Episodes
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Modeling in Fluency Instruction
AUGUST 09, 2025
"Experts" make lots of recommendations about how to teach oral reading or text reading fluency. One of those recommendations is that it is important to "model" oral reading for the students. The research is nearly silent on this issue, so what makes sense?
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What is the Science of Reading?
AUGUST 02, 2025
This episode explores what it meant by the term "science of reading" and it distinguishes that idea from a "science of reading instruction." The issue here has to do with what kind of evidence should be used to determine how best to teach reading.
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Print-to-Speech or Speech-to-Print? That is the Question
JULY 26, 2025
This episode explores the effectiveness of Orton-Gillingham approaches to the teaching of phonics as well as which method is best for facilitating growth in decoding -- teaching students connect letters to sounds or sounds to letters.
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How to do the Best Benchmark Testing?
JULY 12, 2025
This podcast explores the pluses and minuses of benchmark reading testing, including considerations of test frequency, time of day the tests are administered and who proctors the tests.
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My Child Will Only Read Graphic Novels. Help!
JUNE 28, 2025
Many kids only want to read graphic novels. Is that a problem? This podcast explores the pluses and minuses of graphic novels when it comes to learning to read. It includes practical suggestions for parents and teachers.
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Should Reading Be Taught Whole Class or Small Group?
JUNE 14, 2025
There is a long history in reading education of promoting small group instruction. This podcast explores what the research has to say about the benefits -- or lack thereof -- of small group teaching and whether it is such a good idea afterall.
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Encouraging Summer Reading
JUNE 07, 2025
This podcast explains why summer reading practice is so important and provides 13 recommendations for ways to encourage children to read when the schools are closed.
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Autism and Reading Part 2: Lessons to be Learned from Special Kids
MAY 24, 2025
Children on the autism spectrum (ASD) present some interesting challenges when it comes to reading instruction. Part 1 of this series considered the difficulties that these children may have with decoding -- despite the fact that there are a surprising number who have hyperlexia, especially go...
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Autism and Reading Part 1: Lessons to be Learned from Special Kids
MAY 10, 2025
More and more kids are diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum and this challenge has important consequences for learning to read. This podcast explores the implications this has for teaching reading -- both to kids on the spectrum and to everyone else.
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How to Teach Writing Fluency
MAY 03, 2025
These days there is much interest in reading fluency as educators have become aware of the important contribution it makes to reading proficiency. However, writing fluency is not accorded the same attention -- undermining writing development and what it can contribute to learning to read. This...
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