Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

Episode 331 - Writing Is Complex: The Hidden Skills Students Need to Become Strong Writers with Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts

Writing is complex. When students struggle to get their ideas onto paper, the challenge may go deeper than simply needing more writing practice.

In this episode, Emily is joined by literacy experts and authors Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts to explore the hidden skills that help students become strong writers. They unpack how oral language, transcription, executive functioning, and working memory all impact students’ ability to write.

• The connection between reading and writing.
• How oral language and verbal rehearsal support student writers.
• Why handwriting, spelling, and other transcription skills still matter in upper elementary.
• How cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory show up during writing.
• How to identify where a student is getting stuck.
• Why short, intentional practice helps writing skills become more automatic.

Writing asks students to juggle a lot at once. This conversation will help you better understand what might be happening beneath the surface and identify the support your students need to become stronger, more confident writers.

• The Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join
• Free Sentence Writing Routine Sample - stellarteacher.com/sentences
• Melanie Meehan - melaniemeehan.com
• Maggie Beattie Roberts - kateandmaggie.com
• Foundational Skills for Writing - https://foundationalskillsforwriting.my.canva.site/

Writing instruction can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to fit everything in and help students meet grade-level expectations. But what if some of the things we think we need to do to build strong writers are actually making writing instruction harder than it needs to be?

In this episode, Emily and Sara are breaking down five common writing instruction myths they believed as classroom teachers and sharing what they would do differently now. From focusing too much on essays and isolated grammar practice to feeling like you need a dedicated writing block, they’re sharing practical shifts that can help you simplify your writing instruction while building stronger, more confident writers.

• Why strong writing instruction starts at the sentence level before moving into paragraphs and essays.
• How to teach grammar in the context of actual student writing.
• Why you don’t need a dedicated writing block to help students become better writers.
• How focusing your feedback on one or two skills can make writing more manageable.
• Why building strong writers is ultimately better test prep than teaching specifically to the test.

You don’t need a perfect writing block or a complicated approach to help your students grow. By slowing down, focusing on foundational skills, and being intentional about the writing opportunities already happening throughout your day, you can help students build the confidence and skills they need to become stronger writers.

Grab your FREE sentence writing routine guide - stellarteacher.com/sentence

Learn more about the Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join

Have you ever sat down to teach a small group only to realize you’re spending half your attention wondering what the rest of your class is doing?

Maybe students are interrupting you with questions. Someone is suddenly wandering around the room. Another student has been “working” on the same question for 20 minutes. And you’re starting to wonder: How am I supposed to actually teach my small group AND manage everyone else?

If small groups feel harder than you expected, it doesn’t mean you’re doing them wrong.

In this episode, Sara and Emily are wrapping up our Small Group Success series by tackling one of the biggest challenges of small group instruction: managing the rest of your class while you’re teaching.

And we’re starting with a reminder we think more teachers need to hear: You have flexibility.

If your students can’t successfully work independently for 45 minutes, don’t ask them to. If they can handle 15 minutes, teach a 15-minute small group and then bring everyone back together. You don’t have to force your students into a small group schedule just because you think that’s what small groups are “supposed” to look like.

We also talk about why you don’t need to meet with every student in a small group. Instead, ask yourself: Which students actually need additional practice with my support? Your goal isn’t to fit every student into a rotation—it’s to use your instructional time where it will have the greatest impact.

From there, we’re sharing simple, practical ways to make small group time run more smoothly. We talk about explicitly teaching expectations, giving students plenty of opportunities to practice being independent, creating a plan for what students should do when they need help, and using visual cues to reduce interruptions.

And before you create an elaborate new reward system or classroom management plan, Sara has an important reminder: keep it simple. The behavior systems you already use may be all you need. Small groups don’t have to become one more complicated thing for you to manage.

Finally, we share a quick reflection routine that can help students take more ownership over small group time and recognize that what they’re doing while you’re teaching matters, too.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to structure small groups around what your students can realistically handle
• Why you don’t have to meet with every student in a small group
• How to set clear expectations for independent work time
• Simple ways to reduce interruptions while you’re teaching
• Why you probably don’t need another behavior management system
• How a two-minute reflection can help students take more ownership

If small groups haven’t been working the way you hoped, you don’t need to throw out the whole idea or assume you’re doing something wrong.

You know your students best.

Give yourself permission to adjust the schedule, shorten the independent work time, rethink who actually needs a small group, and create routines that work for the students sitting in your classroom.

Small groups don’t have to look perfect. They need to work for you and your students.

The Stellar Literacy Collective - stellarteacher.com/join

You’ve planned an intentional lesson for the students at your small group table—but then comes the other question: What should the rest of your class be doing while you teach?

For years, Emily assumed small group instruction automatically meant centers and rotations. One group was doing word work, another was reading, another was on the computer—and every 15 minutes, everyone rotated. But small groups don’t have to be that complicated. Your students can all work on the same meaningful literacy activity, or you can rely on a few predictable routines that students already know how to complete independently.

In this episode, Emily shares practical ways to simplify what the rest of your class is doing during small group instruction—without constantly searching for, creating, and prepping new activities. You’ll learn four literacy routines you can use again and again: partner fluency practice, sentence writing, writing about reading, and purposeful independent reading. The goal isn’t to create an entirely separate literacy block for your independent students. It’s to build on the instruction and routines you’re already using.

Emily also shares why independent work needs a clear connection back to your instruction, how a quick whole-class check-in can create accountability, and one mistake she made when assigning graded work during small group time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why small groups don’t have to mean complicated centers and rotations
• How predictable routines can make independent work easier for students—and require less planning from you
• Four meaningful activities students can do while you teach a small group
• How to use partner fluency practice as a repeatable routine where the structure stays the same and the text changes
• How sentence writing and writing about reading can extend instruction you’re already doing
• How to make independent reading more purposeful by connecting it to the knowledge students are building
• Why bringing students back together after independent practice creates accountability and helps you catch misconceptions
• Why you should be thoughtful about assigning graded work when some students will have less independent work time because they’re meeting with you

Next week, we’re continuing our Small Group Success series with a conversation all about behavior management during small groups—including setting expectations, reducing interruptions, and helping students work independently while you focus on the students at your table. Pasted text(20260925-153458)

Resources Mentioned:

You’ve planned an intentional lesson for the students at your small group table...but then comes the other question: What should the rest of your class be doing while you teach?

For years, Emily assumed small group instruction automatically meant centers and rotations. One group was doing word work, another was reading, another was on the computer—and every 15 minutes, everyone rotated. But small groups don’t have to be that complicated. Your students can all work on the same meaningful literacy activity, or you can rely on a few predictable routines that students already know how to complete independently.

In this episode, Emily shares practical ways to simplify what the rest of your class is doing during small group instruction—without constantly searching for, creating, and prepping new activities. You’ll learn four literacy routines you can use again and again: partner fluency practice, sentence writing, writing about reading, and purposeful independent reading. The goal isn’t to create an entirely separate literacy block for your independent students. It’s to build on the instruction and routines you’re already using.

Emily also shares why independent work needs a clear connection back to your instruction, how a quick whole-class check-in can create accountability, and one mistake she made when assigning graded work during small group time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why small groups don’t have to mean complicated centers and rotations
• How predictable routines can make independent work easier for students—and require less planning from you
• Four meaningful activities students can do while you teach a small group
• How to use partner fluency practice as a repeatable routine where the structure stays the same and the text changes
• How sentence writing and writing about reading can extend instruction you’re already doing
• How to make independent reading more purposeful by connecting it to the knowledge students are building
• Why bringing students back together after independent practice creates accountability and helps you catch misconceptions
• Why you should be thoughtful about assigning graded work when some students will have less independent work time because they’re meeting with you

Next week, we’re continuing our Small Group Success series with a conversation all about behavior management during small groups—including setting expectations, reducing interruptions, and helping students work independently while you focus on the students at your table.

Resources Mentioned:

FREE Sentence Writing Activities: stellarteacher.com/sentence

Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup

Small group instruction is a regular part of many literacy blocks—but what actually makes a small group effective? And do you really need to meet with every student every day?

In this episode, Emily is joined by Dr. Julia Lindsey to rethink some of the traditional ways teachers approach small group reading instruction. Instead of starting with rotations, reading levels, or the pressure to get every student to the teacher table, Julia encourages teachers to start with something much more important: the specific needs of their students.

Julia shares why small group instruction is most powerful when it gives teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction, provide immediate feedback, and target the skills students need additional support with. She also explains why small groups don't have to look the way they've always looked—and why it's okay if every student doesn't meet with you every day.

You'll also hear practical advice for using assessment data and informal observations to make instructional decisions, managing the rest of your class while you're meeting with a group, and designing a small group schedule around your students rather than trying to fit your students into a predetermined schedule.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why effective small group instruction starts with student needs, not a predetermined schedule or rotation
• How small groups give teachers an opportunity to differentiate instruction and provide immediate, precise feedback
• Why you don't have to meet with every student every day for small group instruction to be effective
• How to use assessment data and informal observations to identify targeted skills for small group practice
• Why reading comprehension is complex—and what that means when you're deciding what to teach in a small group
• How a triage approach can help you prioritize which students need additional teacher support
• Why knowing your readers is one of the most important parts of making small group instruction more effective
• How to rethink traditional small group structures and create an approach that works for the students in front of you

If small groups have ever left you feeling like you need to do more, meet with more students, or somehow fit more rotations into an already packed literacy block, this conversation is your reminder that small group instruction is a tool you can use—not a structure you have to serve. Focus on knowing your students, identifying what they need, and designing your instruction from there.

Resources Mentioned:

Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup

Check out the Stellar Literacy Collective: stellarteacher.com/join

Small group instruction is probably built into your literacy block—but have you ever stopped to ask: What is the actual purpose of small groups?

For years, Emily knew she was supposed to teach small groups, but she wasn't always sure what students should actually be doing once they got to the teacher table. Like many teachers, she focused on creating groups, planning rotations, finding leveled texts, and managing the rest of the class. But the most important question often got overlooked: What do these students need to practice with my support?

In this episode, Emily breaks down the real purpose of small group instruction and shares a simple mindset shift that can completely change the way you plan. Small group isn't a curriculum or a specific type of lesson. It's an instructional structure that gives students more opportunities to practice a targeted skill while you observe, provide immediate feedback, and adjust your instruction based on what you notice.

You'll also learn why strong small group instruction starts with specific student needs (not reading levels) and how using multiple layers of data can help you pinpoint exactly what students need to practice.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The real purpose of small group instruction—and why it's not simply getting every student to the teacher table
• Why small group is an instructional structure, not a curriculum
• How small groups increase opportunities for meaningful student practice
• Why immediate, precise feedback is one of the biggest benefits of teaching students in a smaller setting
• The planning shift from “What am I going to teach?” to “What do my students need to practice with my support?”
• Why effective small groups should be flexible and responsive to what you notice about your students

Next week, we're wrapping up our Small Group Success series with a special guest! You're not going to want to miss that!

Resources Mentioned:

Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroup

Small group instruction can be one of the most powerful parts of your literacy block—but it can also be one of the hardest to figure out. In this episode, Sara and Emily are bringing back our Dear Stellar Teacher style episodes and sharing six small group mistakes they made in their own classrooms (and what they would do differently now!).

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why too much teacher talk can take away from the practice and feedback students really need.
• Why you don’t need to meet with every student in a small group every day (or even every week).
• How relying on one data point or fixed reading levels can keep you from identifying what students actually need.
• Why small group instruction should focus on the specific skills students need to become stronger readers, rather than simply reteaching your whole group lesson.

If small groups have ever left you wondering, Am I even doing this right?—this episode is for you. We’ve made the mistakes, learned a lot since then, and we’re sharing it all so you can feel more confident with your small group instruction.

Resources mentioned:

Small Group Success Checklist: stellarteacher.com/smallgroups

Reading Intervention Kit: stellarteacher.com/intervention

What does MTSS actually look like in your upper elementary literacy classroom? Understanding the tiers is one thing, but knowing what instruction should look like at Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 can feel much more complicated.

In this episode, Emily breaks down how to put MTSS into practice with practical examples you can use in your literacy block. You’ll learn what strong Tier 1 literacy instruction should include, how to identify the specific skills students need during Tier 2, and how Tier 3 increases the intensity of support without necessarily requiring an entirely different program.

We’ll also walk through a simple Tier 2 fluency routine and a five-day phonics and decoding intervention routine to help you see what targeted support can actually look like.

Resources Mentioned:

Free Fluency Resource: stellarteacher.com/fluency

Stellar Intervention Toolkit: stellarteacher.com/intervention

Stellar Literacy Collective: stellarteacher.com/join

[Listen Again] The one thing teachers wish they could have more of is time. Time to plan, time to teach, time to make copies, and time to have fun with their students. The day goes by so quickly that it’s hard to fit everything in, but one thing that helps with that is time management. In order to help you gain some time back in your classroom, I’m sharing 3 tips that are effective and help free up brain space.

Download my Free Mini-Lesson Plan and Sample Slides here!

Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information click here.

Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series here!

Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join

To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode152

If you have a handful of students who need intensive phonics intervention, a few who are reading well above grade level, and everyone else somewhere in the middle, you might be wondering: How am I supposed to meet all of these needs without burning myself out?

The good news is that meeting every student's needs doesn't mean giving every student the exact same support.

In this episode, Sara is breaking down how to support your struggling readers while still making sure the rest of your class is getting meaningful, appropriately challenging literacy instruction. She shares a helpful doctor analogy that reminds us that different students need different types of support—and that different doesn't mean unfair.

You'll also hear practical ways to strengthen your Tier 1 instruction, use partner work to support all learners, make the most of your intervention time, and plan meaningful work for the rest of your class while you're meeting with small groups.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why meeting every student's needs doesn't mean giving every student the exact same support
• Why not every student needs to meet with you in a small group
• How explicit Tier 1 instruction can better support struggling readers before intervention even begins
• How partner routines like RallyCoach can provide struggling readers with support while deepening learning for stronger readers
• A simple five-day intervention framework for making the most of your small group time
• How to plan meaningful literacy work for the rest of your class while you're providing intervention
• Why it's okay for your intervention students and the rest of your class to be working on completely different assignments

If you're feeling overwhelmed trying to fit every student into a small group or make sure everyone completes the same work, this episode will help you rethink what effective support can look like. Your job isn't to give every student the exact same thing—it's to figure out what each student needs and provide the instruction that will help them grow.

Resources Mentioned:

⭐ The Stellar Reading Intervention Kit: Stellarteacher.com/intervention