Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 170. Interventions for Environmental Factors That Affect Reading Comprehension | 29 Apr 2024 | 00:23:56 | |
Over the last month, we’ve been discussing all the different factors that can affect a student’s reading comprehension, even in upper elementary. We’ve gone over fundamental and cognitive factors, and now we’ve hit the last factor, which is environmental. So, in the last episode of the series, I’m sharing interventions for environmental factors that affect reading comprehension, the impact those have on student learning, and ways to support them. When it comes to environmental factors, I’m really going to cover the socioeconomic and emotional or psychological factors that students face. As you address these factors, it’s important to be aware that this involves creating a supportive classroom environment and connecting with resources that go beyond the classroom. I’m going to provide several intervention ideas that involve the community, public library, and ways to include SEL into your daily literacy routine. As you start to examine reasons why a student isn’t proficient in reading comprehension, it’s important to look beyond academics. Are there resources or materials that aren’t attainable or lack the support to improve their reading? By taking a look at the environmental factors that affect reading comprehension and addressing those issues, you will soon have your students feeling successful with their literacy skills! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode170 Resources Mentioned:
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| 169. Interventions for Cognitive Factors That Affect Reading Comprehension | 22 Apr 2024 | 00:21:11 | |
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been diving into intervention strategies for students who have difficulty with reading comprehension. The reality is that some upper elementary students aren’t proficient or on grade level when it comes to reading or reading comprehension. So, as literacy teachers, we’ve got to come up with ways to support these students in our class. Last week, I shared strategies for students who struggle with the fundamental factors of reading comprehension. But in today’s episode, I’m sharing interventions and strategies for cognitive factors that affect reading comprehension for your students. When we discuss cognitive factors, we’re addressing deficiencies in attention issues, processing speeds, working memory, language processing, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. But one thing that’s unique about cognitive challenges is that the intervention and strategies need to be specialized and focused on the unique needs of each student. Therefore, when highlighting strategies and interventions for cognitive factors that affect reading comprehension, they’re tailored and adjusted to benefit the student and help them succeed in reading and academics in general. As you address cognitive factors that affect reading comprehension, know that support from special education teachers and interventionists may need to get involved. Therefore, by implementing these strategies with your students, you’re one step ahead in getting them the help they need for the future in academics. Our goal as literacy teachers is to get our students proficient in reading, so having these interventions ready for your students is one way for you to address their cognitive factors in order to improve their reading comprehension skills. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode169 Resources Mentioned:
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| 160. 4 Ways to Increase Writing Endurance | 19 Feb 2024 | 00:38:21 | |
In last week’s episode, we learned that writing stamina is built over time and includes more than just an amount of time, but when students are actively engaged in a particular writing task. Since having writing stamina can be difficult for students, I wanted to create a series that provided teachers with strategies that improved a student’s writing stamina and developed their writing skills at the same time. So in the second episode in the series, I’m sharing four ways you can increase writing endurance within your students. In order to increase writing endurance within your students, several things are required from not only your students but yourself as the teacher. Knowing the role you play in increasing their endurance and developing their skills is going to help your students succeed and become independent writers. I share four ways what this can look like in your classroom or literacy block without taking up an extended amount of time or changing your entire curriculum. Getting your students to write in general can be challenging, but especially for an extended period of time while fully engaged. By implementing these strategies to increase writing endurance, you ensure that students will get the practice they need to positively grow their stamina and skills. Stay tuned to next week’s episode, the last in the series, on how to gradually increase the writing time and complexity of which your students are writing. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode160 Resources Mentioned:
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| 70. 7 Key Reading Skills to Support Biographies | 14 Feb 2022 | 00:17:35 | |
I hope you’ve been enjoying this month’s biography theme. The last two episodes I gave tips for introducing biographies to your students and tips for using mentor texts. At this point your students should be familiar with the genre, which leads me to today’s episode. I will be sharing how to use biographies to focus on key reading skills that go hand in hand with this genre. These reading skills really lend themselves beautifully to this genre and I’m going to tell you why. Although I could think of even more, today I will specifically be sharing seven key reading skills to target with biographies. The reason I want to talk about this is because you don’t have to always grab that fiction text when you want to introduce certain skills! In this episode I share:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/7-key-reading-skills/ Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 69. 9 Quick Mini-Lesson Ideas for Biography Exploration | 07 Feb 2022 | 00:23:06 | |
Welcome to another episode to highlight February’s topic of biographies! If you listened to last week’s episode then your students should know what biographies are now that you’ve introduced them. Biographies may not seem like the most interesting genre, so today I’ll be sharing nine mini-lesson ideas that are going to be engaging and interesting for your students. These ideas should leave you inspired and focused on this nonfiction genre. In this episode, I share:
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode69 Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| BONUS EPISODE - Tips and Ideas for Teaching Black History | 03 Feb 2022 | 00:22:13 | |
Black History is celebrated this month, but I have been one to celebrate Black and diverse history all year long. This episode will support teachers who are wanting to implement African American history into their classrooms whether it's their first year or tenth year. You will gain helpful reminders when navigating your conversations about Black influential individuals with students, as well as activities that can be easily implemented throughout this month and beyond. Episode Highlights:
Links referenced:
Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode17/ If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 68. Introducing and Teaching the Biography Genre | 31 Jan 2022 | 00:24:43 | |
As we enter the month of February it is time that we discuss and celebrate what Black History Month really stands for with our students. My favorite way to do this is by acknowledging iconic Black and African American figures. This is truly a great opportunity to teach biography and I have so many creative ways to do this that I’m going to share with you today. In this episode I will share how to teach this nonfiction genre so your students get the most out of their reading experience. In this episode I share:
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode68 Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 67. Reset Relationships with Parents: 3 Areas to Consider | 24 Jan 2022 | 00:29:03 | |
I don’t know about you, but I have really been enjoying this Resetting Series to start off this new 2022 year! We’ve talked about topics such as routines and writing blocks, but this episode will be focused on something more pragmatic: parents. It is never too late to reset your relationship with parents, or as I like to call them,”your student’s grown ups!” This episode is important for so many reasons, and I’m going to share those with you today. In this episode I share:
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode67 Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 66. Reset Your Reading Block: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself | 17 Jan 2022 | 00:26:36 | |
This time of the year is perfect for resetting, and I personally find it to be such a powerful opportunity. In my previous episode I provided tips for resetting your writing block and in this episode we’re going to speak about the other part of literacy, which is reading. We all know that reading is a complex skill and you may be surprised to learn that the reason your students are having difficulty is solely due to needing a reset. This episode will follow a similar format as my previous episodes with five questions and actionable tips for you to put into place. These questions will make you consider what you like about your reading block and how you may be able to change it for the better. You will get an accurate idea of what skills and strategies your students are able to apply to their reading or need additional instruction. It’s not too late to reset and establish new goals for both you and your students! In this episode I share: -The benefits of making daily reading a priority -The dos and don’ts for how to organize your mini-lessons -Why you shouldn’t worry about providing multiple scaffolds -Various approaches to collecting data on your students reading abilities -A surprising idea to get your students to read every day SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode66 Resources Mentioned: Episode 64, Reset Your Routine: 5 Questions to Ask Your Students Running Records Cheat Sheet Freebie Reading Skills and Strategies Anchor Charts Reading Response Sentence Stem Anchor Charts Small Group Observation Notes Data Tracker Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 65. Reset Your Writing Block: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself | 10 Jan 2022 | 00:27:35 | |
In today's episode I’m going to address the elephant in the room, which is the fact that teaching literacy is hard. There, I said it! In my personal experience, I found that compared to all other subjects, reading and writing were without a doubt the most difficult for my students. If you’re anything like me and refuse to let your students fail because something is difficult, this episode is for you! Last week I recommended that you start the new year off by asking your students questions to get an idea of what was and wasn’t working in your classroom. Now, I have questions for you! In order to make sure your lessons are effective for those struggling readers, I have questions and tips for you to consider. I talk about topics such as when to remove graphic organizers and how to create an environment that elicits creative writing no matter the grade. Most importantly, I hope you take these tips to your classroom and make writing fun! In this episode I share: -5 questions you should ask yourself about your literacy lessons -Reasons you don’t want to skip your writing block -Why you shouldn’t rush to take away writing supports and scaffolding -What to focus on when helping your students set their goals -Tips for making the writing process fun for your students SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode65 Resources Mentioned: -Primary and Upper Elementary Writing Office -Descriptive Writing Anchor Charts -Writing Process Sticky Note Checklists -Literacy Choice Boards freebie -Episode 32, Setting Up Effective Writing Centers -Episode 23, Using Centers for Upper Elementary Kids -Episode 9, Using Quick Writes to Strengthen Student Writing -Episode 2, 5 Components of a Mini Lesson Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 64. Reset Your Routine: 5 Questions to Ask Your Students | 03 Jan 2022 | 00:19:40 | |
Happy New Year! After all the reflection that you did in December, it’s now time to decide which processes you should continue and what needs to be changed in your classroom. A lot of people think that it’s a necessity to reset or restart their procedures when they return from break. This isn’t always the best strategy, so I’m going to make sure you are prepared to make the best decision on what stays and goes in 2022. In order to get a better idea on what is working, you will first need to speak with your target audience- your students. I say this from experience since I learned the hard way after being influenced by Pinterest too many times! I found that even with the best intentions it sometimes did more harm than good to change a classroom procedure. Once I started asking questions to my students, I realized I had more insight on what made my classroom engaging and conducive to learning. It’s true what they say, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. In this episode I share: -5 questions I like to ask my students prior to making changes -When to change your routine and when not to change your routine -Why it’s important to do a midyear check-in -Methods to collect your student’s responses SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode64 Resources Mentioned: -FREEBIE: Would You Rather/This or That Slides Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 63. Starting the New Year with Student Reflection and Goal Setting | 27 Dec 2021 | 00:16:28 | |
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this is my last episode of 2021! I’m going to take this opportunity to continue my conversation from my last episode when I shared my personal reflections from 2021. In my opinion, January is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and set goals for moving forward and this episode I’m going to share how to do that with your students. By looking at the positive and negative parts of the previous year you can learn and grow in the future. This is an important concept for not only adults, but our students as well. That’s why I created a 5-page writing activity for them to do just that! This is not just your typical hand-made book because I’ve incorporated illustrations, polaroids, and more! I can’t wait to hear how your students enjoyed this activity, so don’t forget to grab check out this flipbook linked below! In this episode I share: -A description of my 5-page student reflection and goal writing flip book -Why my flipbook is my favorite activity for the first week back from break -Ideas to get students motivated to generate creative goals -Fun suggestions for how to make self-portraits SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode63 Resources Mentioned: Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 62. Empowering Realizations From 2021 | 20 Dec 2021 | 00:25:58 | |
It seems like just yesterday we were ringing in 2021 and yet I can’t believe it’s almost 2022! I always like to think back on the good times and the challenging times as the new year approaches. In this episode, I reflect on the priorities I will be carrying over to 2022. These routines and practices have been important to me and I think you’ll find they can be important to you as well! Every year I find myself thinking back on those moments of insight that I want to focus on for the future. Those realizations have allowed me to move on and accept whatever difficult situation that may come my way. Life is not about the positive or negative situations you’re faced with, but how you perceive them. By practicing these strategies and mindfulness ideas there is no doubt you will have a joyful year ahead! In this episode I share: -Tips for setting boundaries for people who can’t say no -How to accept those things that can’t be changed -Strategies for saving your energy for positive things rather than negative -My daily practices for maintaining a joyful life -Self-care you can incorporate into your daily routines SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode62 Resources Mentioned: 1 Second Everyday: Video Diary Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 159. Writing Stamina: 6 Challenges Students Face and How to Help Them | 12 Feb 2024 | 00:38:41 | |
I am passionate about literacy, especially finding creative and engaging ways to get students writing. However, none of that matters if their writing stamina is low. I know from my experience being in the classroom, that so many of my students didn’t have the writing endurance for longer pieces of writing, which meant I had to come up with ways to increase their stamina over time. In the first episode in a series about writing stamina, I’m sharing six writing stamina challenges and strategies that support them to increase their stamina. When I use the phrase "writing stamina", I’m referring to more than just duration, but having students maintain their writing quality and engagement throughout their writing session. I break down this into three components and discuss why they need to work together to increase a student’s writing stamina. But when it comes to writing, students always face difficulties. Therefore, I highlight six main writing stamina challenges, why or how it’s a challenge, and strategies to implement that support each challenge. Although making sure a student has good writing stamina might not seem like a big deal, it has an impact on their academic success. This includes standardized tests and their development of writing skills, which is why identifying students’ writing stamina challenges and understanding why it’s necessary to focus on is so important. Stay tuned to next week’s episode where I explore ways to build writing endurance with practical tips. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode159 Resources Mentioned:
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| 61. Holiday Literacy Ideas to Get You to Winter Break | Part 3 | 13 Dec 2021 | 00:14:16 | |
If you’ve been following along the last two weeks you know that this is the last episode of the three-part holiday series. I’ve provided you with six strategies thus far and today I’ll be giving you four more! The purpose of these strategies is not to add more onto your plate, but rather incorporate small changes into your current schedule. You’ll be working smarter, not harder! There are multiple ways to increase student engagement, it just takes a little creativity. I’ve got you covered! We’re going to step back from paper and pencil tasks and broaden the ways students will be sharing what they know. The best part about these ideas is that you can use them after the holidays when your students return from break to ease them back into their routine. In this episode I share: -4 literacy ideas for the holiday season -How to modify your lessons so they can be used at home -Creative ideas to ensure all students are participating -A no-prep literacy activity to work on growing sentences SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode61 Resources Mentioned: Christmas Around the World Reading & Writing Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Around-the-World-Reading-and-Writing-Activities-7512578 Kwanzaa Reading & Writing Activities: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Kwanzaa-Reading-and-Writing-Activities-7524902 Christmas Writing Choice Boards: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Christmas-Writing-Choice-Board-Activities-3527674 December Writing Prompts: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/December-Writing-Prompts-and-Journal-4212274 Writing Center Posters: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Writing-Center-Posters-and-Writing-Paper-Templates-3236844 Episode 9 on Quick Writes: https://theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode9/ Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 60. Holiday Literacy Ideas to Get You to Winter Break | Part 2 | 06 Dec 2021 | 00:13:19 | |
Last week I started my three-part series about how to keep your students engaged during the holiday season. I decided to expand on those holiday literacy ideas by giving you three more ways to keep your students on task. As always, these ideas are simple and can be put into practice the very day you listen to this episode. We all know one way to keep students interested in our lessons is to avoid standing in the front of the class and expecting them to listen. These ideas are far from that! My suggestions not only provide students with the opportunity to interact with peers, but also members of the community. There will be no lack of interest once you introduce your students to these interactive activities! In this episode I share: -3 ideas for keeping students engaged during the holiday season -Different ways to have students share their perspectives -Suggestions for different ways to access holiday stories -Activities that will connect your students with members of the community SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode60 Resources Mentioned: -Writing Center Posters and Writing Paper Templates -Christmas Writing Choice Board Activities Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 59. Holiday Literacy Ideas to Get You to Winter Break | Part 1 | 29 Nov 2021 | 00:14:50 | |
While the holiday season is exciting, it is also notoriously a time that students are distracted and energetic. There are so many extra activities that need to be added to the schedule which means ditching those daily academic lessons. In this episode, I will discuss how to get through the holiday season without abandoning teaching your literacy components. This holiday season seems to be even more exhausting than usual with all the challenges we have been facing this year. It is more important than ever to embed activities that your students find fun and enjoy while making sure you are targeting those important reading skills simultaneously. This is your opportunity to be creative while focusing on literacy skills. This may seem impossible, which is why I have done the work for you and am sharing my favorite activities to keep student engagement during the holiday season! In this episode I share: -3 low-prep ideas for teaching literacy while keeping students engaged during the holiday season -How to use holiday advertisements while working on reading skills -Ideas for homework over the holidays if parents make a request -Tips to incorporate creativity into your writing block SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode59 Resources Mentioned: -Christmas Writing Choice Board Activities -December Writing Prompts and Journal Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 58. Making the Most Out of Your Read Aloud | 22 Nov 2021 | 00:25:30 | |
I have to admit that my episode last week with my guest and good friend, Aylin Claahsen, got me thinking more deeply about reading fluency. I realized that we can grow our student’s reading fluency with something that we’re already doing, which is read alouds. I’m not talking about those days when you pick a book off the shelf and decide to share an enjoyable literacy-driven experience with your students. I’m referring to lessons that are focused on specific skills and standards. When you think of both of these literacy concepts it makes sense that they influence each other. Reading fluency actually refers to the accuracy, speed, and expression of a student’s reading rather than a quick scan of the words on the page. What better way to practice this than read alouds? We need to take advantage of the opportunity to model during read alouds because let’s face it, we know that students are always watching and listening to us. Let me know which of these strategies worked for you and your students! In this episode I share: -Goals teachers should consider during read alouds -2 things that will happen when students improve their fluency skills -Strategies for improving reading fluency with read alouds -Processes to teach your students when they come across unknown words -The benefits of pausing during read alouds SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode58 Grab my Sentence Fluency Sight Word Task Cards! Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 57. Understanding the Importance of Fluency and Incorporating it Into Your Busy School Day with Aylin Claahsen | 15 Nov 2021 | 00:31:47 | |
I can not wait for you to listen to this episode with a special guest and friend of mine, Aylin Claahsen. Aylin is a certified reading specialist, literacy consultant, and curriculum designer who loves sharing literacy tips for teaching readers. Specializing in Kindergarten-5th Grade, she can be found sharing literacy tips on her blog, social media, or in her newsletter. She is sharing all kinds of incredible tips and tricks that will help you to engage your students while improving their fluency. If you’re an elementary teacher you may consider reading fluency as the child’s ability to read a story from start to finish. During this discussion with Aylin you’ll learn that fluency is really much more than that! It truly connects to so many different skills that will improve reading comprehension. By using these strategies, you can focus on fluency without recreating the wheel or disrupting what you’re already doing. In this episode we discuss: -What reading fluency really means -Reasons teachers should focus on fluency -How fluency corresponds to reading comprehension -Ways to incorporate fluency strategies into the day -The benefits of using centers during your reading block SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode57 Connect with Aylin: -Follow her on Instagram and Facebook @literacywithaylinclaahsen. -Check out her membership site. Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 56. How to Keep Writing Prompts Running Smoothly | 08 Nov 2021 | 00:28:18 | |
Last week I talked about writing prompts and this week I will continue the conversation by giving you tips to implement writing prompts. If you haven’t been using writing prompts regularly, I can imagine it may be intimidating to put it on your schedule every day of the week. What I can also tell you is that if writing prompts stress you out, then I’m about to change your mind. Writing prompts are meant to be fun for both you and your students. By keeping this time of day positive and encouraging your students to share their thoughts on paper, your students will most likely share your enthusiasm. You may actually be surprised by the quality and quantity of writing you get while working on writing prompts compared to a writers workshop. I hope that this episode has decreased any stress or anxiety you may have had and that you are ready to make writing fun! In this episode I share: -7 big ideas to implement writing prompts -The importance of getting time for writing prompts onto your schedule -What to do if a writing process is too difficult for a student -How to manage your expectations for writing prompts vs. writing workshops -Ways to motivate and differentiate for your students PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway to celebrate a full year of The Literacy Dive Podcast: 1. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Before you submit, take a screenshot and send it to me on Instagram @theliteracydive or in an email at megan@theliteracydive.com 2. BONUS ENTRY: Screenshot a favorite episode, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me @theliteracydive. In this episode I share: SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode56 Resources mentioned: -Episode 55: Cultivating Engaged and Confident Writers Through the Use of Writing Prompts Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 55. Cultivating Engaged and Confident Writers Through the Use of Writing Prompts | 01 Nov 2021 | 00:29:23 | |
Guess what?! Today’s episode is my one year anniversary of The Literacy Dive Podcast. How exciting is that? Whether you’ve listened to one episode, every single one, or somewhere in between…thank you! To add to the excitement, this episode is airing on November 1, 2021. The beginning of a new month is always a fun and refreshing time. I remember my students coming in at the beginning of a month eager to see what special days were planned and what the new writing prompts would be! You may already know that I am a HUGE fan of writing prompts, and for good reason. Writing prompts offer students choice and opportunities to practice their writing skills, often times in a low impact non-stressful way. They are an engaging way to increase your students’ overall love of writing. I’m going to walk you through the details of why writing prompts are so useful and how I use them to cultivate excited writers. If you’re wondering how you’re supposed to fit writing prompts in, don’t worry…I’m covering that too! PS: Don't forget to enter my giveaway to celebrate a full year of The Literacy Dive Podcast: 1. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Before you submit, take a screenshot and send it to me on Instagram @theliteracydive or in an email at megan@theliteracydive.com 2. BONUS ENTRY: Screenshot a favorite episode, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me @theliteracydive. In this episode I share: -My definition of a writing prompt -Why writing prompts are such a useful tool -Tips on choosing writing prompts that will spark creativity and engagement -How writing prompts can direct student writing -Specific questions I like to model with my students -When and where to implement the writing prompt style of writing SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode55 Resources mentioned: -Episode 9: Using Quick Writes to Strengthen Student Writing Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 54. How to Teach Context Clues | 25 Oct 2021 | 00:29:25 | |
Last week I talked about context clues strategies, but I’m sure many of you are wondering how to apply them and when. I got you! This episode is going to cover how to use the different strategies I shared and really give you a framework for implementing them. Just like all the great activities in literacy, you can start teaching context clues by using highlighters and anchor charts. As you listen you’ll realize that the strategies I’ve provided can seamlessly be woven into your current lessons. Before you know it your students will be internalizing and utilizing these strategies all on their own! Don't forget to enter my giveaway to celebrate a full year of The Literacy Dive Podcast: 1. Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Before you submit, take a screenshot and send it to me on Instagram @theliteracydive. 2. BONUS ENTRY: Screenshot a favorite episode, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me @theliteracydive. In this episode I share: -How to introduce context clues to your students -Steps for implementing context clue strategies -4 words that will remind students how to find the meaning of unknown words -When to apply strategies unknown words throughout your reading block -Tips for differentiating instruction SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode54 Resources mentioned: -Episode 53, 7 Context Clues Strategies Every Student Should Know Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 53. 7 Context Clue Strategies Every Student Should Know | 18 Oct 2021 | 00:22:29 | |
There’s a good chance that your students have heard the term “context clues” before. But do they actually know what it means? Are they really able to apply strategies to figure out the meaning of unknown words? In my experience, using context clues is one of those skills that students are aware of, but struggle to implement independently. Today I’m sharing several different types of context clues strategies that you can intentionally teach to your students. My best advice is to not only teach these strategies in your lessons, but to also find other opportunities throughout your day where you can decipher unknown words. This could be during read alouds, while watching a video, or in everyday conversation. Practice these strategies with your students whenever possible, so that when they come across tricky words during independent reading they will not only have strategies in place, but be able to use them effectively and independently! In this episode I share: -Examples of how to teach the various context clues strategies -The importance of background knowledge in relation to context clues -The “why” behind using pictures and other visuals to help with meaning -How to embed and model context clues strategies throughout your day SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode53 Resources mentioned: Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 52. Watch Your Students Become Strong and Descriptive Writers Through the Art of Storytelling | 11 Oct 2021 | 00:25:13 | |
How do your students become successful and descriptive writers? I get this question all the time. Do you want to know my secret? The one thing that plays the greatest role in helping young learners improve their writing skills is the art of storytelling. The power of storytelling became clear to me when I was teaching kindergarten. Telling personal stories is how my kindergartners learned how to write a story. I continued to practice storytelling with all of my students, even in upper elementary grades. You may not realize it, but we are all storytellers. We typically think about events in terms of beginning, middle, and end. Every part of our day is a story! Giving opportunities to storytell in your classroom is a great way to teach your students important skills that will transfer to their writing. If storytelling seems intimidating for you, don’t worry! I’m going to give you actionable strategies that you can implement as soon as TODAY. In this episode I share: -The many benefits of storytelling -Steps to take to get this practice up and running in your classroom -Simple ways to make storytelling interactive -The importance of asking questions and how it translates into more descriptive writing -Suggestions on what to do if you feel like you aren’t a natural storyteller -What a prop box is and how I use it SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode52 Resources mentioned: -Free Writing and Conversation Prompts -Creative Writing Picture Cards -Monthly Writing Prompt and Journal Bundle Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 158. 5 Podcasts You Should be Listening to in 2024 | 05 Feb 2024 | 00:29:44 | |
Podcasts are one of the fastest growing platforms to gain information in a short amount of time. I obviously love the idea of podcasts and how it can reach so many people with a variety of topics. With the availability that it brings, there are so many opportunities to make listening to podcasts part of your daily life. I want to help you discover new podcasts, so in today’s episode, I’m sharing five teacher podcasts that you should be listening to in 2024. I personally love each of the teacher podcasts I’m sharing with you today. I’ve either been a guest on their podcast or they’ve been a guest on mine. Each of these podcasts uplift teachers while providing applicable strategies and tips you can use in your classrooms. After introducing each host behind the podcast, I give a target audience, and a brief summary of a must listen-to episode of theirs. There are so many teacher podcasts out there, which is why I wanted to give you a list of five top-notch ones to add to your list. Listening to podcasts directed toward teacher topics is an easy way to gain fresh ideas and ways to streamline your classroom management. So be sure to add these teacher podcasts to make your classroom in 2024 fresh and engaging! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode158 Resources Mentioned:
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| 51. How to Find Time to ACTUALLY Teach | 04 Oct 2021 | 00:28:16 | |
Today’s episode is about something we all wish we had more of: time. There are so many demands on teachers and it always feels like there’s not enough time in the day. I found there are some ways to maximize your schedule and I will be sharing some tips and tricks I’ve found helpful. I hope these action steps will allow you to really focus on what is important, your students! By the end of this episode, there will be three different areas for you to look at that will free up your schedule. Before you get worried, this does not mean you have to cancel all the activities that you enjoy the most. If you make these small changes to your day, you will actually find you have more time for both mandatory and optional activities. After you finish this episode, please share what you decided to do with those extra 20-40 minutes you now have available! In this episode I share: -3 parts of your day that you can look at to free up your time -Ways you can maximize your schedule -How to balance what you want vs need to get accomplished -The 3 questions you need to ask yourself about your transitions SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode51 Resources mentioned: -Episode 50: 50th Episode Celebration: Ask me Anything! Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| LISTENER FAVORITE: 5 Components of a Mini-Lesson | 29 Sep 2021 | 00:20:33 | |
To continue the celebration of reaching 50 episodes of The Literacy Dive, I've got a BONUS episode for you today! This is a replay of a listener favorite, episode 2! It's all the importance and power of a mini-lesson. Enjoy! SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode2 In this episode I share: -The definition of a mini-lesson -How to find content for your mini-lesson -The structure of a mini-lesson (5 parts) -Tips and reminders to make mini-lessons successful Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 50. 50TH EPISODE CELEBRATION: ASK ME ANYTHING! | 27 Sep 2021 | 00:35:57 | |
Oh my goodness! This is the 50th episode of The Literacy Dive Podcast! I am so thankful and have been having a blast with all of you. To celebrate this milestone we will be doing something spontaneous and laid-back. I hope you enjoy this question and answer format just as much as I enjoyed recording it! I originally thought I would answer 50 questions for the 50th episode, but my dear friend has narrowed down the questions so that we can play a little game of 20 questions. You’ll learn about me and my experiences, both good and bad! From reality TV shows to reading lessons, we cover it all. I loved this interactive and fun episode and would love to hear what you thought as well! SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode50 In this episode I answer your questions such as: -What should a good guided reading lesson contain? -What tips do you have for lesson planning? -What advice do you have for first year teachers? -What is the most spontaneous thing you have done? -If I could look at your DVR or Netflix, what would I find? -Where do you see yourself in five years? Resources Mentioned: -Guided Reading: What Is It? (blog post) -Guided Reading Small Groups: Face-to-Face vs. Virtual (blog post) Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 49. 8 Reasons to Start Using Exit Tickets | 20 Sep 2021 | 00:15:13 | |
Have you been searching for ways to assess your student’s understanding of your lessons? An easy way to do this is by using exit tickets. Contrary to what some people may think, exit tickets are not tests, but definitely are a way to measure your student’s comprehension of that day’s topic. Exit tickets may look different each day, but if used correctly they can be a driving force for your curriculum. Exit tickets can support data-driven instruction by providing information on where students are performing and what modifications need to be made. Let’s be honest, "data-driven instruction" is one of the most important phrases in education today. Not only will you impress your administration, but you’ll also be able to use this information to differentiate instruction to your students. As I always say, it’s better to have too much data than not enough data! SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode49 In this episode I share: -8 reasons to incorporate exit tickets into your classroom -The components of a good exit ticket -How to use exit tickets to differentiate instruction -Ways to increase motivation and participation Resources Mentioned: -Reading Response Sticky Notes -Reading Response Graphic Organizers Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 48. Leveraging Math Word Problems to Practice Reading and Writing Skills | 13 Sep 2021 | 00:17:42 | |
If you don’t already know this, it may shock you, but my favorite subject is actually math. Crazy, right? There’s nothing better than when I can combine my two favorite things, math and literacy, at the same time with math word problems. In this episode I will provide you with strategies for incorporating comprehension and writing practice while also working on math. When I was a self-contained teacher responsible for every subject, it was so important to “double dip” different subject areas. During that time I found that English Language Arts and Math teachers can benefit from this as well. If you think about it, when it comes to word problems these two areas are so interconnected so it makes perfect sense! If you try one of the strategies I mention in this episode or use the freebie, let me know what you think! In this episode I share: -How word problems can enhance literacy skills -4 ways you can move beyond word problems to practice reading and writing skills -Realistic examples for the suggested strategies -Which reading skills can be targeted through word problems SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode48 Resources Mentioned: -Word Problem Task Cards Bundle -Episode 47: 7 Strategies to Enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills in Your Students Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 47. 7 Strategies to Enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills in Your Students | 06 Sep 2021 | 00:20:22 | |
Today’s episode is about a topic that has taken over the world of education and is probably the focus of most of your staff meetings. If you guessed this episode would be about higher order thinking then you’d be correct! Lucky for you, the strategies I will talk about today are ones that you can put into practice as soon as tomorrow! Some of my suggestions may be exactly what you try not to do during your reading block, and believe me I’ve been there. If you’re a teacher who dismisses student questions due to lack of time or otherwise, I feel you. It sometimes feels like there’s not enough time in a day, but in order to get students to think critically there must be opportunities for them to do so. Whether you make a small change or decide to incorporate something creative into your classroom I’d love to hear about your success! In today's episode I share: -A brief overview of what higher order thinking looks like -7 teaching strategies to enhance higher order thinking skills -Examples of how to present strategies in your classroom -Simple changes you can use to enhance your student’s higher order thinking SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode47 Resources Mentioned: -Higher-Order Thinking Question Cards -Episode 24: Six Ways to Teach Visualization to Readers Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 46. Increasing Student Writing Skills and Motivation (Part 2) | 30 Aug 2021 | 00:19:52 | |
As promised, this episode is a continuation of the conversation on ways to increase motivation and writing skills with your students. Let’s be honest, we all have at least one student who desperately avoids any writing task. It’s those exact students I always think of when I introduce new strategies because we’ve got the opportunity to show them that writing can be fun!
If you listened last week, you’ve already learned five ways to get students excited about writing. Well today you’re going to learn six more! With little effort and a lot of creativity, these strategies will get your students involved with not only other children in their class but also outside in the community. Dare I say it, but they may even look forward to writing once you introduce these activities! Let me know which one of these ideas is your student’s favorite by sending me a DM on Instagram @theliteracydive
In this episode I share: -Tips to create an exciting writing environment -Ways to make writing fun while practicing the 5 parts of a friendly letter -Ideas to make connections in the community to increase motivation -Easy and simple year-long activities that spark excitement -How to utilize technology to increase involvement in writing tasks
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode46
Resources Mentioned: -Episode 45: Increasing Student Writing Skills and Motivation (Part 1) -Episode 32: How Do You Set up Effective Writing Centers?
Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please follow, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 45. Increasing Student Writing Skills and Motivation (Part 1) | 23 Aug 2021 | 00:15:34 | |
What if your students actually looked forward to writing time? What if they all cheered instead of moaning and groaning when you announce it’s time for writing? I’ll bet that sounds like music to your teacher ears!
I continue to hear from many of you that getting your students excited to write is still one of your greatest challenges. That’s why today I’m going to share ways to improve student writing skills AND improve their motivation to write. Writing doesn’t have to be bland. It doesn’t have to take a ton of prep either. Push play to hear my favorite engaging writing strategies, and check out the next episode for part two of this topic!
In this episode I share: -The important connection between reading and writing -Super simple and creative ways to make writing FUN -How to encourage daily journaling + examples of writing prompts -Ideas to strengthen creative writing skills by writing short stories
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode45
Related Resources: -Creative Writing Boggle Boards
Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 44. The Why Behind Interactive Read Alouds & How to Plan for One | 16 Aug 2021 | 00:30:40 | |
I am a huge proponent of reading aloud for pure joy with no strings attached. These moments are one of the best ways to foster a true love of reading within your students. However, I also know the immense power of interactive read alouds and the great effect in has on our young readers. For example, did you know that interactive read alouds can build community as well as vocabulary and communication skills? They are also an excellent opportunity to bring diversity into your classroom.
So what’s the difference between simply opening up a book and reading it aloud versus an interactive read aloud? For one thing, interactive read alouds are pre-planned. This needs to be an intentional time with intentional texts.
It truly is the foundation for instruction in your classroom! It’s going to be what provides every kind of student with rich learning opportunities. An effective interactive read aloud structure involves three parts: introducing the text, reading the text, and discussing the text. I’m going to share how to implement each of these three parts in today’s episode, as well as ideas for extensions.
In this episode I share: -Why interactive read alouds are so important -The role of the teacher and students during read alouds -How to set expectations and set the scene for an interactive read aloud -What to consider when choosing engaging book titles -Using hand signals to increase engagement and productivity -An ideal length for your read aloud and how to stick to that timeframe
SHOW NOTES: theliteracydive.com/podcast-episode44
Related Resources: -Reading Response Sentence Stem Posters -Reading and Writing Sticky Note Bundle Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 43. 8 Strategies to Teach Show Don't Tell | 09 Aug 2021 | 00:32:45 | |
Do your students look back at you with blank stares when you ask them to “show, don’t tell” in their writing? If so, it’s for a good reason! While it seems simple to some, show don’t tell is a difficult concept to understand. The real way to ensure students fully grasp this strategy is through a lot of intentional practice and exposure. This is why I recommend teaching show don’t tell at the very beginning of the year, and spiraling back all throughout the year.
So, exactly how do you get your students to understand and apply this technique? I’m sharing eight specific strategies to help your students show vivid and concrete details in their writing. From illustrating the scene to using dialogue, these strategies will help your writers transform their compositions and engage their readers. Remember, if this seems like a difficult skill for your kids right now, don’t worry! Stay encouraged. Show don’t tell will become easier over time!
In this episode I share: -The big difference between showing vs. telling -Using your five senses to support character development -Incorporating interactive games into your lessons -Why I recommend avoiding adverbs -A simple way to introduce the use of dialogue
SHOW NOTES: misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode43
Resources Mentioned: -Character Traits and Character Feelings Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 157. Sensory Storytelling: Using Sensory Details to Bring Writing to Life | 29 Jan 2024 | 00:29:35 | |
Over the last month I’ve been sharing different ways you can engage your students in that helps develop their simple sentences into more detailed and complex sentences. With this being the final episode in the series, I’m finally covering my favorite way to bring writing to life, which is by using sensory details to create sensory storytelling. Using sensory details in your writing engages the reader and paints a clear and vivid picture in your reader’s mind. The way it creates an image is by using descriptive elements that speak to our senses, which are hear, smell, taste, sight, and touch. With this being the target goal for every writer, I dive into the precise steps you need to take in your classroom to best teach this form of descriptive writing. I also share sample sentences you can use directly with your students to show how to add sensory details that bring their writing to life. It’s no question why this form of descriptive writing is my absolute favorite. By adding sensory details to create sensory storytelling, you are creating an immersive experience for the reader that paints a picture as if they were living it. After listening to this sentence expansion series, I hope it encourages and shows you simple yet effective ways to add details to simple sentences. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode157 Resources Mentioned:
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| 42. 6 Back-to-School Activities to Get to Know Your Students | 02 Aug 2021 | 00:28:14 | |
Whether you are a first-year or veteran teacher, you know how incredibly important it is to build community at the beginning of the school year. You also know how stressful this time of year can be. Exciting? Yes. But still stressful! You have so much to do, yet you also want to focus on making your students feel welcome and valued. This is the prime time to really set the tone for the upcoming year!
Between organizing school supplies and establishing rules and routines, there is no time for activities that require hours of preparation. Over the years, I have collected several effective, simple, and FUN getting-to-know-you activities that can be used on the fly with little to no prep. Better yet, they can all be used for in person or virtual teaching! Send me a message on Instagram @theliteracydive and let me know which activity is your favorite!
In this episode I share: -6 engaging “getting to know you” activities to use anytime of year -How to manage each activity with ease -My experiences using these back-to-school activities -Why the beginning of the year isn’t the only time to have students get to know each other
SHOW NOTES: misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode42
Resources Mentioned: -FREEBIE - "This or That" & "Would You Rather" Slides -FREEBIE - All About Me Share Bag Labels -Episode 41, Small Group Must-Haves Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 41. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Are Your Small Group Must-Haves? | 26 Jul 2021 | 00:27:17 | |
True story - small groups are 100% my teaching love language! So when Emily asked, “What are some of your favorite small group must-haves?” I jumped at the opportunity to share. While I can’t list EVERYTHING, I’m going to list my 15 most-loved small group staples. I bet you won’t be surprised to hear that sticky notes are on this list, but what about a laser pointer?! These items can all be found on Amazon or at your local Target/Dollar Tree.
As with any supply list, don’t let this overwhelm you. If you’re new to using tools in small groups, start slow. Choose a few items to begin! Slowly begin to implement materials, gauge the student response, and go from there! Have fun building your unique small group toolbox this year and let me know which items are your favorite by sending me a DM on Instagram @theliteracydive.
In this episode I share: -My top small group tools and how to use them -Which items to use for decoding texts and responding to reading -Creative ways to hold student’s attention during small group -How to organize your tools to save time and space
SHOW NOTES: misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode41
Resources Mentioned: -FREE Running Record Cheat Sheet -Guided Reading Strip Overlays -Mini Magnetic Dry Erase Boards -Reading Choice Boards (use a dice) Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 40. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Help Students Increase Their Stamina? | 19 Jul 2021 | 00:23:27 | |
I have trouble with getting my students to sit for extended periods of time and accomplishing their goals. How do you help students increase their stamina when it comes to independent reading and writing? This question comes from Craig and I’ll bet many of you have the same one!
Here’s one thing I know for sure. Stamina takes time! So, give yourself and your students some grace. Tune in to hear my favorite strategies that I have used with students in second through fifth grade. Whether you implement these at the very beginning of the year, or the middle of the year, they will help students succeed in increasing their stamina over time!
In this episode I share: -How important it is to take the time to establish systems and expectations -How to tap into student’s interests to increase buy-in -Incorporating various media types into independent reading and writing time -Why peer collaboration can help students stay on task longer -Using a visual timer, choice boards, and stamina graphs to support students in reaching their goals
Resources Mentioned: -Free Reading and Writing Choice Boards
For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode40 Connect with me: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 39. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Do I Do When My Students Rush Through Their Writing? | 12 Jul 2021 | 00:27:51 | |
Today we have a question from Shelby! Shelby asks, “How do you help kids who just want to finish writing as fast as they can and do not want to add any details because of the time it takes?” Just like Shelby, we all have those students in our writing block who say “I’m done” before most kids even have their name on the paper! Few things are more frustrating than watching students who rush to get done without implementing the skills that you have worked so hard to teach!
I’m sharing 10 strategies to help with motivation and getting students taking their time when it comes to writing. These are tips that have helped my students look forward to writing time and shift from saying “I’m done” to “how can I make my writing better?”. Are you ready to watch your writers grow and transform?
In this episode I share: -Common reasons why students tend to rush through their work and how to fix it -Focusing on small achievable writing goals -How to use checklists to eliminate rushing and increase accountability -Using a timer to set expectations -Implementing frequent check-ins to eliminate behaviors before they even begin
Resources mentioned: -Writing Process Charts and Checklists -Writing Process and Writing VOICES Checklists -Descriptive Writing Anchor Charts
Connect with me: -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode39 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 38. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Can I Better Differentiate to Reach All of My Students? | 05 Jul 2021 | 00:20:31 | |
Picture this: you are in the middle of a well prepared mini-lesson and it’s going great. When the time comes to start a written response, all of your students get started right away working on the exact same assignment and moving at the exact same pace. Hah! That would be nice, right? The reality is, it’s far more likely that you will have students at all different levels. The solution to this challenge is to differentiate your instruction. But how?
This week’s question comes from Karina! Karina wrote, “I struggle with differentiating. I have some advanced fourth graders and others at a kindergarten level. How can I better differentiate to reach all of my students?”. Do you share Karina’s challenge? Today I’m diving into all things differentiation to give you new ideas and strategies to take back to your classroom.
In this episode I share: -The very first thing to do when making a differentiation plan -Celebrating each student’s growth throughout the year -4 ways to implement differentiation when your students are grade levels apart -My #1 favorite way to support students Resources mentioned: -Reading Response Sentence Stem Anchor Charts -Reading Response Stem Cards Bundle -Reading Response Question Rings -Episode 15, The Power of Sentence Stems Connect with me: -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode38 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 37. Creating a Classroom Community That LOVES Reading with Sara Marye | 28 Jun 2021 | 00:28:36 | |
This episode is extra special because our guest is actually a long time friend of mine! Once upon a time, Sara and I even had classrooms right next door to each other. Tune in to hear how Sara and I first met and became teacher besties!
Sara is on the show to talk all about how you can create a classroom community who genuinely loves reading. This episode will give you the inspiration you need as you intentionally plan for the upcoming school year. Standards and assessments are important, and part of our job, but first we need to determine how we can appeal to our student’s needs and interests when it comes to reading. Sara is going to tell us how!
Sara has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. She is now a literacy specialist and the CEO of the Stellar Teacher Company who is passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world grow their students into life long readers. Sara is also the host of the Stellar Teacher Podcast, where she loves to share her favorite literacy tips each week.
In this episode we discuss: -The idea that you are teaching the reader, not the text -Why students lose their love for reading and how we can we change this -Reading picture books for fun without having an assignment attached to it -Empowering our students to have a reading identity and voice -Ways to increase student independence, buy-in, and engagement
Resources mentioned: -Join the Stellar Teacher Membership Waitlist: https://learn.stellarteacher.com/join -Genre Anchor Charts, Reading Passages, and Activities Bundle -Reading Response Choice Boards -Episode 23, Using Centers for Upper Elementary Kids
Connect with Sara: -Instagram: @thestellarteacher Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode37 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 36. Chaos to Calm: How to Take Control of Writing Workshop ft. Jamie Sears | 21 Jun 2021 | 00:30:35 | |
Teaching writing is tricky to say the least. It can feel very chaotic when our students are each in various places in their writing and all have different needs. On any given day, you may have students who are pages in while others are struggling to write their first sentence. If you are finding it difficult to teach writing, and be excited about it, you are most definitely not alone! My guest today, Jamie Sears, is here to help take the chaos out of writing workshop so that you can feel in control of your classroom again!
Jamie Sears is a fun-loving mom of 5 (soon to be 6), wife, entrepreneur, and forever a teacher at heart. After several years in the classroom, her passion to make learning fun and effective for students and teachers alike inspired her to start the Not So Wimpy Teacher. Now she has the honor of serving hundreds of thousands of teachers around the world by providing easy-to-use hands-on resources that help students to love learning and teachers to love teaching.
Check out Jamie's Not So Wimpy Writing Masterclass!
You can connect with Jamie on notsowimpyteacher.com, on IG @notsowimpyteacher, on her YouTube channel [Not So Wimpy Teacher] or by joining one of her grade-level-specific teacher Facebook groups!
In this episode we discuss: -Components of a super successful writing block -The importance of keeping your mini-lessons MINI -Problems that arise with the traditional writing workshop model -How you can make writing workshop work regardless of how long your writing block is -Simple and creative ways to get our kiddos excited about writing Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode36 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 35. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Find Enough Time to Teach New or Spiraled Content? | 14 Jun 2021 | 00:11:07 | |
Teachers, do you ever feel like there’s just not enough time to cover everything that your students are meant to learn throughout the year? Perhaps every time you look at your pacing guide, you think about how unrealistic it appears! I hear you. For quite some time this was me. While teaching, I constantly felt like I was running out of time to teach the required content and do it well. If you have the same concern, this episode is for you.
Today we’re diving into the question of “how do you find enough time to teach new or spiraled content? I feel like there is never enough time to actually cover the standards I’m supposed to"! The strategies I share today will hep to decrease your overwhelm so you can feel in control of your literacy block again.
In this episode I share: -My favorite tips on teaching reading and writing standards even when you feel crunched for time. -Why you should be revisiting familiar texts and writing prompts -The transformation that takes place when you use the bite-sized approach -The practice of embedding skills into routine work stations
Resources mentioned: -Episode 23, Using Centers for Upper Elementary Kids Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode35 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 34. Diving Into Your Q&As: My Students Never Finish Their Guided Reading Book... HELP! | 07 Jun 2021 | 00:08:01 | |
Our question today comes from Tina L. Her question is, "My fourth graders have a hard time finishing the book by the end of our session together. What is one thing I can try to help with this?" Oh, how I love this question! This may surprise some of you but I recommend that you do not have your students finish their guided reading book in one sitting (or in some cases, ever at all). Tune in to find out why!
While there are some books that you’ll want to finish to support a specific reading strategy, you absolutely do not have to complete every single one! Today's tips will help your students truly enjoy the reading process without the rush and overwhelm.
In this episode I share: -Why I don’t finish a guided reading book in one sitting -Choosing the best course of action based on student need -What to do if students finish tasks at different times -Giving students the opportunity to abandon a book -Benefits of repeating the same book for multiple sessions
Guided Reading Resources: -Guided Reading Question Cards -Reading Response Stem Cards Bundle -Reading Skills and Activities Bundle Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode34 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 33. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Exactly is Free Choice Friday? | 31 May 2021 | 00:12:02 | |
Welcome to the second episode in our summer Q&A series! This week we have a question from Marsha T. She asked - Can you give some insight into what free choice Friday entails? Ya’ll. Free Choice Friday is seriously my jam, so I am thrilled to answer this question today!
There’s a reason we say T.G.I.F. By the end of the week, you are ready for a much needed break. You’re thinking about closing out the current week while also planning for the next. Friday is about slowing down and catching your breath. It is totally possible to make your Fridays FUN without sacrificing learning time. This is a practice I’ve used in kindergarten, second, and fourth grade, so you can absolutely use Free Choice Friday in ANY grade.
Remember, send me a DM on Instagram @missps_style with your question! I’d love to answer it on the podcast!
In this episode I share 5 benefits of Implementing Free Choice Friday: 1. Student Choice 2. Time to allow for catch up work 3. Time to review data and pull strategy groups 4. It's a way to not start new content before a weekend 5. It gives YOU a break from the long week you just had!
Resourced mentioned: -Episode 32, Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Set Up Effective Writing Centers? -Small Group Notes Observation Tracker -Reading Skills and Strategies Posters For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode33 Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 156. Enhancing Sentences with Prepositions [Sentence Expansion Series] | 22 Jan 2024 | 00:31:38 | |
We are now well into our series on how to enhance simple sentences using a variety of descriptive strategies. What I love about each new idea is that these are grammar concepts you teach your students, but now you’re able to dive deeper and use them in a whole new way. In today’s episode, I’m sharing another strategy which is using prepositions to enrich simple sentences. Simply put, prepositions are words that show the relationship between elements in a sentence. While there are over 150 prepositions that we use, there are only a handful that are most commonly used in our language. Not only do I share the most common, but I also provide the different types of prepositions. Knowing the different types is important because it shows how to properly use prepositions in writing that add context and depth to otherwise simple sentences. In order to implement successfully, I provide the exact steps and sample examples for using prepositions with your students in your own classroom. Prepositional phrases offer a way to add layers of meaning, context, and depth to basic sentences, which is another strategy you can add to your toolbox from this series. At first you may not have connected using prepositions to enhance sentences, but after this episode, you can definitely see the connection! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode156 Resources Mentioned:
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| 32. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Set Up Effective Writing Centers? | 24 May 2021 | 00:22:33 | |
Let’s talk writing centers. Do you use them? If so, do you find them to be effective? Writing centers are such a powerful way to provide students with authentic and engaging writing experiences while also practicing important skills. Better yet, when set up intentionally, your writing center can run on autopilot with very little maintenance!
Today I’m answering all of your questions regarding writing centers such as, how do you set them up? How do you keep kids engaged? How do you keep it from looking like a hot mess? It’s not too late to perfect your writing center, even during the final weeks of school!
If you have a question that you’d like me to address on a future Q&A episode, send me a message on IG @missps_style!
In this episode I share: -Tips that will make your writing center a success -Storage ideas for writing center supplies -My favorite way to display resource materials -What to do if your writing station becomes unorganized or neglected -The importance of reflecting and making necessary changes
Resources mentioned: -Writing Center Posters & Paper -Descriptive Writing Anchor Charts -The Literacy Dive Facebook Group Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode32 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 31. Writing Strategies to Support Your ELL Students with Beth Vaucher | 17 May 2021 | 00:39:01 | |
For students who are acquiring the English language, writing can be an extremely difficult and intimidating task. Today we’re talking all about how to bring down the fear of failure in ELL students. Our guest, Beth Vaucher, is an expert in this topic. She is sharing so many amazing tips that will help you provide the very best writing instruction not only for your ELLs, but for your whole class. We’ll discuss using tools such as sentence starters, picture prompts, word banks, collaborative journals, and graphic organizers. As Beth says, when we teach with ELLs in mind, all of our students win!
Beth Vaucher is passionate about empowering teachers to equip the English language learners in their classrooms. As a homeroom teacher who is ESL certified, she has been paralyzed by all the demands and lack of support, but she's also broken through the barriers to see ELLs have tremendous success in reaching English fluency and wants to help others do the same thing. She has successfully worked with all levels of ELLs both in the US and Internationally, as well as sold a curriculum created to teach newcomers in over 70 countries worldwide.
In this episode we discuss: -3 tips for writing with ELLs -Breaking down goals to make tasks more approachable -Simple ways to differentiate writing activities -How to help students who struggle to generate ideas in their writing
Resources Mentioned: -Download your FREE intervention guide at inspiringyounglearners.com -Instagram: @inspiringyounglearners -Writing Office resource Connect with me: -Join The Literacy Dive Facebook group! -Blog For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode31 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||
| 30. Team Up With Parents and Students to Prevent Summer Slide | 10 May 2021 | 00:27:48 | |
Teachers, you’ve almost made it. The end of the year is so close! In all the excitement of summer break, there’s one thing that may cause some lingering concern. Summer slide. You and your students have worked so hard all year long and you know how important it is for them to continue practicing their skills over the summer. Doing so will set them up for success in the upcoming school year.
There are many thing you can do to ensure that parents are joining in and helping their child achieve their summer reading goals. Some key things to remember are to make it fun, let the parents know what you have planned, and celebrate what your student’s are doing during their break! I’ll show you how you can team up with your students and their parents before summer break even begins.
In this episode I share:
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode30 If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating, and a helpful review! It is much appreciated and thank you for listening! | |||