In our first post of this series we explained the difference between sight words and high frequency words. Sight words are words we know by sight, without needing to sound them out or guess. High frequency words are words that appear frequently in the English language. But where do we get these high frequency words FROM? Enter Dolch and Fry. What is the Dolch word list? The Dolch word list was ... Read More
Sight words vs. High frequency words: What’s the difference?
Sight words vs. high frequency words. What's the difference? This is the beginning of our blog series all about sight words. What are sight words? Traditionally, when teachers say “sight words,” they are referring to high frequency words that children should know by sight. We often define sight words as words that kids can’t sound out – words like the, for example. But this definition is not ... Read More
Science of Reading Q & A: #1
TRT Podcast#51: Science of Reading Q & A: #1 This past week Becky Spence and I shared a video workshop about the science of reading. Because of some technical difficulties, we weren't able to do our question and answer session live. Here are answers to questions submitted after the webinar. More to come next week! Listen to the episode here Full episode transcript Recommended Resources Nancy Young's ... Read More
How to structure the reading block in a science of reading classroom
TRT Podcast#50: SOR Bootcamp #6 - How to structure the reading block in a science of reading classroom? Now that we've laid a strong foundation, it's time to apply the science of reading to your daily instruction. This episode will show you how to use what you've learned to schedule a powerful reading block that will meet the needs of all your students. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn ... Read More
What does research tell us about the Big 5?
TRT Podcast#49: SOR Bootcamp #5 - What does research say about the Big 5? We know that the science of reading isn't a curriculum, a fad, or a pendulum swing. It's a body of research. So what does this research tell us about the Big 5? What does the science of reading have to say about phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary? In this episode we'll examine the research and make ... Read More
What IS structured literacy, anyway?
TRT Podcast#48: SOR Bootcamp #4 - What IS structured literacy, anyway? Structured literacy is all the rage these days, but what exactly is it? Today we'll discuss the HOW and the WHAT of structured literacy. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading. Key Practices (the HOW of structured literacy) Explicit Systematic Sequential Cumulative Diagnostic Elements ... Read More
The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope
TRT Podcast#47: SOR Bootcamp #3 - The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough's Reading Rope If you study the science of reading, it won't be long until you hear mentions of the Simple View of Reading and Scarborough's Reading Rope. What are they? And what do they have to do with how we teach reading? Today's episode will answer those questions. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more ... Read More
How we read and remember words
TRT Podcast#46: SOR Bootcamp #2: How we read and remember words Orthographic mapping is one of the key concepts in the science of reading, but it can feel a little confusing at first. It's all about how we read and remember words, and this episode breaks it down into easy-to-understand language. Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more about the science of reading! Listen to ... Read More
3 Reasons why there’s so much disagreement around the science of reading
TRT Podcast#45 - SOR Bootcamp #1: 3 Reasons why there's so much disagreement around the science of reading We're starting a science of reading bootcamp! Share this 6-week podcast series with friends who want to learn more. In today's episode we define "science of reading" and explore why there's so much disagreement around this topic. Listen to the episode here Full episode ... Read More
Do’s and don’ts for teaching vocabulary
Vocabulary is the knowledge of words and their meanings. For many decades, researchers have noted that there is a strong correlation between vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension. And yet ... Researchers tell us that, traditionally, vocabulary instruction has not been strong ... in far too many classrooms. Believe me, I get it. As I planned my daily classroom schedule each school year, I ... Read More