Episodes
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My Problem with Teaching Text Organization
JANUARY 25, 2025
There is strong research that supports the idea of teaching students to recognize and use text structure to understand and remember the information from text. Accordingly, reading comprehension lessons often focus on teaching story structure and multiple expository text structures, too. But ar...
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8 Ways to Help Kids Read Complex Text
JANUARY 18, 2025
For years, teachers were told to teach reading at children's "instructional levels." However, research has not been especially kind to this idea, showing either that this adjustment provides no benefit or that it actually is harmful. So teachers are increasingly trying to teach students to rea...
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Are We Getting the Right Information When It Comes to the Science of Reading?
JANUARY 04, 2025
Recently, the press has exercised great influence over reading education reform. Radio documentaries have revealed the neglect of key aspects of reading instruction. Although journalists have often been criticized by educators for not knowing enough to determine how reading should be taught, t...
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'Tis the Season of Test Prep: Bah Humbug!
DECEMBER 14, 2024
School districts want higher test scores. Each year they promote programs of test preparation. Teachers are required to reduce the amount of reading instruction that they provide in the hopes that these efforts will make everybody look good whether the kids can read well or not. This podcast e...
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Literacy Charities for 2025
DECEMBER 07, 2024
Each year, I identify regional, national, and international charities that support children's literacy. Only the highest rated charities are noted. This podcast identifies those charities, explains their good work, and points out how these organizations might help your schools and your childre...
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Three-Cueing and the Law
NOVEMBER 16, 2024
This podcast explains the three-cueing approach and why it is not a good idea for instruction. But several states have passed laws or formulated regulations prohibiting the practice. Is that a good idea? Tune in to find out the answer to that question.
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Is Comprehension Better with Digital Text?
NOVEMBER 09, 2024
Research continues to accumulate indicating that digital text is not comprehended as well as paper text, and some studies suggest that the use of digital texts with kids may stunt their comprehension ability. This podcast explores those studies and draws a surprising conclusion.
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Do Middle and High School Students Need Fluency Instruction and What Counts as Instruction?
OCTOBER 26, 2024
This podcast responds to a teacher's question concerning the need to teach older students to read fluently. It explains why fluency matters at those levels and why fewer and fewer students require fluency instruction each year.
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How Can I Teach with Books that are Two Years Above Student Reading Levels?
OCTOBER 12, 2024
These days teachers are being encouraged to teach with complex or challenging text. This often means teaching students to read (or to learn science or social studies) from grade level texts far above students' reading levels. In the past teachers were taught to change books so students could w...
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The Role of Letter Names in Learning to Read is Still Curious
SEPTEMBER 28, 2024
The ability to identify the letters is one of the best predictors of later reading ability. That makes it a valuable tool for helping to identify which children are likely to struggle with reading. But why is that? This podcast explores what is known about the role of letter names in the learn...
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