Jake Downs talks with Dr. Blythe Anderson and Dr. John Strong about effective summer tutoring programs to prevent the summer slide in elementary reading. They discuss strategies such as small-group tutoring, differentiated instruction, and interactive read-alouds, based on multi-year research that shows significant gains in vocabulary, reading fluency, and foundational skills. The episode emphasizes the importance of data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement in summer programs, with implications for school-year instruction.

02:07 Understanding the Summer Slide
02:54 Research on Summer School Programs
07:00 Designing Effective Summer Tutoring Programs
08:46 Training and Implementation of Tutors
12:16 Session Format and Instructional Strategies
18:31 Assessment and Differentiation
27:21 Year Three Results and Findings
42:25 Program Evolution Over the Years
48:48 Big Lessons Learned from Summer School Programs
58:52 Final Thoughts and Optimism for Literacy Research

Host Dr. Jake Downs is joined by Dr. Katherine O’Donnell, an Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah, to discuss her research on student outcomes in states following the implementation of science of reading legislation.

03:02 Historical Context: Reading First Era
09:37 Mississippi’s Science of Reading Legislation
17:02 Comparative Analysis of State Outcomes
29:08 Impact on Special Education and ELL Students
34:58 Implementation Takes Time
39:48 Why Did the ‘Advanced’ Category on NAEP balloon?
42:56 NAEP SOR Outcomes as ‘Matthew Effects’
48:26 Jake’s Take Capitalizing on Advantages

Dr. Danielle Colenbrander joins the show to discuss the benefits of morphology instruction with students.

Reference:
Colenbrander, D., Von Hagen, A., Kohnen, S., Wegener, S., Ko, K., Beyersmann, E., Behzadnia, A., Parrila, R., & Castles, A. (2024). The Effects of Morphological Instruction on Literacy Outcomes for Children in English-Speaking Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 36(4), 119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09953-3

Dr. Cherish Sarmiento joins the show to talk about how fifth and eighth grade students use academic language in their writing. Importantly, we learn that words with seven or more letters may be one way to quickly identify academic words.

Reference:

Sarmiento, C. M., Truckenmiller, A. J., Cho, E., & Wang, H. (2024). Academic language use in middle school informational writing. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 00, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12724

In this episode, Jake is joined by Dr. Blythe Anderson to discuss her research with vocabulary instruction strategies.

References:

Anderson, B. E. (2024). Vocabulary Talk Moves: Using Language to Promote Word Learning. The Reading Teacher, 77(4), 439–452. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2263

Anderson, B. E., Wright, T. S., & Gotwals, A. W. (2023). Teachers’ Vocabulary Talk in Early-Elementary Science Instruction. Journal of Literacy Research, 55(1), 75–100. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086296X231163117

In this episode, Dr. Marianne Rice joins Jake to discuss the different types of inferences and how teachers can support their students in generating inferences to enhance comprehension. For more information, be sure to check out literacy.io

References:

Utah Educators — let’s talk about fluency and comprehension!
October 1 – Brigham City
October 7 – Salt Lake City
October 22 – St. George

Make sure to sign up for both sessions
Fluency: https://usbe.midaseducation.com/professional-development/courses/course/64621
Comprehension: https://usbe.midaseducation.com/professional-development/courses/course/64623
All sessions are free of charge and 7 relicensure hours will be credited for the full day.

A big thanks to the Utah State Board of Education for facilitating these sessions.

In this episode, Drs. Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell join Jake to discuss their “Strive-for-Five Conversations” strategy for promoting oral language development through simple, serve and return style conversations in the classroom.

References:

Strive-for-Five Conversations, by Tricia Zucker & Sonia Cabell

Cabell, S. Q., & Zucker, T. A. (2023). Using Strive‐for‐Five Conversations to Strengthen Language Comprehension in Preschool through Grade One. The Reading Teacher. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2266

‌Zucker, T. A., Cabell, S. Q., Oh, Y., & Wang, X. (2020). Asking Questions Is Just the First Step: Using Upward and Downward Scaffolds. The Reading Teacher, 74(3), 275–283. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1943

‌Zucker, T. A., Cabell, S. Q., & Pico, D. L. (2021). Going Nuts for Words: Recommendations for Teaching Young Students Academic Vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 74(5). https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1967

‌

In this episode Dr. Jake Downs joins us to talk about his research on Synchronous Paired Oral Reading techniques. Guest hosted by Dr. Chase Young.

Reference:

Downs, J., & Mohr, K. A. J. (2024). A Multilevel Meta-Analysis of Synchronous Paired Oral Reading Techniques in Elementary Classrooms. Literacy Research and Instruction, 0(0), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388071.2024.2319654

Downs, J., Mohr, K., & Young, C. (2023). A historical narrative review of paired oral reading practices in elementary classrooms. Journal of Research in Reading, 46(1), 42–63. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12413

Downs, J. D. (2021). A Multilevel Meta-Analysis of Paired Oral Reading Methods in Elementary Classrooms [Ph.D., Utah State University]. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2566075613/abstract/467966ECF20D4340PQ/1

Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington join us on the show to discuss their recent book entitled “The Literacy 50: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night” available through Scholastic.

In this episode we discuss Melissa and Lori’s experiences in the classroom, what led them to start a podcast, and what they’ve learned in over 200 episodes of the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Podcast.

So many great thoughts in this episode that you won’t want to miss! After you are done listening make sure to check out the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy podcast and their book “The Literacy 50.”