Summer Short Read 1: "Do I Have Your Attention?" with Blake Harvard!

 

"Without knowledge of human cognitive processes, instructional design is blind."

Blake Harvard quoted this work in his awesome resource, Do I Have Your Attention? and it also stopped me in my tracks. There is nothing I love more than a quick, meaty summer read filled with action steps for teaching & learning. Blake is a classroom teacher seeking to ensure his students walk out the door remembering & genuinely learning the content -- the dream of every teacher, I know. Yet, he shares some very evidence-based practices to help all of us make this happen in our classrooms, while also acknowledging that NO ONE has all the answers. It is always refreshing to hear from leaders, experts, and educators that no one has the silver bullet answer-- and if someone claims it, they are giving you a big gulp of "snake oil" (if you haven't heard that expression, check out Holly Lane's presentation).

The first part of Do I Have Your Attention? focuses on research & evidence -- I highly recommend taking the time to digest it.  In education, we just want to know the WHAT -- tell me what to do -- but not knowing the WHY has put us in a lot of hot water over time. It is in our best interest to start asking the difficult questions before implementing the latest hottest trend in our classrooms -- and Educators are just the ones to lead these discussions. Blake does an awesome job of sharing the research that had the most impact on his understanding of memory and how it impacts learning. 

My email box is often full of concerns about students no longer having long enough attention spans to grasp the concepts that must be taught. Blake shares some action steps that will help with this deep concern across all classrooms (including Higher Ed)! Do I Have Your Attention? brings understanding memory constraints to the forefront of classroom application. Part of this discussion includes understanding the distractors that deter learning and how to help students LEARN how to pay attention -- I first heard this from Zach Groshell as he shared his story of how a teacher took the time to TEACH him what paying attention looks like & sounds like -- perhaps a much needed strategy in our TikTok attention-filled world. 

In the meantime, here are just 3 of my favorite action-packed strategies from Blake's resource:

1.  Anchor with Emotion

What it is: Connect content to emotional experiences—stories, personal reflections, or real-world stakes.
Why it works: Emotionally charged content activates the amygdala, enhancing memory and attention.
Classroom move: Use storytelling or ask students to relate concepts to meaningful moments in their lives (e.g., “When have you ever felt like an underdog in history, like the colonies in the American Revolution?”). I was blown away to discover this year that the brain reacts to story telling in a unique way -- and it is a great way to enhance learning. More reading on my part is needed in this area, but it has made me stop and think about the presentation of new material. 

2.  Make Thinking Visible

What it is: Use tools like think-alouds, anchor charts, or whiteboard snapshots of student thinking.
Why it works: When students see the learning process, not just the result, it activates metacognition and encourages sustained attention.
Try this: Use a visible thinking routine like “See-Think-Wonder” or capture evolving ideas during a discussion on a shared board. Valentina Gonzalez speaks extensively on a Vocabulary Wall that includes pictures for ML Learners -- I think it is a powerful strategy for all of our students. Do you use one? I'd love to see it!

3.  Utilize Desirable Difficulty

What it is: Design learning activities that challenge students just enough to require effort—but not so hard that they give up.
Why it works: Struggling productively keeps the brain active, promotes deeper processing, and boosts long-term retention.
How to use it: Try retrieval practice, interleaving, or asking students to explain concepts in their own words before giving them the answers. Retrieval practice is a critical component of my Literacy Courses at IUK. Students groan but by the end of the semester, they realize the importance as they are required to reflect on this activity in their own host classrooms and future classrooms. 

Which strategy is an AHA for you? I'm happy to report that Blake Harvard will be providing a session at Wabash Valley Education Center in the fall! Can't wait to learn more from him!

Molly Ness, Katie Pace Miles, and Orthographic Mapping!

 

"The average reader instantly and effortlessly recognizes 30,000 - 70,000 words, with no need to decode them or sound them out (Mather and Jaffe, 2021). But that does not mean decoding wasn't necessary for that to happen - or more specifically, to get those words into memory." 

Wowza!  I couldn't start the summer without finishing this amazing resource from Molly & Katie! From the very beginning, I was carried down a memory lane of mistaken spelling practices that were encouraged in my host classrooms and then later continued in my own centers with all grade levels. But just like Molly and Katie emphasize in their book, once we know better, we CAN do better!  

My absolute favorite was their 4-step system of making spelling instruction explicit and intentional - all of us can utilize it no matter what resource has been adopted.  If you are frustrated with the lack of transfer during written responses -- if you are ready to move beyond the Monday-Friday traditional list of memorization with minimal results -- please grab this research-to-practice quick read for changing and improving instruction for your students!

While the 4-step routine is detailed in the book, here are my three thoughts to ponder:

1. Orthographic Mapping Is Key to Long-Term Word Retention

Miles & Ness emphasize that orthographic mapping—the mental process of connecting sounds (phonemes), letters (graphemes), and meaning—is the foundation of fluent word reading. Students don't memorize whole words; instead, they map them sound by sound. Understanding this cognitive process reshapes how educators should approach decoding and spelling instruction.

Takeaway: Teaching should focus on helping students connect sound, symbol, and meaning—not just memorizing word lists. In my university classroom, we speak about this quite extensively and read the work of Dr. Ehri to further our understanding. The Teaching Reading Sourcebook, while huge and almost overwhelming, is an awesome resource to utilize for ideas in the 5 pillars!

2. The Four-Step Routine Makes Word Learning Systematic and Predictable

The heart of the book is a four-step instructional routine that supports orthographic mapping:

1. Pronounce and Segment – Say the word and break it into phonemes.

2. Identify Graphemes – Map the sounds to letters or spelling patterns.

3. Analyze for Patterns – Discuss any irregularities or patterns.

4. Practice and Review – Engage in active, repeated practice.

Takeaway: Consistently using this routine strengthens students’ decoding, encoding, and meaning retention in a simple, repeatable format. I love connecting it to a triangle model in my classroom -- see it, say it, write it. 

3. Meaning Matters

A unique strength of the authors' approach is how it integrates meaning-making into word recognition. Rather than teaching phonics in isolation, the routine ends with a focus on word meaning and usage. This creates deeper learning and increases the likelihood that students will remember and use the word.

Takeaway: Word learning is most effective when it links sound, spelling, and meaning—not just one or two components. We also connect this to a triangle figure -- letters, sounds, and meaning -- in my literacy course. We discuss how words should be utilized and modeled in a sentence to help student's understand meaning and usage.  Many teachers have practiced this routine to utilize with their students in my explicit phonics instruction & vocabulary work sessions. 

What are your key-takeaways?  

Summer Focus: Gratitude, Rejuvenation, & Moving Forward

"Does your brain ever shut down? Do you ever stop thinking about teaching & learning?!" Such a great question!  Simple answer: not really. But over time, I've managed to figure out ways to focus on resting & relaxation while scribbling ideas in my journals. 

My favorite past time is focusing on Brain Drain Gratitudes. This has been a collective game changer over the years! For the longest time I thought it was all phooey, but after an intense study of how gratitude changes the brain, I make a conscious effort to stop and record moments of joy and thankfulness. Sometimes those moments come wrapped in opening thank you notes from Educators who are working hard to make a positive impact on the learning in their classrooms. Often, they are moments of stopping to record a top 10 list of all the things that bring gratefulness.  This activity is a very quick Brain Drain -- anything that comes to mind. If you're still not convinced, check out this article to get started on your own journey.

Another favorite summer focus is Refreshing Rejuvenation -- if I can't make it to the mountains, hiding away at the lake works. Nothing like a cool breeze with a bit of Mel Robbins in my ears! Surprisingly, I also find great joy in seeing Educator friends at WVEC's Summer Celebration. This year, we have made it FREE after so many requests about knowing more about the impact of Read Alouds on literacy growth -- and the constant discussion of does the Science of Reading really kill the joy of reading? I'm very excited about this focused event on the power of literacy in a successful environment. IF we make the goal SUCCESS, perhaps JOY will follow?  To register for this event with local singer and songwriter Scott Greeson and international presenter & teacher Molly Ness, see our website HERE. 

Moments of Moving Forward is the way to catch small ideas for growth. This year, I participated in a project with one of the other Professors on SketchNoting. My class focused on Valentina Gonzalez's work for SketchNoting with MLs but this led to wondering how to utilize this work in my personal life. I'm a sucker for journals -- they are my very favorite. Nothing like a blank page! But now I enjoy adding the additional elements of design. What are some of my Moving Forward Moments? Can't wait to start sharing them with you soon - stay tuned!

In the meantime, how do YOU rejuvenate, replenish, and continue moving forward in our emotionally & mentally draining, but very rewarding, profession?!

Growth Requires Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone: researchED & Rosenshine's Principles in Action!

This magnet is at the top of my refrigerator - a gift from another leader reminding me of the importance to seek growth. The critical reminder that has made for more intentional reflection and development around the teaching & learning cycle. My current instructional leadership role allows for the opportunity to daily encourage all Educators to step out of their current mindsets and lean in to unlearn, learn, and/or relearn evidence based strategies and skills. 

Recently, I made another big leap that required airport layovers (I hate when the flights have layovers; historically, I have refused to fly - haha) and the opportunity to be in the room with experts and researchers that left me pretty much speechless in their expertise (nothing like sitting in the room with Holly Lane and competing against her in a game about literacy -- whaaa???!! Thanks for that memory, Judy & Faith!)  

My favorite resource from the researchED Conference was (without a doubt) Tom Sherrington's book Rosenshine's Principles in Action. I had read through this article just before leaving for New York with some of my students and shared it on my social media as the graphic of the Principles of Instruction aligned with our discussion of Dr. Anita Archer's Explicit Instruction.  What I truly enjoy about this new book resource is how Sherrington chunks the work for maximum understanding and impact for all of us! 

Here are just three best-practice strategies from Sherrington's resource that were especially impactful for me:

1. Daily Review and Retrieval Practice

• What it is: Begin lessons with a short review of previous learning (e.g., questions, quizzes, discussion). Thanks to Anita Archer and Patrice Bain, I had already started this practice in the fall with my undergrads! It was a simple change that has yielded big results. 

• Why it matters: Reinforces prior knowledge, strengthens memory through retrieval, and helps identify gaps in understanding. It holds participants responsible for the content -- they have to do all the work!  It's fun for me to see the retrieval!

• Best practice: Use low-stakes quizzing or short, focused retrieval tasks at the start of lessons. Mix in questions from several weeks back to promote long-term retention (spaced retrieval). Share & discuss answers. The goal is LEARNING, not a grade. Personally, I allow them to review their answers and share their thought processes. 

2. Modeling with Worked Examples

• What it is: Teachers explicitly model how to approach problems or tasks, thinking aloud to demonstrate processes. Not only am I doing this now for Undergrads and my Professional Learning sessions, but I'm asking teachers to partner up after modeling a strategy. I'm giving them space to reflect on and immediately practice the learning. Sometimes, it is hard to switch from the teacher hat to the student hat and vice versa, so we have this discussion of being able to switch. 

• Why it matters: Reduces cognitive load and gives a clear understanding of what success looks like. Although it can be uncomfortable to model in front of peers, students have become better at providing feedback to each other. It is also refreshing to see the Gradual Release Model in action with fellow educators in professional learning environments.

• Best practice: Use visualizers or whiteboards to walk through examples step-by-step. Start with complete worked examples before gradually increasing student independence. I model every part of my expectation so that others feel comfortable modeling the strategy with their colleagues.

3. Guided Practice with Scaffolding

• What it is: Structured opportunities to practice new material with support, before being expected to apply it independently.  I'm now very intentional with providing time for reflection and practice during my professional learning sessions. 

• Why it matters: Avoids errors and builds confidence by gradually removing support. Monitoring discussions to provide feedback and praise also builds the motivation for success.  

• Best practice: Use tasks like “I do, we do, you do” – where the teacher models, the class works together, and then students try on their own. Scaffolds (like prompts or sentence starters) are slowly faded as students grow more proficient.  Afterwords, you will find us ending our professional learning sessions with the following graphic (or something similar):

What are you thinking about changing now? How does this push your teaching & learning brain?

When Will We Move Away From Retention?

 

Recently, I had the most amazing planning session with teachers discussing their selected articles and resources for classroom instruction and how to best utilize explicit instruction to ensure all students are grasping the concepts. These types of daily interactions fill me with some hope and joy for our Teachers and the Students they teach (capitalized for emphasis)!

However, on Friday, I received a letter that left me frustrated and deeply annoyed, because it was an explanation of possible retention for my Autistic Child that didn't pass the state assessment. My Child is currently accomplishing more than we ever imagined possible after her diagnosis. She was once a screamer and table hider. As one of her administrators during this time, it was terrifying for her and frustrating for me. Excitedly, thanks to the dedication of some pretty amazing Teachers & Para Support Staff, she is now speaking, reading, writing, and trying to lead math sessions (believe it or not). She is not on grade level but each day she is growing leaps and bounds with explicit, systematic instruction. Her growth can't be limited by a yearly calendar. To do this is to miss her bigger life story. Her instruction began in Developmental PreSchool and continues today, thankfully, due to her amazing IEP Coordinator and determined 2nd Grade Teacher. 

When I opened her state testing results, she scored higher than I initially believed possible although it wasn't the score needed for passing. The horrifying statement was the threat of retention if she doesn't hit the mark by the end of summer (yes, she will have two more chances to pass this summer). As this has been provided as the answer once again for students that struggle, I've been reading, questioning, and researching. I'm by no means an expert on the subject (I'd love to hear from those that are), but as a Mother with a Child that has fought bigger battles than most adults do in a lifetime, I want some skin in the game. It was interesting to read that  “fail to demonstrate that grade retention provides greater benefits to students with academic or adjustment difficulties than does promotion to the next grade."  In this same article, I found: A 2017 analysis of student outcomes under this system found that kids who were retained had big initial gains in achievement. But within five years, the score increases faded out, and these students weren’t doing any better than their same-age peers. 

While no one seems to have an answer, while attending Laura Stewarts' session on Courage to Lead and new Science of Reading Literacy implementation, she noted that it takes 2-4 years for systems and structures to show success. This left me wondering about all of the students in need of systems and structures that support school trainings and teacher knowledge -- and have we allowed enough time for this to happen since this major shift in literacy instruction? I definitely do not have all of the answers, but I do know that my Child needs her current peer group that has supported and provided friendships. "She will make new friends" and "children are resilient and they adjust" are often the things said in response, which makes me wonder why so many adults are in need of therapy due to childhood. Perhaps resilience isn't the answer either. 

For the here and now, I am grateful for a school that provides explicit, systematic instruction in literacy. I'm hopeful they will see the results of their teacher knowledge and training and instructional integrity in the long-term, as Laura suggests. What are the best things that we can do for our students that have this new doom & gloom time clock imposed on them? Great question! Here are three items to reflect on for your school:

1. Explicit and Systematic Phonics Instruction?

• Teach letter-sound relationships clearly and sequentially.
• Use multimodal techniques (see it, hear it, say it, write it).
• Focus on phonemic awareness (blending, segmenting, manipulating sounds).

2. Structured Reading Practice with Support? 

• Fix Your MTSS! Join us for this one day session with Stephanie Stollar in West Lafayette. 
• Implement instruction to meet students' needs (see Stephanie Stollar's Facebook page for videos on Tier 1 instruction). 
• Learn everything you can about explicit instruction in all content areas.
• Encourage repeated reading to build fluency and connection to reading complex texts. We recently had a phenomenal session with Jan Hasbrouck on how to make this happen!
• Use audiobooks or text-to-speech tools for struggling readers to follow along with the text.

3. Vocabulary & Comprehension Strategies

• Teach word meaning through context clues, explicit instruction, and word maps, etc
• Use visual organizers like graphic organizers to break down ideas. I love the Top Down Web from Keys to Literacy!
• Encourage summarization and questioning to boost comprehension. Paragraph Shrinking is an awesome strategy!

"What Practical Resource Do You Recommend for Working with English Learners?"

As this question popped up on my phone, my mind responded without hesitation: Literacy Foundations for English Learners. Meeting Elsa Cardenas-Hagan completely changed instructional conversations four years ago. Her book is filled with small bite size action steps to improve our work with English Learners.  As my focus was primarily effective phonics instruction, it was a huge benefit to read about how to best merge Orton Gillingham methodology and Elsa's suggestions for this area of literacy to meet the needs of all students. During PLCs & onsite sessions, teachers were taking away key strategies and combining them with the work being done in their small groups. 

Phonics instruction is not the only component of literacy covered in this resource. Chapter 7 quickly became a favorite to share and discuss as explicit vocabulary instruction was found to be a "hot mess express" during data discussions. As I pondered what it meant to truly know a word, Elsa broke it down into meaningful action steps for active engagement. 

Ultimately, I love how she weaves in writing instruction. Our students must write but HOW?!  She addresses many ideas and key strategies in chapter 10. If you haven't opened this book and you work with English Learners, it should be your next purchase. (Definitely check out this webinar! ) In the meantime, here are three key takeaways:

1. Interactive Read-Alouds with Think-Alouds: Cardenas-Hagan recommends using interactive read-alouds to engage English learners with texts in a dynamic way. During these read-alouds, teachers model thinking aloud, explaining their thought processes as they engage with the text. This provides students with insight into vocabulary acquisition and how to make connections between the text and their own experiences. The interaction also encourages discussion and language use -- helping students practice speaking and listening skills while reinforcing comprehension -- win-win! If you struggle with oral language and discussion, see my blog post with Dr. Sonia Cabell.  Five- Turns is an awesome strategy to implement with your students.

2. Structured Language Routines: The book emphasizes the importance of incorporating daily language routines that build both oral and written language. For example, teachers can use sentence frames and structured prompts to support student responses in full sentences. By giving students predictable opportunities to practice language in a structured way, such as during group discussions or journal writing, students can develop fluency and confidence in using academic language. Keys to Literacy has some amazing discussion cards that are beneficial for all learners in your room.  Check them out here!

3. Word Walls and Vocabulary Instruction: A significant focus is on building vocabulary, particularly academic vocabulary. She suggests using word walls as a tool for ongoing vocabulary development. Teachers can organize words by themes or concepts and add new words as they come up in the classroom. These word walls should be interactive, with students encouraged to contribute to them and use the words in sentences. Valentina Gonzalez has a thought-provoking blog centered around this same strategy! Check it out here!

    Hopefully, you will have the same amount of success. Use this blessing from Elsa to fuel your own work!

Learning with Natalie Wexler & Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning

Oh, happy day, as I'm reading this new release from Natalie Wexler!  She grabbed my attention from the very beginning: "advocates...want more effective phonics instruction."  Over the last 4 years, so many of my conversations & coaching sessions have been on this very topic! How are we explicitly teaching phonics? Do we know the best practices of explicit phonics instruction? How much time are we spending on phonics instruction? It should not take any longer than 30 minutes of your literacy block!

However, the most exciting feature is how she automatically weaves in the Science of Learning! My professional journey began with reading Patrice Bain's Powerful Teaching and has moved to include Daniel Willingham's "Why Don't Students Like School?" and Nathaniel Swain's Harnessing the Science of Learning. Each chapter of Wexler's resource makes us consider how we are purposefully including explicit literacy instruction throughout the day (yes, all content areas)? How are we including retrieval practice? Are we providing explicit writing instruction and allowing for written responses during the day (yes, all content areas)? How many times are we reading aloud complex, knowledge-rich texts with students? How are we engaging them during the read aloud? Are we providing times for students to engage in guided, meaningful discussions and modeling how to actively listen during those times? Does our comprehension instruction move beyond just skills and strategies?  So many wonderful nuggets to ponder as we continue to refine our craft! 

As you reflect on each of those questions, here are three key strategies:

1. Explicit Instruction with Scaffolding: Effective literacy instruction requires direct, explicit teaching of reading skills. Scaffolding ensures that students are not only taught the necessary skills but also receive the support needed to use these skills independently. This involves gradually removing support as students gain confidence, helping them move from a “guided practice” phase to full autonomy in applying reading strategies. I like that she reminds us that we provide scaffolds as needed - no learned helplessness!

2. Building Vocabulary through Rich, Contextualized Instruction: Research shows that vocabulary knowledge is one of the strongest predictors of reading comprehension. In this strategy, students are exposed to new words in context, not just isolated definitions. Teachers should create opportunities for students to interact with new words in multiple ways, such as through reading, speaking, writing, and discussion, allowing students to build deeper understanding and retention. Explicit instruction is crucial when we want students to master vocabulary - and not just memorize it for the week!

3. Promoting Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Reading: Encouraging students to reflect on their reading processes and understand how they approach comprehension is crucial. Metacognitive strategies—like thinking aloud, self-questioning, and summarizing—help students develop a better understanding of how to process text effectively. This allows them to monitor their understanding and adjust strategies as needed, leading to greater reading success. One of my favorite strategies from the CORE Reading Sourcebook is "Click or Clunk."  After students read a passage, they check in on the vocabulary and understanding of the content. Is it a "click" - all good - or a "clunk" - letting the teacher know this doesn't make any sense to me. So, so good!