Reading Teachers Lounge Shannon Betts and Mary Saghafi

Shannon and Mary chat with critically acclaimed author and experienced actress & advocate Colette Hiller about ways to make word learning innovative and fun.    Colette is releasing a new book titled Colossal Words for Kids, which combines educational poetry with vibrant illustrations to teach new words and related content knowledge.    The book is delightful and so is Colette.    Listen to this episode to gain creative ideas about how to help get students excited about word learning and how to help make the vocabulary stick in the students' minds.


RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE


Colossal Words for Kids by Colette Hiller, Illustrated by Tor Freeman *Amazon affiliate link*The B on Your Thumb:   60 Poems to Boost Reading and Spelling by Colette Hiller, Illustrated by Tor Freeman *Amazon affiliate link*Colette's websiteNPR Ways with WordsStreet Pianos projectStatue Stories Chicagoour episode about Building Vocabulary-check out the show note linksour episode about Morphology-check out the show note linksour episode about Etymology-check out the show not linksGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
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Shannon and Mary chat about how to best support learners with working memory challenges.  This is a companion episode to a deep dive learning topic we went through with our Patreon community about Working Memory.    Listeners to this episode will walk away with increased awareness about which students may have working memory challenges AND strategies to help those students during reading instruction.


RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE


Working Memory and Learning: A Practical Guide for Teachers 1st Edition
by Susan Gathercole (Author), Tracy Packiam Alloway (Author) *Amazon affiliate link*What Is Working Memory? Understanding our mental ‘scratchpad’
Writer: Rae Jacobson Clinical Experts: Matthew Cruger, PhD , Linda Hecker, MEd8 Working Memory BoostersWhy I Can't Remember Things -- How ADHD Affects Working Memory15 Memory Exercises for Forgetful KidsImproving Working Memory Capacity | Torkel Klingberg | TEDxNorrköpingDr. Erica Warren Executive Functioning activitiesLumosity appBrain HQ appPeak appGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
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Shannon and Mary talk with Kelly Butler and Carla Stanford about professional learning that is meaningful.   Kelly Butler worked with the Barksdale Reading Institute to bring about systems change in reading instruction in the state of Mississippi over the last twenty years.   Kelly and Carla share about a free resource they're working on now called Reading Universe, which is a one-stop shop for teachers and interested stakeholders to learn about best practices in teaching reading.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE


ReadingUniverse.orgReading Universe TaxonomyREAP (Reading is Essential for All People)Timely Talks10 MaximsScaling Up for SuccessWhy It MattersRight to Read Project (Lunch & Lit)Simple View of Reading Episode Season 5 Episode 9Cuban Literacy InitiativeContact Kelly Butler via e-mail:    kbutler@msreads.orgContact  Carla Stanford via e-mail:   cstanford@weta.orgGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
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Shannon and Mary chat with speech therapist Dr. Karen Dudek Brannan about the overlaps between speech, reading, and language.   Dr. Karen helps us understand the challenges facing students with language impairments.    From this episode, teachers can understand the perspective of a speech therapist to better understand speech and language challenges.    After listening, you should walk away with ideas about conversations to have with the speech therapist in your building and an awareness of language challenges your students may face within your curriculum.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE
Dr. Karen's websiteDe Facto Leaders PodcastUltimate Guide to Sentence Structurefree Executive Functioning Implementation Guide for School Teams from Dr. KarenFree Training from Dr. Karen about the 5-component Framework for Language Intervention Free training from Dr. Karen about support that is evidence-based and neurodiversity-affirming (by building executive functioning skills) Contact Dr. Karen on LinkedInDr. Karen on IGDr. Karen on FacebookSuper Sentences graphic organizer (Bookworms) -need to sign up for a free login & then find in grades 3-5 printablesSuper Sentences rubric grade 5 (Bookworms) -need to sign up for a free login & then find in grades 3-5 printablesGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
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Shannon and Mary discuss the importance of prioritizing handwriting instruction simultaneously with reading and writing instruction in the early grades. Learn why handwriting is essential for overall literacy development and how to include it in your daily instruction.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE
The Importance of Teaching Handwriting by Louise Spear SwerlingWriting by hand may increase brain connectivity more than typing, readings of student brains suggest by Aria BendixThe unexpected connection between handwriting and learning to read by Sheldon H HorowitzHOW HANDWRITING AND LITERACY SKILLS GO HAND-IN-HANDThe Importance of Teaching Handwriting7 Reasons Why Handwriting Is Important for KidsThe Importance of teaching handwriting for cognitive development - PLD (Australia)How to Teach Handwriting—and Why It MattersWhy Don’t the Common-Core Standards Include Cursive Writing?6 Multisensory ways to teach handwritingWhat Every Teacher Should Know about Handwriting (LWT)Learning Without Tears GuidesReading UniverseThe Importance of Handwriting Experience on the Development of the Literate Brain by Karin H. JamesGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
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Shannon shares with Mary the steps she follows for analyzing student data.    This Date Your Data process requires multiple steps of looking at test scores, improvement goals, student strengths and weaknesses, and then connecting the data to standards to facilitate data-driven instruction.  This method of data review makes the test score information meaningful to teachers, students, parents, and other stakeholders.   Listen to find out how to Date Your Data to get to know your students and their learning better.


RECOMMENDED RESOURCES AND ONES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE
our Season 1 episode: Understanding the MAP testDate Your Data free handout for MAP scores *created by ShannonDate Your Data free handout for analyzing other data sources *created by ShannonNWEA MAP Test information (login needed)NWEA MAP Test website (no login needed)MAP Quadrant Chart Analysis & Reflection *created by ShannonGet a free Green Chef box using our link.Support the Show.
Get Literacy Support through our Patreon