Getting to Know the Shifting the Balance for the Upper Elementary Classroom: Q&A with the Authors – Part 2

Getting to Know the Shifting the Balance for the Upper Elementary Classroom: Q&A with the Authors – Part 2

by , , | Dec 10, 2023 | Blog, Fluency, Knowledge Building, Literacy Leadership, Meaningful Independent Practices, Strategy Instruction, Vocabulary, Word Reading Instruction

Last week, we shared the first part of our two-part Q&A series about how the newest Shifting the Balance 3-5 book that we wrote with Katie Egan Cunningham came to be.  Today, we will continue to explore common questions readers have about the newest Shifting the...
Getting to Know Shifting the Balance for the Upper Elementary Classroom: Q&A with the Authors – Part 1

Getting to Know Shifting the Balance for the Upper Elementary Classroom: Q&A with the Authors – Part 1

by , , | Dec 3, 2023 | Blog, Fluency, Knowledge Building, Literacy Leadership, Strategy Instruction, Vocabulary, Word Reading Instruction

Q: Want to learn more about the newest Shifting the Balance book, which explores 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom? A: Keep reading because today’s blog is Part 1 of a 2-part Q&A series that answers some common questions...
Showing Young Readers How to Navigate the Phases of Word Reading (Part 5): The Downsides of Asking Children to Search for Chunks in Words

Showing Young Readers How to Navigate the Phases of Word Reading (Part 5): The Downsides of Asking Children to Search for Chunks in Words

by | Jul 20, 2023 | Blog, Fluency, Phonics, Prompting & Feedback, Word Reading Instruction

This is the fifth part of our series exploring how some of the ways we’ve been prompting readers can actually send them on unnecessary detours – or even worse, down dead-end roads – when it comes to developing reading fluency. If you’ve traveled with us...
Adjustments to Small-Group Instruction (Part 2):What else is STILL IMPORTANT, and What else NEEDS RECONSIDERING?

Adjustments to Small-Group Instruction (Part 2):What else is STILL IMPORTANT, and What else NEEDS RECONSIDERING?

by | Jan 27, 2023 | Blog, Decodable Texts, Fluency, High-Frequency Words, Knowledge Building, Language Comprehension, Literacy Leadership, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Prompting & Feedback, Strategy Instruction, Vocabulary, Word Reading Instruction

Last week, we shared 5 adjustments that can help you bring small-group instruction for early decoders more in line with your other shifts to early literacy instruction. If you missed it, you can find that post here. We hope that you have taken some time this week to...
Adjustments to Small-Group Instruction (Part 1): What’s STILL IMPORTANT and What NEEDS RECONSIDERING?

Adjustments to Small-Group Instruction (Part 1): What’s STILL IMPORTANT and What NEEDS RECONSIDERING?

by | Jan 20, 2023 | Blog, Decodable Texts, Fluency, High-Frequency Words, Knowledge Building, Language Comprehension, Literacy Leadership, Meaningful Independent Practices, Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Prompting & Feedback, Strategy Instruction, Vocabulary, Word Reading Instruction

What about small-group instruction? What changes in light of new learning? What stays the same? If you’re like many of the educators we work with, questions like these are top of mind as you consider shifts to more brain-friendly literacy instruction for early...