The Science of Reading Simplified
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You know those moments when you’re teaching phonemic awareness and you think, “There has to be a way to make this click for my kids”? I had one of those moments last week working with a struggling reader named Maya. We were practicing deleting and substituting sounds, and she just wasn’t getting it. Then I tried something that changed everything – but let me back up a bit first.
You’re sitting with a small group of students, and you can see the wheels turning as they work to sound out a new word. We’ve all been there – watching our students stretch and blend sounds, sometimes smoothly, sometimes with a bit more struggle. Today, let’s dive deep into two absolutely crucial skills that make all the difference in early reading success: blending and segmenting.
Have you ever noticed how young children naturally mimic the voices and expressions of adults around them? This natural learning process is exactly why modeled reading is such a powerful tool in our literacy instruction toolkit. Today, let’s dive into what modeled reading is, why it works, and how you can use it effectively in your classroom to transform your students into confident, fluent readers.
Since learning about echo reading and seeing the positive impact it had on James, I’ve used this approach with lots of other readers that I’ve worked with in my years as an Education Specialist and Reading Interventionist. Curious? You grab your morning coffee, I’ll grab my chai latte and let’s talk about echo reading and how to make it work in your classroom.
You know that magical moment when your whole class is reading together, and even your most hesitant readers are joining in? That’s what we’re going to talk about today. After years of working with struggling readers, I can tell you that choral reading is one of those research-based strategies that I’m glad I have in my teacher toolkit – and I’m excited to share why.
You know that moment when you’re listening to a student read and you just wish you could clone yourself to give every child more practice time? Trust me, I’ve been there! That’s exactly why I want to talk with you today about partner reading – it’s honestly one of my favorite strategies for building reading fluency, and I think you’re going to love it too.
Can we have a heart-to-heart about decodable texts? I know that moment when you’re sitting with your small group, decodable readers in hand, and you’re thinking, “Shouldn’t we be moving on to ‘real’ books by now?” Trust me, I’ve been there too. After twenty years of working with teachers to improve reading fluency, I’ve learned that these seemingly simple books are actually literacy gold for our beginning readers.
Let’s talk about decodable texts – those carefully crafted books that help our young readers practice their phonics skills. In my years as a literacy coach, I’ve seen how helpful these resources can be when used effectively. I know the questions that come up again and again in my coaching sessions: When should we use decodable text? How do we know when students are ready to move beyond them? And most importantly, how do we make sure we’re using them effectively?
You know that feeling when you find something that actually works for your struggling readers? That’s what we’re talking about today. After two decades of supporting teachers and students with reading challenges, I’ve learned that decodable texts are often the missing piece of the puzzle. Grab your favorite pen – you’re going to want to take notes on this one!
Teachers are asking whether they should move away from leveled books. And I totally get it! I remember when my own classroom library was organized with those familiar A-Z labels, and every student had their “just right” reading level. It felt so organized, so systematic. But here’s the thing – I’ve learned some pretty eye-opening stuff about leveled books that changed my whole approach to teaching reading, and I think you’ll find it interesting too.
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