Teaching Literacy Podcast

This is a rebroadcast of Episode 245 from the Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Podcast – you can check out that episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/read-like-us-building-fluency-through-repeated-reading/id1463219123?i=1000748503901

Make sure to check out the Literacy.io training on the Kat Framework for Comprehension this June!
-June 24-25 in East Lansing Michigan
-Individual registration available at: https://tamu.estore.flywire.com/products/cusp—the-reading-leagueliteracy10-participant-registration–412940
-Group registration available at: https://tamu.estore.flywire.com/products/cusp—the-reading-leagueliteracy10-group-participant-registration–412945
-More information available at literacy.io/contact

Show Notes
2:30 – What is Read Like Us?

Overview of the five-step repeated reading protocol

How it supports accuracy, automaticity, and prosody

4:10 – The Five Reads Explained

Listening passage preview

Echo reading

Choral reading

Partner reading

Performance/independent reading

6:00 – Implementation in Classrooms

Can it work in whole group settings?

Small group intervention applications

Working with paraprofessionals and volunteers

10:00 – Maximizing Reading Time

Why 90% of intervention time should be actual reading

The workout approach to building fluency

Ensuring students are actually reading (not just holding books)

12:53 – How Read Like Us Differs from Traditional Approaches

More than just “read three times and check for speed”

Building all three components of fluency simultaneously

The role of modeling and scaffolding

15:00 – Gradual Release of Responsibility

Transferring task responsibility to students

Why rate/speed wasn’t emphasized in coaching

Automaticity as the outcome, not the input

18:00 – Prosody and Comprehension

Expression as an indicator of understanding

Using the Rasinski multidimensional fluency rubric

Rotating focus areas: expression, phrasing, smoothness, pace

20:00 – Study Results

Fourth grade students: 16.5 WPM growth in 50 days

Effect size of 0.9

Improvements in accuracy, vocabulary, and comprehension measures

22:30 – Potential Comprehension Enhancement

Adding a 10-word takeaway or gist statement

Keeping it “fluency heavy, comprehension light”

Future iterations of the protocol

25:30 – The Stacking Protocol Approach

Learning from dissertation chair Dr. Kit Moore

Combining multiple evidence-based practices

Weaving the reading rope together

27:30 – Cost and Accessibility

Read Like Us is free to implement

Comparison with commercial tier-two interventions

Open access article available

28:48 – Text Selection Philosophy

The month-long process of curating 50 texts

Using challenging and engaging content (100-200 words)

Types included: giggle poetry, science facts, short stories with twists, weird state laws

30:30 – The “Challenging Text” Debate

Using texts above grade level with proper scaffolding

Addressing the 1960s neurological impress research

Why modern research supports stretching students

33:17 – Texts Students Actually Want to Read

Students asking to take intervention texts home

Incorporating core reading program texts for continuity

Balance between practical and engaging content

36:00 – Lexile Levels and Text Complexity

Many texts in 6th-8th grade Lexile range for 3rd-4th graders

Testing the hypothesis: Can struggling readers succeed in harder texts?

Being “level agnostic” in text selection

39:00 – Rethinking Leveled Texts

Limitations of the Lexile formula

Starting with engaging content, not filter levels

The scaffolding makes the difference, not the exact level

42:00 – Student Motivation and Text Choice

Chase’s son reading adult-level joke books in first grade

The power of “want to” over prescribed levels

Teacher control vs. student self-selection

43:00 – Repeated Reading vs. Wide Reading

Defining both approaches

Why they shouldn’t be pitted against each other

Read Like Us = repeated reading across wide array of texts

46:30 – Wide Reading and Teacher Control

Students won’t achieve wide reading through self-selection alone

The teacher’s role in exposing students to diverse genres

Balancing instruction with student choice

48:00 – Benefits of Wide Reading

Exposure to different language patterns across genres

Informational vs. narrative text structures

Building terrain navigation skills with various text types

49:00 – Getting Started with Read Like Us

Start with tomorrow’s text

Find the 200-300 word section with the most “oomph”

Use what you already have in your classroom

50:21 – Closing

Where to find the protocol and resources

Final thoughts and wrap-up

In this episode we welcome Dr. Sharon Walpole, a professor at the University of Delaware. We explore the challenges teachers face in addressing varying student needs, Dr. Walpole’s pragmatic approach to differentiation, and the developmental roadmap for reading proficiency. Dr. Walpole shares insights on the importance of grade-level instruction, the flaws of certain assessment systems, and practical classroom applications.

Make sure to check out Dr. Walpole’s books with Guilford Press! https://www.guilford.com/author/Sharon-Walpole

00:00 Introduction to Differentiation
01:03 Meet Dr. Sharon Walpole
02:15 Defining Differentiation
03:23 Acceleration vs. Remediation
04:45 Pragmatic Approaches to Differentiation
08:03 Challenges with Guided Reading
16:46 The Science of Reading and Differentiation
23:51 The Stairway to Proficiency Model
35:47 Maximizing Instructional Impact
36:03 The Importance of Dosage in Education
36:38 Resources for Differentiated Reading Instruction
37:35 Grouping Students for Effective Learning
40:20 Aligning Small Group and Whole Group Instruction
48:57 Tiered Instruction: Strategies and Misconceptions
56:40 Effective Use of Paraprofessionals
01:01:32 Curriculum and Instructional Materials
01:03:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode we welcome Dr. Sharon Walpole, a professor at the University of Delaware. We explore the challenges teachers face in addressing varying student needs, Dr. Walpole’s pragmatic approach to differentiation, and the developmental roadmap for reading proficiency. Dr. Walpole shares insights on the importance of grade-level instruction, the flaws of certain assessment systems, and practical classroom applications.

Make sure to check out Dr. Walpole’s books with Guilford Press! https://www.guilford.com/author/Sharon-Walpole

00:00 Introduction to Differentiation
01:03 Meet Dr. Sharon Walpole
02:15 Defining Differentiation
03:23 Acceleration vs. Remediation
04:45 Pragmatic Approaches to Differentiation
08:03 Challenges with Guided Reading
16:46 The Science of Reading and Differentiation
23:51 The Stairway to Proficiency Model
35:47 Maximizing Instructional Impact
36:03 The Importance of Dosage in Education
36:38 Resources for Differentiated Reading Instruction
37:35 Grouping Students for Effective Learning
40:20 Aligning Small Group and Whole Group Instruction
48:57 Tiered Instruction: Strategies and Misconceptions
56:40 Effective Use of Paraprofessionals
01:01:32 Curriculum and Instructional Materials
01:03:51 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of the Teaching Literacy Podcast, host Jake Downs discusses with Dr. Michael Coyne from the University of Connecticut the concept of advanced phonemic awareness and its implications for early reading proficiency. Dr. Coyne shares findings from his recent study that examines the impact of using oral-only advanced phonemic awareness instruction on first graders. They explore the theoretical underpinnings, practical recommendations for teachers, and the overall relevance of these findings to classroom practice. Tune in to understand the nuanced debate around advanced phonemic awareness and its role in effective literacy instruction.

00:00 Introduction to Advanced Phonemic Awareness
01:33 Guest Introduction: Dr. Michael Coyne
02:25 Defining Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
06:29 Research on Phonemic Awareness
10:04 Advanced Phonemic Awareness: Concepts and Tasks
12:17 Theoretical Underpinnings and Critiques
20:21 Study Overview: Curriculum and Implementation
26:55 Study Design and Measures
29:44 Evaluating Phonemic Awareness Instruction
30:46 Study Results: Phonemic Awareness Outcomes
32:54 Near Transfer Outcomes: Word Reading and Fluency
34:53 Exploring Differential Benefits
37:39 Recommendations for Phonemic Awareness Instruction
42:17 Balancing Oral and Integrated Phonemic Awareness Activities
50:15 Optimism in Literacy Research and Instruction
52:29 Jake’s Take on Teaching Phonemic Awareness

Reference:
Coyne, M. D., McCoach, D. B., Santoro, L. E., Gentile, M., Rodrigues, C., & Kastner, P. (2025). The Effects of Advanced Phonemic Awareness Instruction in First Grade. The Elementary School Journal, 000–000. https://doi.org/10.1086/737952

How can we best apply the Science of Reading to support multilingual learners? This episode tackles that critical question with Dr. Steven Amendum from the University of Delaware.

We explore how evidence-based literacy instruction must leverage a student’s first language as a key asset, not a barrier. Dr. Amendum breaks down practical teaching strategies to boost decoding and reading comprehension for bilingual and multilingual students in diverse classrooms.

You’ll also learn how to build effective collaboration between classroom teachers and language specialists and hear about the research-demonstrated impact of the Bella professional learning program. If you’re looking for actionable, research-driven approaches to support your English learners, this episode is a must-listen.

00:00 – Introduction and overview of the episode
02:07 – Current support and challenges for multilingual learners in schools
04:29 – State vs. federal roles and legislation for multilingual learners
06:49 – Key research: Importance of first language (L1) in English reading development
09:21 – Cross-linguistic transfer and leveraging home language as an asset
11:09 – Oral language, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies in L1 and L2
13:44 – Practical strategies for teachers: supporting students without knowing their L1
17:30 – Previewing text language and other evidence-based practices
21:28 – Benefits of these strategies for all students
23:00 – Decoding, fluency, and phonological awareness across languages
25:54 – Instructional strategies: Blend as you go & Say it, move it
34:29 – Peer support and collaborative learning
36:10 – Effective teacher collaboration and professional learning
41:00 – Evidence of impact: Bella program and student outcomes
44:35 – Final thoughts and optimism for literacy research
46:18 – Jake’s Take

Reference:
Kittle, J. M., Amendum, S. J., & Budde, C. M. (2024). What Does Research Say About the Science of Reading for K-5 Multilingual Learners? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews. Educational Psychology Review, 36(4), 108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-024-09942-6