by Jan and Kari | Jul 27, 2024 | Language Comprehension
We’re confident you’re already familiar with Turn and Talk; it’s perhaps one of the most widely known yet underutilized instructional strategies. But given its simplicity and power, we wanted to invite you to brush up on this classic and maybe sprinkle in a few new...
by Jan and Kari | Apr 21, 2024 | Language Comprehension
Reading Comprehension Can’t Happen Without Language Comprehension Lately, we’ve noticed that some small but mighty practices for supporting language development aren’t showing up so much in classrooms. These instructional moves are ways to teach vocabulary or language...
by Jan and Kari | Apr 13, 2024 | Language Comprehension, Word Reading Instruction
Systematic and Explicit Phonics Instruction is a big deal, but . . . Everywhere we go these days, teachers are working hard to provide more explicit and systematic phonics and word study instruction. This is part of an effort to ensure that the students get...
by Jan and Kari | Apr 23, 2022 | Language Comprehension
In Chapter 1 of Shifting the Balance, we untangle a widespread misunderstanding about reading comprehension. It is “Misunderstanding 4” in the chapter that is about language comprehension. Misunderstanding 4 goes like this,“Successful comprehension in beginning...
by Jan and Kari | Dec 2, 2021 | Language Comprehension, Video
What’s oral language development got to do with reading, anyway? Well, it turns out . . . a whole lot. As we explain in Chapter 1 of Shifting the Balance, reading comprehension doesn’t begin with reading; it begins with comprehension of spoken language. And...
by Jan and Kari | Aug 22, 2021 | Knowledge Building, Language Comprehension, Strategy Instruction, Video, Vocabulary
All children love to become experts! Whether learning about ancient Egypt in order to understand the latest Rick Riordon title or building knowledge about the spread of germs in a global pandemic, knowledge building is a critical aspect of reading comprehension. In...
by Jan and Kari | Aug 16, 2021 | Knowledge Building, Language Comprehension, Strategy Instruction, Video, Vocabulary
Have you noticed? Kids love to talk. Babies come into this world naturally wired for language development. They are ready to soak up new words through exposure, modeling, and feedback. From our first breath to our last, we humans are wired to be language...
