There is a great deal of pride in reflecting on the work being done in our 7th – 12th grade building around literacy interventions and support for our special education staff and students. Our teachers, coaches, and administrators are working incredibly hard to rectify an unfortunate reality: 34% of our students are not proficient … [Read more…]
The 10th episode of Sold a Story was released last week, and has done what good journalism does: it has made its listeners think. As always, Emily Hanford and Christopher Peak of APM Reports have given me great pause. The only thing stopping me from listening to the entire Sold a Story series again is … [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…]
Last week, I wrote about my presentation to our school board which centered around my role as our FMCSD district literacy coach, the Science of Reading, the adoption of a high quality literacy curriculum, and how instructional coaching is a critical piece of implementation. Part of what I was speaking to was that I am … [Read more…]
When Sky and her mom walked into my classroom four years ago for Open House night to launch the 2017-2018 school year, I was taken aback when Sky (a brand new 6th grade student whom I was meeting for the first time) looked right at me, stomped her foot, and said, “I hate reading.” The … [Read more…]
My last two posts have been about effective leadership and listening to understand. Earlier this week, I was catching up on podcasts while doing yard work (best way to listen to those podcasts!) and caught a 2-part episode by the One and Only Brené Brown. Her topic tied in so perfectly with my thinking around … [Read more…]
I spend a good deal of time reading about, watching, and listening to resources that address effective literacy instruction. Almost every one of these resources has a strong connection to the Science of Reading, “…a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based* research about reading and issues related to reading and writing,” as defined by The Reading … [Read more…]
The Science of Reading The Science of Reading is gaining momentum, thanks in large part to folks like APM journalist Emily Hanford. The funny thing is, it’s not a new concept; knowledge about the Science of Reading has been around for upwards of five decades. According to The Science of Reading, A Defining Movement, “The … [Read more…]