Shanahan on Literacy

A pet peeve is an irritating annoyance. We can have pet peeves about anything, including reading education and the arguments that rage around it. Here are some of the things that I find annoying about those practices and debates.

What role should AI play in reading comprehension instruction? This first-of-two-parts podcast explores ways in which AI may undermine reading comprehension learning rather than promoting it.

Teachers often wonder how to schedule reading instruction. Often they are advised to make sure they include certain activities every day. My advice is to focus on the what needs to be accomplished rather than on the activities that might be used to reach those goals.

How important is the speed of reading? This far reaching examination of rate considers how fast language must be for comprehension to result, the silent reading speeds of students in the various grade levels, speed reading, and what role instruction should play in improving reading rate.

Do you want to know how to teach spelling? This engaging episode brings together the views of several spelling experts (Don Bear, Peter Bowers, Richard Gentry, Steve Graham, Louisa Moats). Lots of practical insights about how spelling should be handled in the classroom.