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Jul 7, 2023

Today we talk about fluency and assessment with Jan Hasbrouck. She shares tips and tricks for how to to best assess and teach fluency. She also debunks frequent fluency misunderstandings and explains the scientific evidence that underlies the Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart.

Note: During the podcast, we mentioned we would link Jan’s previous studies on ORF. But… we want to make sure the most recent information (Fluency Norms Chart 2017 Update) is the one that is prioritized for instructional use, so we’ve linked that to avoid confusion.

Resources

• Hasbrouck-Tindal Oral Reading Fluency Chart
• Fluency Norms Chart (2017 Update)
• Developing Fluent Readers by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading Rockets
• Understanding and Assessing Fluency by Jan Hasbrouck, Reading Rockets
• Tim Rasinski Multidimensional Fluency Rubric
• NAEP Fluency Scale
• What Does “Below Basic” Mean on NAEP Reading?

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Nancy Hennessy and Julia Salamone discuss the importance of vocabulary and syntax in reading comprehension. They explain how vocabulary connects to reading comprehension and the different levels of word knowledge. They also emphasize the need for explicit instruction in vocabulary and the role of context in understanding word meaning. They also discuss the connection between semantics and syntax and how understanding sentence comprehension is crucial for overall comprehension. They share instructional activities such as anagrams and sentence expansion to support sentence level comprehension. The conversation explores the integration of reading and writing, the importance of language in reading proficiency, and different ways students can express their understanding through oral responses, multimedia, and written responses as tools for comprehension and expression.

• Vocabulary plays a critical role in reading comprehension and is connected to all aspects of language.
• Different levels of word knowledge serve different purposes, and depth of understanding is crucial for overall comprehension.
• Syntax provides the structure for words to convey meaning in sentences, and an understanding of syntax is essential for sentence comprehension.
• Instructional activities such as anagrams and sentence expansion can support sentence level comprehension and foster collaboration and discussion among students. Integration of reading and writing is crucial for student learning.
• Language is the foundation of reading proficiency.
• Students can express their understanding through oral response, multimedia, and written responses.
• The book provides practical strategies and tools for teachers to support reading comprehension.
• The authors wrote the book to bridge the gap between research and practice and provide teachers with additional resources.

Resources

• The Reading Comprehension Blueprint Activity Book by Nancy Hennessy & Julia Salamone
• The Literacy House - Pam Snow Blog Post

We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

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Helping teachers learn about science of reading, knowledge building, and high quality curriculum.

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From Aug 4, 2023

What if the key to unlocking your students' reading comprehension could be found through a deeper understanding of the intricate processes at work in their minds? Prepare to have your teaching world transformed as we journey with reading comprehension expert and acclaimed author, Nancy Hennessy. Together, we’ll map out the cognitive and linguistic processes that underpin comprehension, and navigate the complex interaction between a reader's knowledge, the text itself, and the author's intent.

As teachers, we play an integral role in shaping the reading journey of our students. Witness how the Reading Comprehension Blueprint can revolutionize your instructional design as we discuss how to thoughtfully consider the task, text, and context. Learn how to integrate prior background knowledge and foster mental models of understanding. Be part of our examination of comprehension as an essential pillar of reading and join us as we demystify the science behind this crucial skill.

Finally, imagine having a blueprint that offers a flexible framework that aligns seamlessly with the science of comprehension. Listen as we delve into the importance of planning for instruction, pinpointing the key takeaways for your students, and exploring types of texts and text sets. Learn how to identify the contributors to comprehension and teach your students to become masters of their own understanding. Buckle up and get ready to revolutionize your approach to teaching reading comprehension.

Resources

• The Reading Comprehension Blueprint From The Reading Comprehension Blueprint by Nancy Lewis Hennessy. Copyright © 2021 by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc. All rights reserved
• Expert Minute Video-Thinking about Comprehension: Nancy Hennessy
• Rethinking How to Promote Reading Comprehension, American Federation of Teachers by Hugh Catts
• Ep. 118 Rethinking Reading Comprehension with Researcher Hugh Catts, podcast
• AIM FCRR Background Knowledge Research

We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

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Lindsay Kemeny discusses her book 7 Mighty Moves and the importance of teaching literacy effectively. The conversation covers the development of the 7 moves, which focus on phonemic awareness, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Lindsay emphasizes the need for explicit and systematic instruction, the use of decodable texts, and the importance of teaching sight words with phonics skills. She also shares practical strategies for improving fluency, such as partner reading and paragraph shrinking. She explains how this routine helped improve students' reading fluency and comprehension. Lindsay also emphasizes the importance of embracing vocabulary and background knowledge in reading instruction.

Resources

• 7 Mighty Moves (book) by Lindsay Kemeny
• Teaching with Lindsay Kemeny on Facebook
• Literacy Talks podcast
• Lindsay's website

We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

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From Mar 18, 2022

How can regular fluency practice lead to fluent readers? In today’s episode, educators Lorraine Griffith and Lindsay Kemeny discuss the impact of fluency in their classrooms. Fluency is a bridge: It connects word recognition with comprehension. We dive into whole and small group fluency instruction with simple strategies and more.

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Our guests today, authors Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell, discuss the concept of Strive-For-Five Conversations, which emphasizes the importance of multi-turn conversations between teachers and students. They explain that the goal is to stretch conversations beyond the typical question-response format and aim for at least five turns. The conversation explores the importance of building relationships with parents and the impact of conversations on brain development. They also provide practical tips for implementing Strive for Five in the classroom and engaging parents in the process.

Resources

• Strive for Five Conversations by Tricia Zucker and Sonia Cabell
• Using Strive-for-Five Conversations to Strengthen Language Comprehension in Preschool through Grade One
• Asking Questions is Just the First Step: Using Upward and Downward Scaffolds
• Going Nuts for Words: Recommendation for Teaching Young Students Academic Vocabulary
• Article on Teaching Together research: This article shows sending home materials scaffolds parent involvement and that the impact of rewards fades over time.
• Talking is Teaching Family Engagement Resources

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From Jul 15, 2022

Dr. Sonia Cabell, Associate Professor at Florida State University, shares the importance of both oral language and content knowledge instruction. Why? Oral language skills underlie our ability to comprehend text. At the same time, the knowledge we bring to a text is THE key determinant on how much we understand that text. This episode speaks to the entirety of the reading rope!

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Heidi Anne Mesmer discusses her book Big Words for Young Readers. She emphasizes the importance of teaching young readers to decode and understand words with multiple syllables and morphemes. Heidi Anne highlights the need to teach morphemic concepts early on and provides recommendations for teaching different types of morphemes at each grade level. She explains that morphology, the study of word parts, is a crucial component of reading comprehension and vocabulary development. Mesmer provides practical strategies for teaching morphology, such as teaching the morphological principle and using activities like 'Make It Big' to build students' confidence in creating big words. She also emphasizes the need for explicit instruction in morphology from an early age and highlights the benefits of using cognates and word chains to support multilingual learners.

Takeaways

• The book Big Words for Young Readers focuses on teaching young readers to decode and understand words with multiple syllables and morphemes.
• Syllables are sound units, while morphemes are the smallest units of sound that carry meaning in a word.
• Teaching morphemic concepts early on can help students distinguish the meaningful parts of words.
• There is no strict scope and sequence for teaching morphemes, but it is important to consider the frequency and applicability of different types of morphemes at each grade level. Teaching morphology is essential for developing reading comprehension and vocabulary skills in young readers.
• Strategies like teaching the morphological principle and using activities like 'Make It Big' can help students understand and create big words.
• Explicit instruction in morphology should be integrated into phonics instruction from an early age.
• Cognates and word chains can be effective tools for supporting multilingual learners in developing their morphological knowledge.

Resources

• Big Words for Young Readers and the entire Scholastic Science of Reading in Practice book series!
• Monsters PI

We wrote a book! The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night

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