Shanahan on Literacy

Research suggests that Reading Recovery instruction somehow penalizes students. Those who get the help do less well in ensuing years than similar kids who don't. This podcast explores possible explanations for this -- explanations that point up important lessons to be drawn from remedial interventions.

Reading and writing are closely related. Teaching them together can have a powerful impact on both. This podcast explores three major ways that reading and writing can be combined in the classroom to increase students' literacy proficiency.

Despite all the interest in the "science of reading" (SOR) there are still some serious misunderstandings when it comes to recognizing and using research evidence. Even many proponents of SOR, in their zeal to get their way, misuse research as more of a rhetorical device than as a method for determining what would be best for children.

Starts with why lesson planning should begin with the text itself. Covers identifying what the text actually says and the evidence it offers. Explores spotting barriers like vocabulary and syntax and designing questions to reveal them. Suggests scaffolds, gradual release, and on-the-fly adjustments. Recommends chunking, rereads, and mapping text work to standards categories.

Over the past decade there has been a public outcry for more phonics instruction in our schools. This has resulted in legislation across the country. Now, the discussion seems to be shifting -- reading authorities who played a significant role in this movement are complaining that we are overdoing the phonics thing. This podcast explores how much phonics there should be.

Many schools have adopted fluency learning targets based upon fluency norms. Recent research shows that students are able to comprehend text reasonably well even with lower fluency levels. Does that mean that we are overdoing it with fluency instruction? The answer may surprise you.

If you would like to get into a good argument, tell someone when reading instruction should begin. I'm always surprised at how many people have an opinion on that topic, and how vociferously they sometimes share it. This podcast will reveal what we know about the best time to start teaching reading -- maybe it will help you the next time you're in that argument -- but it will likely be of more value to parents and primary grade teachers.

This podcast explores the unfortunate implications of confusing curriculum and instruction. Teachers would do better to distinguish those concepts and to coordinate the one with the other.

They question whether counting words correct per minute really measures reading ability. They explore accuracy, prosody, and how decoding underlies fluent reading. They discuss readers who are accurate but slow and the difference between speed and automaticity. They present eye-voice span as an alternative for assessing true fluency.

A deep dive into why sentence comprehension matters for reading achievement. New research linking syntax to understanding is highlighted. Practical classroom strategies are described, including oral reading fluency, prosody, sentence combining and reduction. Tips for spotting and teaching difficult sentences and integrating sentence work with vocabulary and text structure are shared.