The Teacher's Tool Kit For Literacy

In the fifth and final episode of their series, hosts Phil and Sharon are joined once again by De and Danielle, two Year 6 teachers whose approach to writing instruction has quietly transformed what their students believe they are capable of. The conversation centres on the writing cycle — the fifth of De and Danielle's five pillars — and the teachers are quick to challenge the assumption that wri...

In Episode 154 of A Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy, hosts Sharon and Phil sit down with classroom teachers De and Danielle to explore the fourth pillar of effective writing instruction: mastery through high-impact teaching. The conversation digs into the practical strategies that move students beyond basic competence and into genuine craft. De and Danielle introduce the master class as one of thei...

Hosts Phil and Sharon return with classroom teachers De and Danielle to explore the third pillar of their writing framework: independence in learning. The conversation cuts straight to something that matters Deply in any writing classroom — the difference between students who follow instructions and students who genuinely own their work. De and Danielle explain that independence is not about remov...

In the second episode of their 2026 series, Phil and Sharon welcome back Danielle Monique and De Ludlum from Fairview Primary School in Collie, Western Australia, to explore the second of their five pillars of effective writing instruction: every student can produce quality writing. De and Danielle open with the belief that underpins everything they do — that every child, regardless of ability or...

In the first episode of their 2026 series, Phil and Sharon welcome two Year 6 teachers from Fairview Primary School in Collie, Western Australia — Danielle Monique and De Ludlum — to share the first of five pillars underpinning their approach to writing instruction: purposeful planning. Danielle and De describe how every unit begins with the end in mind. Working backwards from a clear goal, they m...

Part Two: Practical Implementation and Beyond Building on her foundational principles, Hiebert delves deeper into practical classroom implementation, distinguishing between narrative and informational text vocabulary demands. She explains how stories use varied, sophisticated words for familiar concepts—characters "lumber" rather than simply "walk" or "eavesdrop" instead of "listen"—while informat...

Part One: Foundations Dr Freddy Hiebert, President and CEO of Text Project and literacy researcher at UC Santa Cruz, opens her conversation with Australian literacy consultants Sharon and Phil by immediately challenging conventional vocabulary instruction. She declares that lists and flashcards simply don't work, despite being the go-to methods in countless classrooms worldwide. Hiebert introduces...

Continuing their exploration of mathematical proficiencies, Rob and Phil discuss how these elements can transform classroom practice. Rob expresses concern about approaches that block proficiency development, particularly rigid "explicit teaching" models that begin with teacher lectures. He argues that lecturing is an ineffective teaching method that disengages students and fails to acknowledge th...

In this insightful podcast, Phil  interviews expert maths consultant Rob Vingerhoets about the four mathematical proficiencies that form the foundation of effective mathematics education in Australia. Rob explains that these proficiencies—fluency, reasoning, understanding, and problem solving—are often misunderstood or overlooked despite being fundamental to the Australian Curriculum. Rob passiona...

Part 4: Implementing Conferring in the Classroom Sharon briefly mentions two Year 4 students who struggle with punctuation, affecting both their fluency and comprehension. She explains how the protocol's fluency rubric provides specific language to identify and address these issues, such as "not adhering to punctuation, stress and intonation." During conferring, Sharon models proper phrasing and h...

Part 3: Addressing Diverse Reading Challenges Sharon shifts focus to a Year 5 girl who, like the first boy, immediately expresses difficulty remembering what she reads in chapter books. When examining her reading, Sharon notices the girl has strong decoding skills but struggles with comprehension. Using the same "keep your eyes and mind in the book" strategy, Sharon guides her through reading para...

Part 2: Strategic Reading Interventions The conversation continues as Sharon and Phil discuss the importance of giving students space to develop their own strategies after receiving initial guidance. Sharon emphasises how the boy's Post-It note idea emerged because she asked him how the strategy helped and gave him time to reflect. She notes this technique would be temporary but highly effective a...

Part 1: Understanding the Conferring Process In this insightful podcast, Phil and Sharon Callen explore the art of conferring with students in Years 3-6. Sharon begins by explaining that conferring is a powerful tool for both learning about students and helping them develop as readers. She emphasises that the key shift in her conferring practice came when she realised these sessions should provide...

In this engaging episode of The Teacher's Toolkit for Literacy , Sharon Callen explores how to establish a thriving literacy environment for the year ahead. With her hallmark blend of enthusiasm and expertise, Sharon shares actionable insights to help teachers create purposeful, connected, and engaging spaces for students to learn and grow. Sharon begins by emphasising the importance of seamless l...

In this engaging podcast episode, Sharon Callen delves into the essential tools every teacher needs to kickstart a literacy-rich classroom for a successful year. She emphasises that creating a learning environment isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about equipping students with tools that inspire curiosity, agency, and growth. Sharon introduces five transformative strategies: Classroom Libraries , R...

Unlocking the Joy of Comprehension in Early Literacy In this inspiring episode, literacy expert Diane Snowball delves into the transformative power of teaching comprehension in the foundational years (F-2). She underscores that comprehension is not just about understanding words but unlocking meaning, purpose, and the joy of reading. Diane shares practical strategies for educators and parents to n...

In Part 2: The Importance of Teaching Comprehension in F–2 , Diane Snowball captivates listeners with her invaluable insights on teaching comprehension to Foundation through Year 2 students in Part 2 of this illuminating podcast series. Her wisdom bridges the gap between theory and practice, empowering educators to weave decoding and comprehension seamlessly into their teaching. The Role of Shared...

In the latest episode of “ The Importance of Teaching Comprehension in F-2 – A Conversation with Diane Snowball,” literacy expert Diane Snowball sits down with Phil to explore why comprehension should be the heartbeat of early literacy, especially in an era dominated by phonics and decoding. Diane passionately explains that teaching comprehension is not something to reserve for later; instead, it...

In this podcast episode, Sharon continues to dive into an innovative protocol designed by Dr. Nell Duke and her team, aimed at enhancing literacy instruction for teachers and students alike. Sharon explores how this assessment tool serves as a guide to help teachers track and support students’ growth in reading and writing with a focus on clarity, purpose, and alignment with curriculum standards....

In part two of this enlightening series, Sharon Callen dives into a practical conversation about a revolutionary assessment tool designed to aid teachers in observing, understanding, and enhancing student literacy. From initial implementation to on-the-spot teaching moments, Sharon shares the real-world impact this tool has had as she’s modelled its use alongside teachers in classrooms across Aust...

In this episode, Sharon Callen dives into a groundbreaking tool for educators—the "Listening to Reading, Watching While Writing" protocol, developed by literacy experts Nell Duke, Ward, and Klingelhofer. Sharon explores how this informal, formative assessment tool, launched between 2020 and 2023, is reshaping the way teachers assess and support their students' literacy skills in real-time. Unlike...

In Blessing the Book: Exploring Picture Books with Sharon Callen – Part 4 , listeners are once again invited into the world of children’s literature as Sharon Callen shares her insightful exploration of picture books that captivate the imagination while addressing real-world themes.  In this episode, Sharon highlights how carefully chosen picture books can be powerful tools for teachers, offering...

In the latest episode of Blessing the Book: Nurturing Readers through Stories , Sharon Callen explores how thoughtfully selected children’s books can transform classrooms and create meaningful connections with young readers. Sharon introduces her concept of “blessing” books—honouring the stories and voices of the authors while guiding students through rich discussions that build empathy, spark ima...

In this episode of Blessing the Book: A Framework for Building Student Engagement , Sharon Callen explores actionable strategies to ignite a passion for reading in the classroom. Drawing from Linda Gambrell’s Rules of Engagement, Sharon emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for sustained reading, offering choice, and encouraging social interaction around texts. The concept of "blessi...

In this episode of Blessing the Book , host Phil sits down with Sharon Callen to explore the power of professional collaboration, reflective teaching practices, and how intentional planning can transform literacy classrooms. Sharon, an experienced educator, shares her insights from working with schools across Australia, highlighting the importance of teacher agency in driving student success. The...