The Structured Literacy Podcast

In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I answer 3 burning questions that have been asked in the On the Structured Literacy Bus Facebook group. When one person asks a question, you can bet your bottom dollar that others will benefit from the answers. So, let's dive in.  Q1 - Is there any evidence/ best practice on using chunking when reading? Q2 - Can you please help me dot and da...

In this episode of the podcast, I'd like to share a framework with you that I think will be incredibly useful to help you make decisions about any new approaches you are thinking of adopting. At this time of year in particular,  it's common to see schools eagerly order new programs, organise training, and generally get their ducks in a row ready for the new school year. Has something in...

In this episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I discuss how English words can seem confusing. Still, they are largely logical when we understand four key areas: phonics, orthography, morphology, and etymology. The truth is that spelling needs to be explicitly taught, just like reading. The challenge is finding a way to do that while building our knowledge of how words work. The full transcri...

Hello, and welcome to the Structured Literacy Podcast. My name is Jocelyn, and I'm so pleased that you've decided to join me for this episode.  A little while ago, I created an episode called, why Isn't My Tier Two Instruction Working?  This was season 2, episode 3. In this episode, I shared several reasons that things might not be going to plan and suggested ways that schools might...

In this episode, I'd like to share some of my secrets for writing and teaching text-based units that will engage all your students in learning age-appropriate content.  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released Spelling Success in Action 1, a catch-up program for phonics, early morphology, and orthographic conventions for years 3 to 8. This program can b...

In today's podcast episode, we will discuss the issue of creating an integrated literacy block. This episode starts with a trip down memory lane of my early childhood experiences,  but the episode is for all grades of primary school. So, upper primary folks stick with me. This episode is for you, too.   As part of my daily work, I speak with schools that are looking for some support to build...

Welcome to this week's episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast. I am coming to you from Pataway Burnie in gorgeous Tasmania. I'm Jocelyn, and so pleased that you've been able to join me.  In this episode, I'm going to discuss a question that comes up often in our live events and online forums. That is, how do we know when it's time to begin and then move on from using d...

In today's episode, I discuss how you can maintain high student engagement in your low-variance instruction. Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released Spelling Success in Action 1, a catch-up program for phonics, early morphology, and orthographic conventions for years 3 to 8. This program can be used one-on-one, in small groups, or as a whole class and...

Today on the podcast, I'll be talking about tier two instruction, some circumstances that result in it not being as effective as it could be, and some things that we could do to ensure that our and our students' efforts result in great outcomes. Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released Spelling Success in Action 1, a catch-up program for phonics, e...

Whole school approaches give us consistency and shared vision, but how can we make sure that this feature of instruction doesn't go too far?  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released Spelling Success in Action 1, a catch-up program for phonics, early morphology, and orthographic conventions for years 3 to 8. This program can be used one-on-one, in small...

Term 3 is the golden term. That's right. You know your students, there are no reports, and it's the perfect time to go big with expectations for student growth. In this week's episode of the Structured Literacy Podcast, I share three ways that you can plan for success in Semester 2.  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released Spelling Success in...

Our literacy blocks are so full that it's difficult to find time for all of the things we need to fit in, including morphology.   In this week's episode of the Structured Literacy podcast, I share tips for finding time for this important area of instruction in both the early years and upper primary grades.  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have released...

In today's episode, I'd like to discuss a very real situation in which so many of us feel immense pressure to teach spelling well but feel as if we don't have the knowledge to do so.  Spelling knowledge has two aspects to consider: content and pedagogical. Learning English structure, phonemes, graphemes, and orthographic conventions is important. Teaching explicitly and determining...

This week I'd like to turn my attention to upper primary.  I'll start by running a scenario by you, and we'll see how familiar it sounds.  You're a teacher in a year three to six classroom and know that you have a range of students in your class.  Your students appear to mostly have solid reading skills, with a few students in need of intervention and a few who are considered h...

In this episode, I'm going to share some key findings from theory and research when it comes to spelling, evaluate a common practice in spelling instruction, and then go on to suggest instructional practices that are a more efficient and effective alternative based on the research on my own experience as a teacher, school leader, and tutor of students with a learning difficulty. You can find...

We all know that learning is challenging. We teach our students a mantra - "we can do hard things." We aim for them to develop resilience, persistence, and the understanding that making mistakes is a natural part of learning. Being a good learner means accepting vulnerability and acknowledging that some days will be tougher. As educators, we must also cultivate an open-minded approach to...

Today's episode is about the fourth reason things might not be going well and some suggestions for what you can do about it. I am rounding off this series of podcast episodes by sharing my thoughts on a situation in many schools. Your once robust, disciplined, and focused approach has dropped off to the point where your data is suffering.  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get...

Reports are approaching if you are teaching in Australia,  and if you were listening to this episode when it was released at the start of June 2023,  you might be knee-deep in reporting.   So this podcast episode is dedicated to all teachers working away writing their semester one reports and the leaders who are reading them. I've worn both hats, and I have to say that there were days when I...

Every school has a time where the wheels might be falling off their instructional approach. This current series of 4 episodes shares some of the reasons this might be happening and what you can do to get things back on track. This current episode discusses elements of instruction that can see your team working really hard and still not seeing the results you were hoping for.  Has something in this...

In our last episode, I shared the first reason the wheels might be falling off your literacy improvement efforts. If you haven't listened to that episode about the need for strong, decisive leadership, I suggest you go back and listen when you have a moment.  In this week's episode, I'd like to discuss the second reason the wheels might be falling off your literacy improvement effor...

You've chosen your phonics program, had everyone trained, and have begun to teach. At first, things seem to be going well, But a year or so down the track, you still aren't seeing those text-level results you were hoping for. This scenario is really common.  Hello there. My name's Jocelyn, and I want to welcome you to the Structured Literacy Podcast. Today I'm going to share so...

Today, I want to talk to you about an issue that has had me with a bee in my bonnet for a little while now,  and that is the large amount of time that many children spend in independent silent reading during literacy instruction.  Now my challenge with this is not that it is bad for children to read on their own; in fact, we know that there are positive impacts. Professor Pam Snow from La Trobe Un...

Taking steps to build student success in reading and writing is no easy task. It isn't made any easier when we don't know which advice or information we should be listening to.  In this week's episode, I share 8 myths of reading instruction to help you separate fact from fiction as you prepare to teach.  Has something in this episode resonated with you? Get in touch! We have release...

We all want teaching to be just that little bit simpler, but responding to the needs of students isn't a simple matter. When it comes to spelling, our decision making is further complicated by the fact that we probably weren't taught about how words really work at school or university.  In this episode, I share some thoughts on the role of morphology instruction in support our students (...

We have had so many questions over the last few years about differentiation, and today I would like to share some suggestions and some different ways of thinking about it. When I started to plan this episode, I realized that I actually have quite a decent chunk of text already around this topic in my book, Reading Success in the Early Primary Years - A Teacher’s Guide to Implementing Systematic In...