What if some of the most powerful tools for academicsuccess in early education are the simplest ones sitting right in front ofus?

In this episode, we’re digging into the science behind finemotor skills and why they matter so much more than just handwriting. Yes,pencil grip is important—but research shows fine motor development is closelyconnected to cognitive development, math skills, number sense, and earlyliteracy. That’s a big deal for preschool and kindergarten teachers (andparents, too).

We’ll unpack what the latest research says about finemotor dexterity and how it supports foundational skills in both reading andmath. Then we’ll get practical. I’m sharing easy, classroom-friendly ideasusing things you probably already have—tongs, pipe cleaners, Play-Doh,threading beads, finger-painting, zipping zippers—to build strength andcoordination in ways that feel playful, not pressured.

We’ll also talk about something that doesn’t get enoughattention: how children with motor coordination challenges are at higherrisk for academic setbacks—and how early intervention can completelychange that trajectory. Small shifts early on can make a lasting impact.

You’ll hear specific, actionable strategies, including:

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by increasing academicdemands in early childhood, this episode will feel like a breath of fresh air.And if you’re a parent wondering how to support your child’s development athome without adding more worksheets—this is for you, too.

In a screen-heavy world, it’s easy to overlook the power ofhands-on learning. But when we prioritize fine motor skills in preschool andkindergarten, we’re not just improving handwriting—we’re strengthening thefoundation for reading, math, and long-term academic success.

Small movements really do build big futures. Tune in andlet’s make fine motor development a natural, meaningful part of everydaylearning.

Source Article:

https://www.continued.com/early-childhood-education/articles/benefits-fine-motor-skills-in-23879

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If you’ve ever felt like vocabulary instruction turns into endless worksheets and word lists… you’re not alone. The good news? You can boost reading comprehension starting with vocabulary—without spending hours on tedious drills.

In this episode, we dig into the research behind why vocabulary size in kindergarten is such a strong predictor of success in middle school. It’s eye-opening. We talk about what that actually means for us in the classroom and how to teach words more effectively using both explicit and implicit methods. Whether you’re an elementary teacher building a strong literacy foundation or a middle school teacher tightening up your vocabulary strategy, you’ll walk away with practical techniques you can use right away.

We also break down the power of tiered vocabulary and how choosing the right words makes all the difference. When you intentionally focus on high-impact words from your curriculum—like habitat, recreate, or frigid—you’re not just adding to a word wall. You’re building real understanding. We share simple routines for selecting, teaching, and reinforcing vocabulary in ways that actually stick. Think acting out verbs, keeping vocabulary diaries, and using visual supports for English learners so every student can access the meaning.

And if you love word work as much as we do, you’ll appreciate our deep dive into morphology. Teaching prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots gives students tools to unlock hundreds of new words on their own. It’s one of the fastest ways to expand vocabulary and improve reading scores—and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

You’ll hear about specific, classroom-tested activities like word mapping, interactive picture sorts, and our favorite word wizard system to make vocabulary feel engaging instead of overwhelming. We also talk about how intentional vocabulary instruction supports multilingual learners and strengthens overall literacy development.

If you’re committed to weaving vocabulary instruction into your daily routine in a way that’s meaningful and manageable, this episode is for you. Strong reading comprehension starts with strong vocabulary—and the right words really can change everything.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/

In this episode, Deedee Wills and Hilary Statum dive into Chapter 6 of The Next Steps in Literacy Instruction, focusing on one of the most complex—and critical—components of reading: reading comprehension. Together, they unpack how comprehension develops, why it must be taught from the very beginning, and how it weaves together decoding, vocabulary, background knowledge, listening comprehension, and metacognition.

Using real classroom stories and research-based practices, Deedee and Hilary explore how teachers act as “reading detectives,” identifying where comprehension breaks down for struggling readers and planning targeted instruction in small groups and read-alouds. The conversation highlights the process vs. product of reading, the importance of active student engagement, and why comprehension is not a one-day lesson but an ongoing instructional focus.

You’ll also hear practical strategies for:

• Teaching comprehension through interactive read-alouds

• Building listening comprehension and background knowledge in early grades

• Using retelling, sentence frames, and partner talk to deepen understanding

• Understanding the role of text, reader, and task in comprehension

• Supporting students with limited prior knowledge or language exposure

• Modeling metacognitive strategies so students learn how good readers think

Whether you teach kindergarten, first grade, or upper elementary, this episode reinforces why reading aloud, intentional questioning, and student talk are essential for building strong, thoughtful readers. If you’re looking for research-aligned, classroom-ready ideas to strengthen literacy instruction, this conversation brings it all together.

Keywords: reading comprehension, literacy instruction, read-aloud strategies, listening comprehension, background knowledge, early literacy, struggling readers, small group instruction, metacognition, elementary reading instruction

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/

Join Hilary Statum and Deedee Wills in this episode as they break down everything you need to know about teaching and developing reading fluency in young learners. Discover why fluency isn't just about reading fast—it's about smooth, expressive reading and automatic word recognition, even for the youngest students in kindergarten through second grade.

You'll hear practical classroom stories, easy-to-implement activities, and expert recommendations on effective fluency instruction—like grouping high-frequency words by spelling patterns, the power of repeated and paired reading, and using tools like whisper phones and readers theater to make fluency practice fun. They also dive into efficient ways to assess student progress, tips for using decodable texts, and how to incorporate hands-on writing practice.

Whether you're a kindergarten teacher, literacy coach, or interventionist, you'll walk away loaded with simple routines, favorite resources, and fresh strategies to help every child become a confident, fluent reader.

• Readers Theater Scripts Decodable Partner Plays Kindergarten 1st Grade Bundle

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/

Join Deedee Wills and Hilary Statum in this engaging episode of “From Research to Recess,” where they dive into Chapter 4 of “Next Steps in Literacy Instruction.” This packed episode explores everything you need to know about phonics—encoding, decoding, word recognition, and more!

Whether you're a classroom teacher or a homeschool parent, you'll discover actionable strategies and research-backed tips to build strong reading foundations. Learn how to assess and boost letter naming fluency, why automaticity matters for early learners, and how fun activities like alphabet arcs, match-it games, and bingo can make phonics practice memorable for students.

Discover the key phases of word recognition development, the importance of connecting letters to sounds, and effective ways to monitor student progress—including tips on using ESGI and norm-referenced assessments. Plus, Deedee Wills and Hilary Statum discuss adjusting instruction for struggling readers, teaching both uppercase and lowercase letters, and incorporating morphological awareness for greater reading success.

If you’re searching for classroom-ready resources and simple ways to make your phonics lessons more effective, you won’t want to miss this episode! Subscribe and listen for practical, easy-to-implement ideas that turn research into real results.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/

Phoneme Awareness in Early Literacy: Practical Strategies from "Next Steps in Literacy Instruction" Join Deedee Wills and Hillary Statham on "From Research to Recess" as they dive into the essential topic of phoneme awareness from the book "Next Steps in Literacy Instruction" by Susan Smart and Deborah Glosser. In this episode, you'll discover the differences between phonological sensitivity and phoneme awareness, practical classroom activities to boost students' reading skills, and proven strategies for supporting both early and older learners—including English Language Learners (ELLs). Learn how integrating phoneme-level instruction, assessment tools like DIBELS, and engaging activities can make literacy instruction more effective and enjoyable. Perfect for PreK-2 teachers and interventionists looking for actionable ideas and fresh insights backed by the latest educational research.

In this kickoff episode of our book study series, hosts Deedee Wills and Hilary Statum dive into the introductory chapter of “Next Steps in Literacy Instruction.” While many might be tempted to skip the introduction, Deedee and Hilary reveal why this section is full of crucial reminders and strategies for effective literacy teaching.

Discover key insights on the different types of assessments—universal screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring—and learn how to use data to truly inform your instruction. The discussion also breaks down the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), explaining Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions and what effective core instruction looks like for your classroom.

Whether you’re overwhelmed by assessments or looking for practical tips on small group differentiation and supporting multilingual learners, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Plus, get recommendations on useful tools like DIBELS and ESGI, with a bonus promo code for listeners!

Tune in to get inspired, deepen your understanding of literacy best practices, and prepare for the next chapter in your teaching journey.

FIND THIS BOOK ON AMAZON (AFFILIATE LINK):

• NEXT STEPS IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION

FOLLOW US ON:

• Hilary Statum - Pencils to Pigtails
• Deedee Wills - Mrs. Wills Kindergarten

GRAB YOUR 2 MONTH FREE TRIAL ON ESGI (NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED):

• Use Code: RECESS

Keywords: Literacy instruction, Next Steps in Literacy, teaching assessments, reading strategies, MTSS, Tiered support, DIBELS, ESGI, Deedee Wills, Hilary Statum, book study, elementary teaching, small group instruction, multilingual learners, evidence-based teaching

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

⁠Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition⁠

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: ⁠https://pencilstopigtails.com/⁠
• Deedee Wills: ⁠https://mrswillskindergarten.com/

Welcome to the very first episode of From Research to Recess! 🎉We, Hillary Statum and Deedee Wills, are so excited to kick things off with you.

In this intro episode, we’re sharing why we started this podcast and what you can expect each week. Our passion is simple: taking educational research and book studies and turning them into real, doable classroom ideas for K-3 teachers (and anyone who loves learning about teaching).

Between the two of us, we’ve got decades of experience—teaching in classrooms, coaching teachers, and blogging about what actually works. We’ll talk about why keeping instruction both research-based and fun matters so much, plus give you a peek into our own backgrounds.

We’re also diving into our first book study, Next Steps in Literacy Instruction, and we’d love for you to read along. Have a topic you’d like us to cover? We want to hear from you!

Whether you’re teaching kindergarten, first, second, or third grade—or you just enjoy exploring new ways to make learning stick—this podcast is here for you.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG THE BOOK STUDY (AFFILIATE LINK):

Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions Second Edition, New edition

Where can you find us?

• Hilary Statum: https://pencilstopigtails.com/
• Deedee Wills: https://mrswillskindergarten.com/