High-impact tutoring has a wide body of evidence to support its efficacy, but how do you know what is and isn’t “high-impact”? Is it better to brand yourself as an academic coach or an executive functioning coach? Should “executive functioning” be a class in school, or should it be embedded into all the classes? I…
Category: Building literacy skills
EP 185: Is it a behavior issue or a language and literacy issue?
In this interview, I revisit conversations surrounding the school-to-confinement pipeline, giving students’ the language skills to understand their rights, the link between language, literacy and “behavior problems”, and how to get started with policy work. I share my commentary on the following: ✅ Why students who’ve received repeated detentions or suspensions should be screened or…
EP 183: Morphology hierarchies, etymology, and reframing the “joy” of reading.
How much do we need to know about morphology and etymology to effectively help students? Is etymology an essential component to spelling and reading instruction? Will phonics instruction bore students? Is exposure to interesting books enough to foster a love of reading for people who don’t have solid word decoding skills? I revisit my conversations…
EP 182: Leveraging read-alouds to build language and getting started with advocacy work (with Dr. Molly Ness)
Many skeptics of the science of reading are concerned that structured approaches will bore kids and make it less likely they’ll enjoy reading. These concerns are unfounded for a number of reasons. First, structured approaches help reach students who don’t learn through implicit learning (which is a lot of kids). It’s hard to develop a…
EP 180: The relationship of literacy and language skills and involvement with the justice system (with Dr. Shameka Stewart)
There is a disproportionate number of individuals with communication disorders and reading disabilities involved with the justice system for both children and adults. Past research suggests that more than 40% of incarcerated people have some type of nonpsychiatric disability (Berzofsky et al., 2015; Bixby et al., 2022; Thompson, 2022) Additionally, once youth are involved in…
EP 179: Increasing book equity and fostering a love of reading (with Susan Brady)
How can school leaders make informed decisions about reading curriculum when they know the home environments among their student body vary widely? I don’t envy people tasked with these kinds of decisions. My opinion is that schools should ensure students get their instructional needs met during the school day, because it’s difficult to control what…
EP 178: Are we allowed to say “dyslexia” in the schools? (with Tom Parton)
In 2015, the Office of Special Education Programs published a letter stating that school teams were “not prohibited” from using the term “dyslexia”. Unfortunately, this letter left many questions unanswered and is often misinterpreted. Parents seeking out services for their children are still unsure how to advocate for appropriate services in their schools and communities….
EP 177: Debunking reading myths and defining literacy buzzwords (with Anna Geiger)
There are many “science of reading” terms being used right now (including the “science of reading” itself). Yet debates about how to help kids become literate continues; and part of that is because of common logical fallacies applied to education. That’s why I invited Anna Geiger to episode 177 of De Facto Leaders to define…
EP 176: Building the language skills for reading, writing, and spelling (with Dr. Jan Wasowicz)
The “science of reading” is trending; but in order for professionals to engage in effective instruction, they need to understand that literacy also includes spelling and writing. Writing, spelling, and reading are interconnected, and the growing body of research continues to show us that these skills need to be taught explicitly. That’s why I invited…
EP 175: Re-release: The impact of texting on literacy and the skills needed for effective word-reading
In this episode, I’m revisiting an older episode in honor of a special event that I’m doing in the month of September, 2024. I am so excited to announce the partnership that’s happening between the BEpodcast network and Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) that’s starting in September for National Literacy Month. De Facto Leaders is part…