Change is all the things: tough, inevitable, great, unnecessary at times, and hard to sustain. Change is both meaningful and worthwhile when it makes something better. Two quotes from George Couros ring loud and true here: Bill and I are in the throes of planning for a house remodel. This remodel was supposed to be … [Read more…]
There are so many times in education when we seek the “one thing” that will ensure all of our students can read/can learn at high levels. I reflected on this notion in a recent blogpost titled The Mythical Silver Bullet, at the end of which I concluded, “…which is all to say that the business … [Read more…]
The Learning Journey As I’ve written before, I’ve dedicated much of the last four years of my life to learning about the Science of Reading. Four years in, I fully recognize that there is much, much more to learn – from the body of research that currently exists, and from the body of research that … [Read more…]
Last week, I indicated that the education world continues to present many challenges: “Our students are not the same students we had before 2020. They are displaying more frequent challenging behaviors. Despite this, we have educators at FMCSD (and everywhere!) who are working incredibly hard to meet the needs of our students.” As I continue … [Read more…]
Literacy Advocates Take Action Emily Hanford has done it again. She and colleague, Christopher Peak, have poured blood, sweat, and tears into the podcast, Sold a Story, that reveals, once again, the cause of the literacy crisis in America. Hanford is the reason that I, and so many others, have shifted our way of thinking … [Read more…]
As I listened (two or three times!) to Amplify’s Science of Reading the Podcast, Season 5, Episode 5, I was reminded, yet again, of the importance of educators focusing on universal instruction first. For those outside of the education world, this may seem a bit strange. An outsider may think, “Of course teachers would focus … [Read more…]
After a week of multiple conversations with teacher teams expressing frustration over a myriad of concerns, I am convinced, more than ever, that one of our Professional Learning Community norms, as suggested by Solution Tree and adopted by many of our teams, needs to be revisited and reflected upon: Be solution-oriented and forward thinking. The … [Read more…]
Staying Grounded in Research When I get fired up about structured literacy versus balanced literacy… and I often do… I make sure that what I say or write is grounded in research. I rely on the Science of Reading resources that are in great supply, I process their content through reading, writing (this blog!) and … [Read more…]
We (I use this pronoun loosely) have made significant gains as an educational society in shedding light on the power of the Science of Reading/a structured literacy approach. Phenomenal resources like The Reading League, Amplify Science of Reading the Podcast, the International Dyslexia Association, and reporting from journalist Emily Hanford and author Natalie Wexler have … [Read more…]
The purpose of scaffolding on a construction site is to support people in getting to places that are out of their reach. Without scaffolding, the job of a construction worker would be nearly impossible. Scaffolding provides the “just right” amount of support needed. It can be added to, and taken away. Supports in the Kitchen … [Read more…]