This episode is part of the National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).

In this podcast episode,  Karen Dudek-Brannan, joins us to talk about early literacy assessments, reading interventions, and the importance of collaboration in schools. The conversation covers a range of topics from RTI implementation to the science of reading and the challenges of supporting struggling readers in upper grades. Karen emphasizes the interconnection between reading skills, language development, and executive functioning, and provides advice for principals on fostering collaboration among specialists and teachers.

Check out my instagram @BarbFlowersCoaching HERE for more tips and strategies!

Sign up HERE for a FREE Consultation and learn more about how I can help you with one-on-one coaching.

Tired of second-guessing your decisions as a principal? Download my free course! Access it here.

Resources from Dr. Karen:

Blog post/pod episode with a list of evaluations for reading, language, and EF

Advocating for the Right to Read and Becoming a Literacy Leader

What is Texting Doing to Spelling and Reading Skills 

Ultimate Guide to Sentence Structure 

Follow De Facto Leaders for the literacy month series

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks and IXL:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. 

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.