Teacher preparation programs should equip reading teachers with the knowledge they need to provide explicit intervention for students who have dyslexia or other disabilities. But what if they don’t? Unfortunately, this situation is quite common. That’s why I invited Mary Saghafi and Shannon Betts from the Reading Teachers’ Lounge Podcast to episode 165 of the…
Author: kldudek1980
EP 164: The content + strategy + retrieval trifecta for language and executive functioning (with Katy Wyatt)
Is it functional to work on parts of speech? Is sentence diagramming useful? How do we improve word-retrieval in kids with developmental disabilities, and is it similar to what we’d do for an adult with a brain injury? How can we make therapy academically relevant and functional beyond just getting a good score on a…
EP 163: Experiential learning and cultivating a passion for the outdoors (with Greg Morrissey)
Preparing young people for adulthood is all about providing them with the right blend of experiences; both in and outside of school. Building literacy, numeracy, and content knowledge will give students a foundation for success; but we need to pair that with real-world experiences where they can apply that knowledge in real time. When we…
EP 162: The summer slide: Real phenomenon or invented by tutoring companies? (with David Schipper)
My heart sinks when I see how polarizing topics in education have become, as well as the tendency for people to have “all or nothing” thinking. I’ve seen an increasing amount of activities pitted against each other as if doing one means we can’t ALSO do the other: 👉Standardized testing vs. real-world observations/stakeholder interviews. 👉Year-round…
EP 161: Why aren’t they participating? Rethinking family engagement in special education (with Dr. Kristin Vogel-Campbell)
Helping families feel involved in their children’s education goes beyond checking the boxes to make sure you’re following legal guidelines. That’s why I invited Dr. Kristin Vogel-Campbell to De Facto Leaders to talk about how school teams can make the IEP process more welcoming to families, especially those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Dr….
BONUS: The Authority: Executive Functions for Every Classroom with Mitch Weathers
As a bonus episode today, we’re publishing a conversation from The Authority Podcast with guest Mitch Weathers, about his book Executive Functions for Every Classroom: Creating Safe and Predictable Learning Environments Grades 3-12. You’ll hear about the following and more: You can listen to the entire conversation here: About The Authority Podcast: Hosted by leadership…
EP 160: Turning disagreements in to alliances in K-12 education (with Dr. Barb Flowers)
There’s a lot of “us vs. them” thinking happening relating to what’s going on in the school systems. Parents feeling like teachers don’t want to accommodate students with diverse learning needs. Teachers feeling like administrators don’t understand because they aren’t in classrooms anymore. Therapists feeling like teachers don’t want to reinforce strategies in their classrooms,…
EP 159: Comorbidities and Differential Diagnosis (ADHD, DLD, Dyslexia)
When kids need support with language, reading/writing, and executive functioning, they often have multiple diagnoses. This makes both treatment planning, diagnosis, and determining eligibility for educational programming complicated; especially when it comes to legal guidelines as well as state and local policies. That’s why in episode 159 of De Facto Leaders, I’m sharing a Q…
EP 158: Literacy and background knowledge: Essential skills for life (with Dr. Pamela Snow)
The most effective reading instructional practices aren’t always the ones that gain traction. It’s the ones with the most successful marketing campaigns. The best marketer wins; but this certainly isn’t a win for the students who go without effective instruction or the school staff struggling to support them. That’s why I was so excited to…
EP 157: Unpacking the early literacy debate and building a foundation in PreK (with Jane Gebers)
The literacy space has become increasingly polarizing since the reading wars began. There are a number of debates and questions that continue, including: Will kids learn to read “naturally”? What did the whole language approach get right, if anything? Is explicit phonics instruction just a pendulum swing (and is focusing on phonics enough)? Are we…