critical that leaders know literacy * How leaders can communicate feedback that is kind and useful This also closes out the four-week email course on instructional walks. Being a literacy leader has always been challenging. That’s why it’s impor...

A couple of months ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD. Having some time to reflect on this change, I wanted to share a little bit from my experience, including: * How I was initially prompted to get an assessment, * Why I waited until I was 45 to do this, and * What I’ve learned so far. This is not a literacy or leadership post. But I do see ADHD impacting many kids and adults, which has an impact dow...

Below are five insights after I read ten thoughtful posts from contributors around my book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. 1. Leaders need to know literacy. “Through a lifetime of working in schools, one of my most powerful insights and core beliefs is that teachers must be leaders , and principals must know literacy .” (pg. 1) - Regie Routman, Read, Write, Lead: Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide...

The following is an adapted excerpt from my new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H.: Five Strategies for Supporting Teaching and Learning (Corwin, 2022). Colleagues and I will be writing original posts to the book next month. Subscribe and join us! Think about the last business you went to for groceries, home supplies, or to purchase a gift for someone. Why did you shop there? We rarely think about th...

Hello colleague, I wrote this post at my city’s local laundry mat. Our dryer decided to stop working on Memorial Day weekend. Perfect timing with our two teenagers navigating between friends’ houses, end-of-year school events, soccer games, and trail biking. The dirty clothes pile up quickly. Anyway, this is a good time to a) review what this space is about for new subscribers, and b) talk about t...

I spoke with Steve Barkley, educational consultant and coach, for his podcast Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud (found here ). We discussed: * The importance of instructional leadership, * Balancing evaluation with professional learning, and * The five strategies from my book Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. ( Corwin, 2022). Thank you for listening! PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Steve [Intro]: 00:00 Hello, and welcome...

This adapted excerpt from my new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. , questions the tendency for educators to seek fail-safe instructional practices in a search for certainty. During a conversation I once had with a district administrator about adopting a scripted curriculum program, one of their arguments for the resource was that it was based on “best practice”. This stance invites resistance. Educ...

If you prefer to listen to my conversation with Regie Routman instead of watching it , here it is. We explored this question related to my new book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. , available through Corwin now (30% off through March). What people are saying about Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. Matt Renwick is the principal we all wish we had and the one we all want to be. His ideas about walking alongside...

In this excerpt from my book Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H. , I described my experience observing a book club-style discussion via Zoom. I learn as much as anyone when I visit classrooms with a stance toward curiosity. Instructional walks offer a responsive and authentic approach to continuous professional development for all educators. This development includes principals. I have learned as much as my...

If we teach a skill or an idea, and students didn’t learn it, how do we respond? Often we lean on more time or individual/small group support. Yet if the problem is the instructional strategy itself, more of the same will not be helpful. A student may need something different that is more effective at meeting students’ current needs. This is where cognitive science can help. Bryan Goodwin, co-auth...

What can we learn about literacy from our nation’s past? Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy, shares her findings from her dissertation work on black literary societies and their relevance for today’s educators. In my conversation with Gholdy, we discussed: * her professional learning journey researching this im...

Leading schools in the 21st century can be overwhelming. More is being added to our plates while our resources and time feel depleted. In a highly complex world, a framework for leading schools is needed. Devin Vodicka, author of Learner-Centered Leadership , offers “A Blueprint for Transformational Change in Learning Communities.” We talk about this topic, including: * why trust is foundational,...

Communicating feedback to teachers is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership. How do we influence instruction in a positive way while maintaining trust and respecting teachers as professionals? Dr. Viviane Robinson, author of Reduce Change to Increase Improvement (Corwin, 2017), offers readers sound research and rich examples for supporting teaching and learning in all classrooms. In th...

How do we ensure all students can access the curriculum plus find it relevant and engaging? Angela Di Michele Lalor, author of Making Curriculum Matter: How to Build SEL, Equity, and Other Priorities into Daily Instruction , offers a guide for teachers and leaders to begin this work. In our conversation, we discuss: * Why it is important to prepare for an uncertain future, * The five lense for vie...

We follow up on our previous conversation for Cultivating Genius: An Equity Framework for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy by Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, I am joined by contributors Gen Arcovio, Ryanne Deschane, Rhonda Precourt, and Carrie Thomas. We used the following three questions to guide our conversation: * What takeaways did you gain from this book? * What questions do you still hav...