"Phonics instruction should be an essential component of a comprehensive reading program to ensure that children develop strong foundational skills necessary for reading success." 

-National Reading Panel Report

Phonics instruction plays a crucial role in developing strong reading skills in young learners. By teaching the relationship between sounds and letters, we can equip students with the necessary tools to decode words and comprehend texts. To ensure effective phonics instruction, it is essential to incorporate explicit and systematic teaching methods into our instruction. In this blog post, we will explore five powerful strategies that can boost phonics instruction and promote reading proficiency in your students.

See Full Show Notes Here

Meet Chrissy Beltran

• Check her out!

  • Website: Buzzing with Ms. B

  • Instagram: buzzingwithmsb

  • YouTube: Buzzing with Ms. B

  • Podcast: Buzzing with Ms. B: The Coaching Podcast

  • Courses: Instructional Coaching Courses

Three Moves Literacy Coaches Should Make at the Beginning of the Year

The beginning of the year can be tough - there’s lots to do, lots of overwhelm, and the tasks ahead seem daunting.  But it’s important to start it off right, because it can set the tone for the entire year.  Below, Chrissy shares three tasks that literacy coaches can do to begin the year on the right foot.

First things first:  Chrissy states that it’s foundational to introduce your role as a literacy coach to teachers and staff and let them know what they can expect from you.  Before these three steps, be sure to define your role within the school and in what ways you’ll be helping them.

Full Show Notes Here

Recap: 

In today’s podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Julia Lindsey, author of Reading Above the Fray. Julia is a literacy expert and reading researcher. In this episode, she helps us bust some common myths about decodables. Full show notes here.

Meet Kaylee McCaslin:

• Currently teaching second grade in Washington

• 9th year of teaching

• Our very own Literacy Edventures member!

• Reach out to her!: [email protected] 

We love to feature all kinds of people here on the LE Podcast, and we feel that teachers who are still in the classroom are so important to hear from because they’re in the trenches with us.  Today, we’re chatting with Kaylee about a “day in the life” in her amazing classroom!

Full Show Notes Here

Show Notes: 

Michelle Sullivan, a literacy coach in New Jersey talks with listeners all about background knowledge. She shares what it is, why it’s important, and five ways we can easily implement it in our classrooms. See full show notes here.

Meet Lindsay Kemeny:

• Currently teaching first grade

• Once a kinder teacher who taught balanced literacy, she went on a quest to find out what it really meant to teach reading when her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression.

• Author of Seven Mighty Moves

• Check her out!

• Website:  Lindsay Kemeny

• Podcast:  Literacy Talks

• Instagram: lindsaykemeny

• Facebook: Teaching with Lindsay Kemeny

• Book: Seven Mighty Moves

Full Show Notes Here

Full Show Notes Here:

Automaticity of letter names and sounds is important because letter-sound correspondences are the foundation to phonics and decoding.  So the quicker they are, the faster they can decode.  When we help students connect the letters and sounds and help them both master and be automatic, we’re giving them a strong reading foundation.

One common question that’s always asked when talking about the science of reading is, “Where do I start my instruction?  What do my students need?”  The answer lies in assessments.  

Four aspects to keep in mind when choosing assessments:

1. Each assessment serves a different purpose.  

2. The assessments we are using need to be closely linked to our instruction and should be the driving force behind our instruction.

3. The data from these assessments must answer the questions we have about our students and those questions must drive our instruction. It’s absolutely vital that the assessments you’re choosing are at the developmental abilities of the students so that the data can reflect their areas of strength and weakness.

4. We need to be informed of what assessments are out there and how each one can help us in different ways.

Full Show Notes Here

Dictation and its Importance:

• What Is Dictation: Dictation is an activity that provides students the opportunity to spell phonics patterns that they are currently focusing on, as well as the opportunity to practice previously-taught skills.

• What it Is Important:  When students practice dictation, they’re connecting sound to symbol.  Many studies show that when students practice these letter-sound relationships, students excel.  Dictation is a great way to practice this.  Reading and writing go hand-in-hand, and once you incorporate dictation into your lessons, you’ll find quicker student success!

Full Show Notes Here

Full Show Notes Here

The other day, I had the pleasure of sitting down with the one and only Sarah Paul, the mastermind behind Sarah’s Teaching Snippets.  She’s a current reading interventionist for K-3rd and a prior first-grade teacher.  As with many of the experts on my podcast, she too was a balanced literacy teacher who found that her students were struggling to read and wasn't sure why.  So, she set out on her own science of reading journey in order to learn more about how kids really learn to read.  Through this, Sarah’s Teaching Snippets was born and now she helps educators teach reading the right way.

Where to Find Sarah:

• Blog - Sarah’s Teaching Snippets

• YouTube Channel - Sarah’s Teaching Snippets

• Instagram - Snippets by Sarah

Today, we’re asking Sarah all of our fluency questions and getting some awesome answers.  Through this conversation, we chat about what exactly fluency is, how we can help our kids achieve fluency, and the importance of it.