The Teachers Talk Shop Podcast

The transformative journey of the Waterbury, CT school district's literacy instruction highlights the commitment to evidence-based practices and the science of reading. Dr. Jennifer Nigh talks with Dena Mortensen and Susan Meaney, who share the district's experience. The relentless pursuit of improvement and collaboration among educators serves as an inspiring model for other districts. Learn more...

Educator Julie Wright shares tips, tools, and templates you can use to coach at the planning table and bring to life in the classroom. She also discusses co-planning and co-teaching as supports for both teachers and students across the school year. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com .

Every child deserves to have a teacher who has a thinking partner.  That’s because the work we do in schools is too complicated to go at it alone.  Julie Wright shares 3 small moves to kickstart coaching in the fall, or across the school year, that will have big takeaways.  Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com .

Join educational leaders from Kennett Consolidated School District—Heather Collins, Jennifer Miller, and Brenna Austin—as they share their ongoing journey to achieve literacy proficiency for English Learners. Discover how they’re driving meaningful change through a continuous improvement model and innovative curriculum updates. Hear firsthand how they use sustained professional development to empo...

Dr. Alicia Thompson, former superintendent of Wichita Public Schools, shares her firsthand experiences navigating the highs and lows of leadership in K-12+ education. From the most urgent challenges facing today's educators to the transformative power of mentorship, sponsorship, and networking, Dr. Thompson offers practical solutions that promote wellness and drive lasting change.  Learn more at T...

Join us as we sit down with Nate Hansford, educator and author, to talk about English learners and what we know from meta-analysis research and the Science of Reading. Nate shares valuable insights on important topics including supporting English learners in upper grades, enhancing motivation, providing effective feedback, and leveraging technology. Tune in to discover evidence-based techniques th...

Washington state educators, founders of Read Washington, and co-authors of a chapter in the book, Climbing the Ladder of Reading & Writing, Amy Fleisher and Julie Bedell join the Teacher’s Talk Shop podcast to talk about creating pathways for stronger home-school connections. In this episode, Fleisher and Bedell draw from research to offer first-hand recommendations for how teachers can foster...

Mike Poore, former superintendent of the Little Rock Public Schools, sits down with Jennifer Nigh to discuss how students win, win, win when community members and organizations are involved in school and district literacy initiatives. In this episode, Poore talks about three initiatives that support the art and science of literacy, while also creating a culture of literacy across the city. Poore o...

Expert educator, experienced administrator, and advocate for equitable learning opportunities, Megan Lorio delves into the vital role of family engagement. Drawing from her work with the Family Engagement Lab, Lorio shares high impact practices that help to cultivate trusting and authentic relationships, ultimately bridging the information gap to ensure all students achieve academic success. Learn...

Dr. Lynne Kulich, educator and co-author of the book, The Fluency Development Lesson: Closing the Reading Gap, sits down with Jennifer Nigh to talk about reading fluency and multilingual learners. Kulich shares valuable insights and practical recommendations, emphasizing evidence-based instructional practices that help all students cross the bridge from word recognition to comprehension. Learn mor...

In this call for relevant, doable professional development for all stakeholders—parent to superintendent—Kareem Weaver and David Liben stress the need for unity among competing interest groups, recognizing that students are priority one and at the center of it all. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com . A 360º View of Literacy: Episode 11.

Kareem Weaver and David Liben tackle the pressing but not often prioritized issue of instructional materials’ usability—clarifying what’s needed and establishing a mandate for publishers and selection committees to create and choose resources that work for diverse learners and educators. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com . Episode 10. A 360º View of Literacy: The Urgent Issue of Usability

Every educator knows the importance of foundational skills, and of building student engagement and ownership while teaching these skills. First-grade teacher Cameron Carter discusses how this can be achieved, and reflects on navigating both through and beyond the pandemic as the Science of Reading movement gains momentum.   Learn more at  TeachersTalkShop.com . A 360º View of Literacy: Putting the...

Author and educational consultant Dr. Nancy Young discusses—from both an educator and parental perspective—the unique needs and opportunities for gifted and advanced learners, and explains the Ladder of Reading and Writing, an infographic she developed to help support all students. Learn more at  TeachersTalkShop.com . A 360º View of Literacy: Differentiating Instruction for Advanced Readers

While the research on dyslexia is still evolving, much of it is solid and clear. Author, researcher, and literacy expert Jan Hasbrouck draws from both professional and personal experience to dispel dyslexia myths and emphasize the need for strong, systematic phonics instruction.    Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com . A 360º View of Literacy: The Science of Dyslexia

For decades Diane Leddy has been developing a writing approach that begins with Backward Design and emphasizes understanding to build background knowledge. This approach has proven to increase writing achievement. Through explicit instruction and plenty of practice time, students gain the skills to write well year after year. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com . A 360º View of Literacy: The Pillar...

Literacy and bilingual experts Allison Briceno and Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica and teacher Claire Hood discuss culturally and linguistically sustaining practices—and how to demystify them to achieve deep, connected learning.     Season 2, Episode 5. A 360º View of Literacy: Driving Reading Comprehension Through Cultural Relevancy

Educator, school leader, and literacy curriculum expert David Liben explains the effectiveness of knowledge-building as a core part of literacy learning, the research behind it, and how creating and implementing a general knowledge curriculum can get results at even the lowest-performing schools. Season 2, Episode 4. A 360º View of Literacy: Power Tools for Growing Knowledge, Vocabulary, and Readi...

Extensive research demonstrates the essential role that metacognition plays in reading comprehension. Reading expert Peter Afflerbach explains clearly how developing a metacognitive mindset and metacognitive strategy toolkit places students on the road to self-aware, independent, and fluent reading. Season 2, Episode 3. A 360º View of Literacy: Metacognition—The Missing Link in Reading Instruction

Fluency experts Tim Rasinski and Lynne Kulich shed light on all the benefits of fluency mastery—automaticity and expression, but also improvement in word recognition, phonics, and comprehension. Expressive reading inspires joy and affects all reading skills. Proven tools for teaching it are shared. Season 2, Episode 2. A 360º View of Literacy: The Science and the Art of Reading Fluency 

Renowned researcher Gina Cervetti discusses the cognitive benefits of incorporating students’ personal, experiential, and cultural knowledge into literacy learning—stressing the importance of content area instruction and of language arts as a place where knowledge is both leveraged and developed. Season 2, Episode 1. A 360º View of Literacy: Leveraging Knowledge for Reading Success 

Jessica Velasco, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Educator and Consultant, joins Patty McGee for a look at today’s classroom through an AAPI lens.  Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com .

Patty McGee and Dr. Rachael Gabriel discuss the intersection of equity and the Sciences of Reading. They explore research-based strategies for differentiated instruction that supports literacy achievement for every student. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com .

Dr. Adria Klein and Patty McGee discuss how small-group instruction advances the Sciences of Reading by enabling flexibility, providing opportunities for observation and assessment, and bolstering responsive teaching that meets all learners’ needs. Learn more at TeachersTalkShop.com .

What are we learning about how children learn to read? And how does that inform our instructional practices or accelerate student learning? Join Dr. C.C. Bates and Patty McGee as they discuss where theory meets practice in the literacy classroom. Learn more at TeacherTalkShop.com .