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!

Courageous Leadership with Laura Stewart & IRL!

This weekend began with a celebration hosted by the Indiana Reading League in honor of Science of Reading Champions in Indiana. I was thrilled to be a Top Ten Finalist and completely overwhelmed when named as a Champion. Of course, the highlight of the virtual reception was learning from literacy legend Laura Stewart, whose wisdom from Courage to Lead, not only validated the work being done in our schools but she also dropped some much needed inspiration to "keep on keeping on" as we work diligently to ensure all of our students succeed. My girls were thrilled to celebrate with a big dinner (complete with Reese Cheesecake for dessert), but as we all gathered, I couldn't help but realize how much they have opened my eyes as an Educator. I didn't know what I didn't know until everything I knew didn't help my children.  As a former first grade teacher, "just read more" has not worked for my girls. It haunts me to think how many times I have uttered those words to other parents. Fortunately, my oldest was blessed with an amazing first grade teacher that understood explicit phonics instruction -- she helped her not only with those foundational, necessary, important skills but then she modeled and demonstrated with complex, authentic, interactive read alouds filled with powerful vocabulary and examples of content knowledge -- and with joy, my girl finally decided that maybe she did like school after all.  Reading hasn't happened 'naturally' - easily - for my girls. It has opened my eyes to a whole new world of instruction, teaching and learning, that has resulted in the coaching adventures with many other Educators and Administrators, some of them parents like myself struggling to make sure our own children have the supports they need, and of course, all of them with the desire to do what is best for all of our students in Indiana. Implementation is hard - especially when you get caught up in perfection. "Progress over perfection!" became a natural part of the discussion during Saturday's celebration with Laura Stewart. As Educators, knowing our non-negotiable list is critical, implementing best practices for literacy in all subject areas is crucial, and realizing WE provide the necessary instruction when utilizing core resources with integrity is nothing more than...ground-breaking.  KUDOS to everyone breaking down barriers and stepping out of comfort zones - I am grateful for you.

My Top Ten of All Time: Uncovering the Logic of English!

Imagine my joy and excitement when this opportunity showed up in my LinkedIN feed! Denise Eide's resource has made a HUGE impact in my schoolwork with current Teachers and Pre-Service Educators (and my journey as a mother). As I work in my schools, we can't seem to find and allocate enough funds for Orton Gillingham training, but I know this background knowledge will be instrumental in changing the way we teach students during Phonics & Word Study. Utilizing Eide's book (along with UFLI) has changed the lives of many on this learning curve adventure!  

I remember telling my students in first grade, "You just need to memorize the word have. We write h-a-v and add an e...." And then several years later, I was fortunate to return as their 5th grade teacher, but I had to eat my own incorrect/incomplete notions and explain "no English word ends in v, always followed by a silent e." They were a little bit irritated that this information wasn't shared with them in first grade! However, just imagine their extreme frustration when they discovered that "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" is rubbish. Most of the time. Simply not true! 

While working with Pre-Service Educators, I've heard so many "Ohhhhh" and "Are you serious?", and it makes me all the more determined to make sure my fellow Educators grab onto this resource to further the knowledge we didn't necessarily receive before leaving our college careers. If you can't join this book study, Denise has been kind enough to create this Logic of English Book Study webinar. So good! So well worth your time! Definitely for all grade levels that are working with readers & writers! 

Happy Learning! What did you not know? It's eye-opening, for sure!