Episode 26: The Importance of Read-Alouds with Molly Ness
Read-Alouds are an essential component of reading instruction - at all grade levels. In today's episode, Elizabeth sits down with Dr. Molly Ness, a former classroom teacher, reading researcher, and teacher educator, who has a new book out, Read Alouds for All Learners. Molly begins by discussing what a read-aloud is and gives some helpful strategies for different grade levels. She also discusses how read-alouds fit into the Science of Reading. We end with Molly sharing a strategy to try out with your students! It's a good one!
Episode 25: Moving Beyond Popcorn Reading: Other Ways to Implement Whole Class Reading
It's the beginning of the school year, and popcorn reading has come up quite a bit in the last week. Elizabeth begins by explaining what this teaching practice is and why it is still present in classrooms. She offers five other options for whole class reading instruction rather than popcorn reading.
Episode 24: Back To School Mixed Bag Episode!
It's the beginning of the school year and the start of September! This week is a mixed bag episode - where Elizabeth covers a few different topics. Elizabeth begins by following-up on the "I Statement" activity that she mentioned in Episode 23. She tried it with her graduate students - and it was a success!
Some of her students are planning on trying it out with their own elementary students during the first week of school. She shares some of the decisions that she made when trying out the activity and discusses possible extensions into the content areas. After that, she talks about the importance of stories and how they help our students form connections with us and with one another. Finally, the episode ends with the excitement of the new school year energy and season.
Episode 23: Heading into the New School Year!
The new school year is quickly approaching! So, this episode is dedicated to all things back to school. Elizabeth starts by discussing writing activities that can be used at the beginning of the year. Her new favorite is "I Statements" that she learned about this summer.
Then, she shares ideas for introducing yourself to your students so that they learn a little about who you are. Reading at the beginning of the year is so important because it sets the tone that reading is a part of the school day. Elizabeth highlights a few favorites that she has used with students from Kindergarten through graduate school!
Before ending, a time management hack is shared - and the idea came from reading the Little House on the Prairie books!
Episode 22: The Power of Stories, Gearing Up for the New School Year, and A Book Recommendation for Emergent Readers
In this episode, Elizabeth shares why stories are so important for our students. She shares three strategies to keep kids engaged with the stories that they are reading - either in school or at home.
Next, Elizabeth discusses some ideas for getting kids back into the routine of reading and writing before the new school year begins. The episode ends with a great book recommendation for emerging readers.
Episode 21: The Joy of Reading Book Series!
Summer is flying by! This week is another episode focusing on summer reading with kids. Elizabeth talks about book series and how they can help keep kids reading during the summer months. She talks about the benefits of reading book series and shares very manageable strategies to support readers during the summer months.
Episode 20: Supporting Readers During the Summer Months: Spotlight on the Power of Picture Books
It's finally summer! Welcome to Episode 20! This episode is focused on parents and family members who are reading at home with kids over the summer. We will dive into picture books and how picture books can support readers of all ages.
Summer reading should be fun and a time to connect with your child so pick books that you want to read with your child and that your child will enjoy reading. Elizabeth walks through how she approaches reading a picture book with her kids and the types of questions she asks to model how she is thinking about the book. She ends with a few comprehension suggestions when reading picture books with your child. Happy reading!
Episode 19: The Importance of Following the Conversation: Talking Books and Writing with Author Matt de la Peña
In today's episode, Elizabeth speaks with children and young adult author, Matt de la Peña. They begin by speaking about a few of his books and where the ideas for those books came from. He also shares ideas for how teachers can use his books with students.
Matt then speaks about his writing process and how he collaborates with illustrators, such as Christian Robinson. He has some ideas for getting kids writing, too! Hint: pay attention to those verbs! They end with a great story that Matt shared about a student he met at a school visit a few years ago!
Episode 18: The Power of Stories and How They Can Help Us Grow and Connect Us: A Conversation about Books, Stories, and Writing with John Schu
In this episode, Elizabeth is joined by teacher, librarian, and writer John Schu! He is the author of the recent book, This is a Story and also the book This is a School. John believes in the power of stories and how stories affirm our own experiences and honor our own journeys. He shares strategies to help get children reading and writing as well. And...he ends with some great news about a book by Kate DiCamillo that is coming out in December!
Episode 17: Talking All About Libraries! Talking Books and the ALA Conference with Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada
If you enjoy going to the library, you won't want to miss this episode! Elizabeth speaks with Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, who is the President of the American Library Association. They discuss the mission of the ALA and the work that they are doing right now to support librarians, libraries, and communities.
Lessa spends time discussing the ALA's upcoming conference, which will be held in Chicago at the end of June. There is even a virtual option - in case you are interested in attending! Lessa shares her experiences as a children's librarian and how parents and teachers can work with librarians and local libraries to support young readers.
Episode 16: How to Love Teaching (Again!): A Conversation with Jamie Sears
In today's episode, Elizabeth is joined by Jamie Sears, the founder of the Not So Wimpy Teacher - a website that makes teaching for grades 2-5 more manageable. Jamie has recently published a book, How to Love Teaching Again: Work Smarter, Beat Burnout, and Watch Your Students Thrive, and she shares tips and strategies to make teaching more sustainable.
Some of the topics discussed include planning lessons more efficiently, scheduling time to grade, and setting work hours.
Episode 15: Making the Most of Your Time: A Conversation About Time Management with Laura Vanderkam
Today's episode has a very special guest! Laura Vanderkam, a time management and productivity author joins Elizabeth to discuss how time can be used well in the classroom and outside of the classroom.
Laura shares a variety of strategies that can be implemented to make teaching more manageable as well as strategies to enjoy life outside of the classroom.
Episode 14: Getting Ready to Interview for a Teaching Job? Tips for the Interview Process
Interview season is upon us! Districts and schools are interviewing for teaching positions. In this episode, seven interview tips are discussed. Elizabeth also provides some examples of common interview questions to help prepare for a teaching interview.
Elizabeth ends on a positive note by sharing a new book for teachers - How to Love Teaching Again: Work Smarter, Beat Burnout, and Watch Your Students Thrive by Jamie Sears.
Episode 13: A Mixed Bag Episode Running Records, Long-Term Planning, and Getting Kids Writing A LOT
I’m your host, Elizabeth Morphis and for today’s episode, I’m sharing a mixed bag of topics, stories, and examples you can use in teaching literacy.
Running Records
Running records are informative assessments that tell the teachers what the kids are doing so they can make informed decisions about what to teach their students. They provide teachers with what they need to know to make wise teaching decisions.
Here, the students read the text out loud, and the teacher marks what the student is doing as they’re reading. Do they need to work on their vocabulary? Their phonics? Are they struggling with comprehension?
These assessments usually last 5-10 minutes, but what would you do if they lasted 15-20 minutes instead? What if the student doesn’t say much or seems unwilling to participate? This is the exact situation I witnessed recently, and I share how the teacher handled it fantastically.
Long-Term Planning
I get it. Planning your lessons for a long period of time is a guarantee that things won’t go according to plan.. Field trips happen. Students get sick. Classes get canceled. So long-term planning can seem futile. But long-term planning helps you create lessons that are related to each other and actually helps your students develop the literacy skills they need.
Rather than thinking of your lessons and activities in isolation, you can design them to progress and build on one another. And when the time comes that things aren’t going according to plan, it will be easier for you to adjust because you have a long-term goal to guide you.
Writing Activities
I also share several writing activities such as writing centers, and opinion writing, that you can use and apply in your classroom to increase engagement. These ideas are fun for the kids, but challenging enough that it would keep their attention, and they’ll still learn the skills they need.
I hope you find this episode useful, and that you’ll find more than a few things you can apply in your own classroom.
Episode 12: More Tips for Parents: Working with Kids at Home!
I’m your host, Elizabeth Morphis and for today’s episode, I’m sharing with you more tips to help your child practice literacy at home—those that won’t take a lot of time!
When it comes to the actual activity of reading, especially for kids who are just starting to learn, a few strategies you can do are the tap-it-out strategy to look at the word, segment the word, or use a bookmark or finger under each word. The goal is to improve their focus while reading, and for them to learn to be comfortable with being frustrated if they encounter difficult words.
When it comes to activities you could do at home, here are a few I suggest:
Write letters to friends and families.
This would be cooler if you could have your friends and family write back to your kids.
Write journals.
Either their own or have a journal where you can write back and forth to each other. This will encourage them to express themselves more, write down their thoughts, and it would also improve communication between you and your child.
Roll storyboard.
This is a fun activity that would have kids come up with their own stories.
Choosing books with your kids.
Whether at a bookstore or the library, having your kids choose their own books would make the reading experience more fun, and they would be more invested in it.
Make it fun.
If your kids don’t enjoy sitting down with a book, find other activities they enjoy or ones you could do together, and find ways to incorporate reading into it.
You can go through each of these strategies, modify them and apply them in your own way. The key here is to find which strategy and activity works for your child.
Episode 11: Tips for Parents - Supporting Your Young Readers at Home
March is often the time for Parent-Teacher conferences, so now is a great time for parents to ask what can be done at home to help their young readers, and for teachers to give some guidance about how parents can do this.
As parents, you don’t need to spend a lot of time with your kids to help them read. You just have to be creative with what time you have. Here are some ways to support your young readers.
Utilize playtime.
Whether it’s playing with their stuffed toys, playing pretend, or making pizza together, you can use these activities to engage your kids, introduce more words to their vocabulary, work their imagination, and encourage them to think more.
Talk to your child while you’re reading together.
When reading with your child, interject some observations you make. It can be about the plot, characters, words, or anything else that piques interest. Ask them what they think about different points in the story. This activity extends the thinking about the book and extends the conversations you have with your child about the book.
Have your child read to you.
This is a great practice for your kids, and it helps them with speech and oral reading. If you need help finding books at the literacy level of your child, the parent-teacher conferences are a great opportunity to consult with your teachers and ask them for suggestions.
Family reading time
Block out a few minutes each day when you and your child are all reading together. This can be done when the kids need to unwind a little bit, whether it’s from being outside or after finishing a series of activities.
For more tips and practical examples, listen to the full episode and stay tuned for the next episode if you want to hear a part 2 on this topic.
Episode 10: More About Teaching Writing! Ideas to Get Students Writing & Assessing Writing
As the literacy graduate program coordinator at SUNY Old Westbury, one of my tasks every January is to run a literacy clinic for graduate students earning their literacy specialist certifications. For today’s episode, I’m sharing with you my observations from this clinic on what’s working for both teachers and students, giving strategies on how to encourage kids to write, and tips for assessing writing.
Kids really like to write.
One of the things I noticed is that kids really like to write. The catch is that they might not like the writing they’re doing in school. I’ve encountered students who have joined the clinic for years and claim that they don’t know how to write, they don’t really like to write, or aren’t any good at it, but under the right environment and with the right activities, their ability and skill at writing really comes through. The challenge for teachers and parents is to pay attention and find the activities that the student will enjoy, find engaging, and encourage them to write.
Activities to encourage writing.
At the literacy clinic, the focus is on the individual student and each of the graduate students design lessons that are catered specifically to the student that they are working with. This provides an environment where as teachers, they can learn more about the student, recognize what help they need, what they’re interested in, and figure out how to incorporate those to any type of writing work. Here are some of the activities I explain more on in this episode:
the blank page
the heart map
saw-heard-did chart
the roller story
how-to writing
interviewing a friend
Tips for assessing students’ writing.
Assessing writing can be challenging. To keep it more manageable and help the students receive feedback better, here are some tips:
Always start with positive feedback
Use a bright-colored pen (not red!)
Keep mechanical feedback to a minimum
Process feedback vs. product feedback
Give checklists before drafting
Give a rubric before the activity
Keep a portfolio for each student
When teaching kids to read and write, it really helps them to work on activities that keep them engaged, that involve topics they are already interested in, and to keep on encouraging them. I hope this episode helps you to achieve that.
Episode 9: Discussing Writing & Craft with Children's Author & Illustrator, Amy Young
I’m your host, Elizabeth Morphis and for today’s episode, we’ll hear how we can encourage kids to write and draw more, both inside and outside the classroom. We’ll also learn that encouraging kids to have ideas isn’t that tricky, ideas for writing are all around us.
Our guest today is Amy Young. Amy has wanted to be an artist from as early as she can remember. She became a lawyer, but ended up missing art too much, so she left the practice to write and illustrate full-time. She’s the author of several children’s books such as Belinda the Ballerina and A Unicorn Named Sparkle and illustrated multiple other stories.
Amy shares the unlikely sources of her past stories. Like how Belinda the Ballerina came to her while she was having dinner with her husband one night, or how Sparkle the unicorn came about while she was walking her dog, remembered the ads for sea monkeys from when she was a kid, and asked herself, “What if it was a unicorn?”
The ideas from Amy’s stories come from everywhere. A conversation she heard, what she felt or did as a kid, some of the things her friends and family did, and even from watching animals. The trick lies in two things: writing the ideas down and recognizing when an idea is a good one.
“Once the ideas are flowing, they’re more likely to flow. So, I can tell I’m getting close to a story because things are just more fun. I have to find a place where it’s kind of fun, and the ideas are coming, and then I’ll get that Bang! out of the sky.” –Amy Young
But there are also times when she finds it really hard to come up with new ideas. Her advice? “If whatever you’re doing isn’t working, you try it for a while, and then you try something else.”
To encourage ideas for writing or drawing from kids, Amy shared multiple suggestions such as lists, prompts, journals, letters to future self, and writing from the point-of-view of someone or something else. The key is to make it fun and make it non-judgmental. That way, kids will not only be encouraged to let their ideas flow and be creative, but they will also have fun.
To hear more about Amy’s experiences and suggestions, listen to the full episode. And head on over to her website to see all the amazing books she has.
Episode 8: Talking About Writing!
I’m your host, Elizabeth Morphis and for today’s episode, I’ll talk about writing and the purpose of writing. We’ll go deeper on this topic in the next few episodes as well.
The purpose of writing in the elementary grades
Kids love to share what they know and express themselves, and writing helps them do this. What they write varies depending on their age and grade level. Kindergarteners, for example, start with pictures of what’s important to them: their toys, their friends and family, and eventually they add print to the pictures, labeling each of them. For the higher grade levels, they learn the different forms and genres of writing which include narrative, persuasive, or even poetry.
Writing also impacts reading, as reading and writing are interconnected. When children can write and talk about what they read, they become even more motivated to read.
Setting up a workshop and time for kids to write
First, kids find it helpful to have a consistent structure. You can teach about writing processes and the craft of writing. Then give them time to write afterwards where they can apply these lessons. The setup of independent writing time would depend on your class and what your goal is.
At home, we can do small things to encourage kids to write more. If there is paper and writing utensils in each room the kids spend time in, it’s very easy for them to grab and write whenever they feel like it. Texting to friends and family members and being able to share their stories, allows kids to write in a way that they would eventually have to so they can communicate with others.
Useful tools to help kids when they’re writing
Paper and writing utensils are the most obvious, but we can utilize these tools to motivate kids to write even more. Kids love colors, so add more colors to their writing utensils. You can use crayons, colored pencils, and different markers. There is also different paper you can use now, and even different notebooks with lines, pictures, blank pages, and with fun covers.
Pay attention to the things they find interesting and use it to encourage them to write.
I hope this episode was helpful for you, and you’ll implement these in your own class or at home.
Episode 7: Talking Reading Strategies with Jennifer Serravallo
I’m your host, Elizabeth Morphis, and for today’s episode, I get to speak with Jennifer Serravallo. She is a literary classroom consultant, author, and former NYC public school teacher.
In this episode, we discuss Jennifer’s newly released book, The Reading Strategies Book 2.0. She shares the changes that she made in this new edition as well as how teachers can use the strategies to support the readers in their classrooms. She also shares advice for parents who may want to try out the strategies with their children at home.
Jennifer starts off by defining strategies, listing its importance, and differentiating it from skills. She also listed some of the differences with this 2.0. version of her book compared to the first one. Short answer: A lot. Enough to feel like this is a completely different book.
First off, in writing this, Jennifer worked with a research assistant who helped her go through peer-reviewed studies, citing over 700 studies, compiling them, and presenting them in a way that would be easily absorbed and implemented by teachers. In this version, out of the 302 strategies presented, over a hundred are brand new, and more than 150 have been revised so much that they are almost unrecognizable. And this book is now organized according to skill progressions, making it easier for teachers to follow.
The first version of Jennifer’s book is very well-loved and useful for teachers and parents alike. Several copies found permanent homes in classrooms. It was translated into Spanish, French, and Chinese. In fact, the market for this book in China is parents who are reading and teaching these strategies to their children who are learning English!
If you want to learn more about the strategies Jennifer so meticulously researched and shared with us, listen to this episode, and you’ll be better equipped to get back to your classroom this New Year.
Connect with Jennifer:
Website: https://www.jenniferserravallo.com/
Publications: https://www.jenniferserravallo.com/publications
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferserravallo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.serravallo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JSerravallo