The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents

I’m back, friends! I’d like to brush off my absence by taking a break for the summer to relax, travel, and enjoy the sun, but that wouldn’t be the truth. I always strive to be open and honest with you all, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. In my comeback episode, I’m going to explain my absence, what I've learned about myself, and how my story can help you.

It’s never one thing that broke the camel’s back, it’s a combination of a lot of little things. This has never been more true for me. The explanation for my absence is complex and personal that includes a lot of events that have led to transitions in my life, which have then resulted in a process of healing and understanding. After taking a deeper look into myself, I now have the tools to be a better version of myself. After listening to this comeback episode, I encourage you to pause and listen to yourself if you too need a break.

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode140

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise

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• Join The Daily Writing Disguise Membership here
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We often teach and practice reading and writing separately, but in reality, they work together to improve a students’ literacy skills. I know you all have effective and successful literacy blocks, but my hope is that with me sharing my thoughts and experiences with you, that you’ll find new ways to teach reading and writing to your students. So listen up as I share ideas to better support your students during your literacy block.

During this conversational-type episode, I rattle off all the different ways I’ve helped my students during my literacy block with their reading and writing skills. Each suggestion helps improve a student’ confidence, comprehension, and love for either reading or writing.

We want students to improve their literacy skills, which these ideas include activities and a variety of ways to support your students during your literacy block. Be sure to reflect on your own practices and see what you can implement that makes your literacy block enjoyable and fun! 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode139

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Creative Writing Activities
• 6 Free Creative Writing Activities
• Writing Prompts Free Sample
• Reading and Writing Anchor Charts
• Reading Response Activities

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• Check out my TpT Store
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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

While most of my episodes involve writing strategies and creative ways to get students writing in the classroom, literacy skills are developed and mastered alongside reading. And one of the hottest trends in education right now is the science of reading. There’s so much to unpack with this, so to help us, I have my good friend, Sara Marye, who’s sharing 4 tips on why you should align your instruction to the science of reading in upper elementary. 

The science of reading encompasses so many aspects of literacy, so it can be hard to determine what it all entails. Sara helps break down the research, pillars of reading, and the model that all work together that makes students successful readers. With this being such a big push, it’s important to note that it’s not just for lower elementary, which is why Sara is giving practical tips and strategies that you can use in your classroom.

Sara and I have such an informative conversation regarding the science of reading. Many of you may already have elements of this in your classroom, but we know there’s always opportunities for growth, especially when it involves the success of your students. With Sara’s tips for aligning the science of reading to your instruction, you will have concepts and strategies to implement in the fall! 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode138

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Free Collections Sampler Pack
• Listen to Sara’s podcast, Stellar Teacher Podcast, to learn more about the science of reading

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

With an ever evolving world, it’s important that our classrooms are adapting to the world we live in. One of the easiest and natural way to include diversity in the classroom is through diverse children’s literature. But by adding diversity, it can cause some challenges and provoke fear in some teachers. To help facilitate this important conversation, I have both Dr. Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica & Dr. Allison Briceño on the podcast to share how to make diversity a priority in the classroom.

Bringing diversity in the classroom is a pressing and important topic, and Dr. Claudia and Dr. Allison are both a wealth of knowledge and have a lot of key points they make. Not only do they share why it’s essential to use diverse literature, but also the benefits and possible challenges that come with its implementation. One of those challenges is a fear in teachers, which they acknowledge and provide ways to overcome those fears. 

My conversation with Dr. Claudia and Dr. Allison was compelling and informative around incorporating diversity in the classroom. They share natural ways to easily implement authentic representation of diverse children’s literature. We’re sending our kids out in a diverse world, so it’s important to expose them to various human experiences that can start with books. 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode137

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Monthly Writing Prompts
• New book: Conscious Classrooms: Using Diverse Texts for Inclusion, Equity and Justice

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
• Instagram Posts
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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

For the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing creative writing ideas that get students writing and working on their literacy skills in a fun and non-threatening way. I love coming up with ways to disguise writing and have so many ideas, but narrowed it down to my final two that I’m going to share. Those two routines are Acrostic Response and Tell All About It.

If you’ve listened to Episodes 135 and Episode 134, you know that I’ll be breaking down the purpose, suggested time, general tips, examples, and ways to support or extend each routine. While these routines still work on literacy skills, what makes these two creative writing ideas unique is they touch on a genre and type of writing that usually doesn’t get a lot of love or attention. 

Since we’re at the end of the series, not only would I love to hear which creative writing ideas were your favorite, but samples of what your students have created! Share your hard work and dedication to these routines with me on Instagram or email me at [email protected]!

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode136

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Free Collections Sampler Pack
• Episode 135, Quick Write & Emoji Memories: Disguising Writing Part 2
• Episode 134, Picture This & Building Words: Disguising Writing Part 1

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Getting students to write and practice various literacy skills can be a daunting task, which is why I’ve loved coming up with different ways for disguising writing for students! In Episode 134, I shared two creative writing routines and in today’s episode, I’ll be sharing two more writing routines for disguising writing. 

The two creative writing routines I’m showcasing are Quick Write and Emoji Memories. In the same format as last week, with each routine, I highlight the purpose, suggested time, general tips, examples, and ways to support or extend the routine. With each disguising writing routine, students are still practicing literacy skills, but with these two in particular, they’re given a choice in their writing!

Whether you’re implementing these routines at any point in the school year, they’re proven to be effective and efficient. By disguising writing with these routines, students are learning essential literacy skills that can be utilized with various genres and content areas. Stay turned to next week’s episode for the last two writing routines! 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode135

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Free Collections Sampler Pack
• Episode 134, Picture This & Building Words: Disguising Writing Part 1

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
• Instagram Posts
• Blog Posts
• Facebook Posts

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

We all know the groans and complaining that happens when we ask students to write. But what if we could present writing in a way that is hidden or disguised? Which is why I’ve come up with creative writing routines that you can use with your students that are purposeful, yet non-threatening. In this three week series, I’ll be highlighting two creative writing routines each week that will be engaging and meaningful for your students.

The two creative writing routines I’m sharing are Picture This and Building Words. Each of these routines help students practice targeted skills while exploring their creative writing abilities. Since all kids learn differently, I provide ways to support struggling students and those needing extensions for both routines. 

I’ve loved coming up with different ways to disguise writing for my students and wanted to share my ideas with you. Implementing these creative writing routines in your classroom any time during the school year will have your students excited and enjoy writing in no time! Stay tuned next week for two more writing routines. 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode134

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Free Collections Sampler Pack

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
• Instagram Posts
• Blog Posts
• Facebook Posts

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Today’s episode is on a topic that’s gaining popularity amongst everyone, which is the Enneagram test. This personality theory helps determine certain characteristics based on a variety of factors. And while it’s good to be self-aware, this information can be beneficial in the classroom. My guest today, Kirsten Hammond, is sharing how the Enneagram test can be a powerful teaching tool.

For those that are unaware, Kirsten first gives a brief overview of the Enneagram test and outlines the nine different primary personality types. From there, she explains how it can be used to differentiate and support different learning experiences in the classroom. This includes tailoring your lessons, how students process information, and ways students can showcase their learning to meet the needs of each student. 

Having students take the Enneagram test helps you determine how best to support your students academically and emotionally. Kirsten shared so many useful ways to bring the Enneagram test into your classroom, and just like me, you’ll gain so many ideas on how to utilize it with your own students!

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode133

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Enneagram Personality Test
• Multiple Intelligences Test

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• Check out my TpT Store
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If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Incorporating writing that engages students into your instruction can be difficult, especially if you already have an established writing curriculum that your district requires. However, I’m here to tell you it’s not impossible! My guests on today’s episode, Emily and Carrie, are both writing experts who specialize in engaging students to write creatively and often. They’re sharing how to use best practices with any writing curriculum.

With both Emily and Carrie’s expertise, they have come up with fun writing activities that are achievable for students and also make parents and teachers confident and feel at ease knowing they’re working on their writing foundation. While it seems like kids are reluctant and unsure about what to write, Emily and Carrie believe the exact opposite is the case. Instead, they recommend asking yourself 5 questions that will change your mindset about best practices in any writing curriculum.

In order to make writing a priority and create a conducive environment for growth amongst your students, having best practices for any writing curriculum is essential. Since Emily and Carrie have a wide range of experience between them, from elementary and middle, their beliefs and instruction are focused on student growth in their writing. Implement one or all of their best practices and watch your writing curriculum go from rigid to flexible! 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode132

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
• Subscribe to my E-mail list
• Instagram Posts
• Blog Posts
• Facebook Posts

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!

Most teachers think that in order to prepare for the upcoming state test, they have to deviate from their normal routine and activities. When in reality, adding engagement and using tools and activities that are familiar to your students is actually helpful to their success. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 6 secrets to engaging students during testing season. 

Each idea that I share can be differentiated based on your students’ needs and level of practice they need. I adapted my lessons and learning experiences for the kids so that we were studying and preparing, but also engaging students during testing season. This ensured that not only was I feeling way less stressed and overwhelmed, but so were my students.

Instead of boring and monotonous, test prep can be engaging, informative, collaborative, and enjoyable for your students. These 6 ideas for engaging students during testing season will help shift your mindset and teaching practices in order to make test prep meaningful for your students! 

Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode131

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my Daily Writing Disguise
• Test Prep Instagram Post
• Reading Graphic Organizers
• Reading Comprehension Activities Bundle
• Student Response Cards
• Simple Student Response Cards Freebie

Connect with me:

• Check out my TpT Store
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• Instagram Posts
• Blog Posts
• Facebook Posts

If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening!