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If You Take a Speech-to-Print Approach
If you approach learning to read and write as a speech-to-print -rather than as a print-to-speech - process, . . . . . . then you will want to start by making...
The Power of Re-Work
Ahh, the little prefix RE- ! Small but mighty! We’re believers in fresh starts and REvised approaches. We’re...
Are You Ready for Some Good News? It’s Here . . .
It’s exciting when the little people we support start to know and recite some letter names and their associated sounds in response to seeing those little...
Six Suggestions for Seamless Oral Language Development
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...
Helping Children Remodel Their Brains for Reading
Kari’s husband, John, likes to save scraps of wood and other building materials. Sometimes he buys new stuff . . . but, boy does he get excited when he can...
3 Things That Can Make Interpreting Research Tricky
Perhaps you are thinking about that second (or third or fourth) cup of coffee you have in the morning. Maybe you are wondering if coffee is really good for...
What is the science of reading anyway?
It’s in the news.It’s in the title of our book.It’s in the name of countless Facebook groups.It’s the topic of conversation at school board meetings and in...
Top 10 Reasons to Start a Book Study!
We’re book lovers, for sure. We’ve got stacks of books on our counters, our tables, and our nightstands. Our bookshelves are filled to overflowing, the...
Learning on the Go – Six Shifts Podcast Series
In a fast-paced and over-scheduled life, finding any margin between the activities that begin when your alarm goes off in the morning...
Overcoming Overwhelm by Finding Entry Points
What prevents us from making the changes we want to make in our lives?Whether in our personal or professional roles, we all have visions of reaching for our...
5 Keys to Creating a New Habit that Sticks
Did you ever really surprise yourself?This summer Kari did. She did it by water skiing 70 days in a row!She didn’t originally plan to go for 70 days.In fact...
Instructional Levers for Making Work Easier
Who doesn’t want to make their work easier? Our ancestors certainly did. If necessity is the mother of invention, then the need to lift heavy objects led to...
Inside-Out Literacy
Whether it’s broccoli in the teeth, frosting on the chin, a shirt inside-out, it often takes someone else - with honesty and caring - to help us notice what...
Background Knowledge: A Key to Reading Comprehension
All children love to become experts! Whether learning about ancient Egypt in order to understand the latest Rick...
Talking With Children In Ways that Support Comprehension
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...
Avoiding Walls and Building Bridges
In our experience, putting up walls is easier than building bridges . . . Just not nearly as helpful. A while back, Marnie Ginsburg of Reading Simplified...
Commitments to Ourselves and Each Other
Change can be challenging.Especially when you are shifting long-held beliefs and practices. Sometimes regret gets in our way. Sometimes overwhelm. Sometimes...
Shifting the Balance: Answers to Some Important Questions
The work we do is driven by a deep respect for and belief in teachers and children. Our goal is to share our admiration for teachers while also supporting...
Let us know if you’d like to stay connected with updates, information, and notifications of new content.