Episode 203 (from August 16, 2024)

Our guests today, authors Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell, discuss the concept of Strive-For-Five Conversations, which emphasizes the importance of multi-turn conversations between teachers and students. They explain that the goal is to stretch conversations beyond the typical question-response format and aim for at least five turns. The conversation explores the impact of conversations on brain development. They also provide practical tips for implementing Strive for Five in the classroom and engaging parents in the process.

Resources

• Strive for Five Conversations by Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell
• Using Strive-for-Five Conversations to Strengthen Language Comprehension in Preschool through Grade One
• Asking Questions is Just the First Step: Using Upward and Downward Scaffolds
• Going Nuts for Words: Recommendation for Teaching Young Students Academic Vocabulary
• Article on Teaching Together research: This article shows sending home materials scaffolds parent involvement and that the impact of rewards fades over time.
• Talking is Teaching Family Engagement Resources

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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Episode 218 is chock-full of super practical ways to implement academic talk in your classroom tomorrow!

Elementary science teacher Jami Witherell shares her insights on fostering academic discourse in the classroom, emphasizing the importance of giving students time to think before they speak. She discusses practical strategies for engaging students in conversation, including the 'read a little, think a little, chat a little' approach, and the implementation of Socratic seminars and fishbowl discussions. Jami highlights the significance of preparation and creating a safe space for all students, especially multilingual learners, to express their thoughts and ideas. Her personal experiences as a multilingual learner shape her passion for ensuring that every student feels their voice matters in the classroom.

Fourth grade teacher Lauren Proffitt discusses the importance of oracy in education, detailing how her school has implemented a school-wide goal to enhance students' speaking skills. She explains the significance of structured routines and strategies that promote student engagement through talk, emphasizing the role of oracy in both academic and lifelong skills. The discussion also covers peer observations, collaborative learning, and effective management of classroom discussions, providing practical insights for educators.

Resources

• Fail-a-bration by Brad and Kristi Montague

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.

Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Episode 167: Researcher Tiffany Hogan explores the relationship between phonics and language comprehension in this episode. She shares practical ways to make these connections in the classrooms - including read-alouds, discourse, and writing.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• On the Importance of Listening Comprehension
• If you don't look, you don't see: Measuring language development to inform literacy instruction
• List of commercially available Developmental Language Disorder (DLDP) Screeners
• DLDandme.org
• RADLD.org
• ASHA Voices on Apple Podcasts
• Understanding Dyslexia in the Context of Developmental Language Disorder
• Increasing Higher Level Language Skills to Improve Reading Comprehension
• Adapting Curricula for Children with Language Comprehension Deficits
• Five ways SLPs (and others) can positively impact children with dyslexia
• A generic implementation framework for school-based research and practice
• 'We test, not teach, comprehension' Jeanne Chall:
• CUBED free assessment and progress monitoring for decoding, language, and reading
• Executive functions and morphological awareness explain the shared variance between word reading and listening comprehension Young-Suk Kim
• “the acquisition of an alphabetic code is like catching a virus… this virus infects all speech processing… Language is never the same again” Uta Frith

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

Grab free resources and episode alerts! Sign up for our email list at literacypodcast.com.

Join our community on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.