The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents (Megan Polk, Literacy Specialist, Elementary Teacher)
Explorez tous les épisodes de The Literacy Dive Podcast: Reading and Writing Strategies for Upper Elementary Teachers and Parents
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| 18 Oct 2021 | 53. 7 Context Clue Strategies Every Student Should Know | 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! | |||||||
| 04 Mar 2024 | 162. Mastering the Basics: Reinforcing Core Writing Skills | 00:23:15 | |||||
Even though testing season isn’t here tomorrow, it is just around the corner and will be here before you know it. And instead of stressing and trying to prepare your students in a short amount of time, why not get started now? But whether you’re preparing students for a standardized test or wanting to work on different writing skills throughout the year, this episode is for you! Over the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing on different components of writing and sharing quick tips that will ultimately help your students. In this episode, I’m going back to the basics and sharing how to reinforce core writing skills. I have found that most students struggle with grammar skills, sentence structure, and paragraph organization, so each of the tips I share focuses on one of those three areas. With each new idea shared, I explain what it is, ways to integrate them into your classroom routines, and examples to show you what they look like. With minimal preparation and materials, you already have access to, and by consistently implementing these core writing skills into your daily routine, you will prepare your students for the test and improve their writing skills. These strategies support the core aspects of writing without additional resources or feeling like they’re too difficult to implement in your classroom. Stay tuned to next week’s episode, where I share more writing tips that help your students prepare for the standardized test without feeling the stress. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode162 Resources Mentioned:
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| 12 Apr 2021 | 26. Inferential Strategies: A Deep Dive with Shane Saeed from Fantastically Fourth | 00:31:40 | |||||
We have an incredibly fun guest on the show today! It’s Shane Saeed and you may know her over on Instagram as Fantastically Fourth. Shane and I are chatting about all things inferring. Making inferences is something that we do all day long without even realizing it. When it comes to reading comprehension, inferring is one of those very tricky concepts for kids. Luckily, Shane is giving us all sorts of strategies to take back to the classroom. These are simple ways that you can help your students grow their inferencing skills while also having a little fun!
Shane Saeed teaches 4th grade in Colorado. She has a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Literacy and a Master’s Degree in School Leadership. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Leadership with a focus on Equity.
In this episode we discuss:
Resources Mentioned: Connect with Shane:
Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode26 | |||||||
| 19 Dec 2022 | 114. Your Writing Block: Reflect & Reset for 2023 | 00:28:31 | |||||
In last week’s episode, I talked about the importance of reflection, especially with the start of a new year approaching. I asked you to think broad with classroom routines, but this week I want you to look more specifically at your writing block. We want our students to develop their skills and enjoy writing, so in order to do that, it might be necessary to revamp or reset your writing block. Instead of asking your students questions, this week, the questions are for you. Your writing block is an opportunity for students to develop and grow their writing skills. Therefore, each question examines your practices, methods, and engagement, while also looking closely at written supports and student feedback. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode114 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! | |||||||
| 29 Jan 2024 | 157. Sensory Storytelling: Using Sensory Details to Bring Writing to Life | 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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| 27 Jun 2022 | 89. The Writing Process - 6 Best Practice Tips | 00:14:49 | |||||
The past couple of episodes have been focused on student writing and the writing process. If you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, Episode 88, make sure you go back and listen to it now. I discuss in detail the steps of the writing process, which is a prelude to today’s topic. In today’s episode, I’m continuing to talk about the writing process with 6 best practice tips to keep in mind when it comes to writing and having your students keep the writing process in mind. The writing process is more than just knowing the order of the steps and having your students just write. In order for students to become effective and successful writers, it’s a process that takes time and effort on your end. These 6 best practice tips ensure your students utilize the writing process to support their writing needs. The 6 tips are:
Over the last few weeks, I hope you have a better understanding of why we should guide our students to using the writing process as their milestones from brainstorming to publishing, while implementing these best practice tips. You know that I’m a lover of writing, but I can guarantee this produces some writing excitement for you in your classroom and that you’ll make time for it during your literacy or writing block. Let the writing begin! Resources: SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/6-best-practice-tips/ 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! | |||||||
| 30 Jan 2023 | 120. What is SEL and How do I Implement it in my Classroom? with Rachel Davis | 00:37:21 | |||||
The majority of this podcast’s content is literacy-focused, including effective strategies to implement in your classroom, which is all academic. While literacy is an important component in a classroom, so is a students’ mental health. In order to check on students and begin to look at the whole child, implementing SEL is the best way to do that. Since the beginning of the pandemic and certainly afterwards, SEL has become a hot topic and the forefront of teachers and other educational professionals’ minds. Although you might know what it is, how can you effectively use it in your classroom to impact students? I have special guest, Rachel Davis, on the podcast today to help share actionable tips and strategies for implementing SEL in the classroom. Rachel is the school counselor and curriculum designer behind Bright Futures Counseling. With nearly a decade of experience, a highly rated school counseling podcast, and an engaged online community, Rachel is passionate about helping school counselors increase their impact and advocate for their role. She resides in Costa Rica, and when she's not working on her business you can find her at the beach playing with her family! Throughout our conversation, Rachel identifies what SEL is and easy ways it can be incorporated into your already existing schedule. There are so many Rachel shares lesson and engagement ideas, along with simple tips to create a common language and community in your classroom by understanding the whole child through SEL. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode120 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! | |||||||
| 04 Oct 2021 | 51. How to Find Time to ACTUALLY Teach | 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! | |||||||
| 02 Jan 2023 | 116. Your Relationships with Parents: Reflect & Reset for 2023 | 00:30:46 | |||||
The last month has been all about resetting your classroom routines and reading and writing instruction. While all those are important, there’s another aspect of teaching we often forget about that might need a reset. That area is your relationships with parents. In today’s episode, I’m exploring three areas to consider when determining if a reset is necessary pertaining to your relationship with parents. Speaking from experience, I’ve gathered and evaluated everything I’ve done regarding improving my relationship with parents, and have narrowed it down to these three main categories: communication, support, and interactions/involvement. To give further insight, I breakdown each category and provide simple and effective ideas and strategies that you can easily implement in the new year. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode116 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! | |||||||
| 23 Oct 2023 | 143. Level Up Reading Comprehension Strategies with 11 Think-Aloud Prompts | 00:22:37 | |||||
Our goal as literacy teachers is to develop skilled readers and writers, so we often implement strategies that have students work on those skills. And while those strategies are effective and work, for our struggling readers, it may not be enough. Therefore, by incorporating a think-aloud strategy, your students will be able to hear and see how a skilled reader interprets a text. In this episode, I’m sharing 11 think-aloud prompts that will level up your students’ reading comprehension. Using a think-aloud strategy, teachers pause and share what they’re thinking while reading a text, which can include prediction, analysis, synthesis, and more. We want students' internal processing to become automatic, which is why it’s important to implement this strategy during times when it’s natural to think critically about texts. During those times, I also discuss what you should model, how to incorporate this think-aloud strategy, and examples that demonstrate how to model it with your students. Incorporating this think-aloud strategy effectively will require you to be aware of your own thought processes while reading and verbalize them in a way that is accessible to students. By pausing for intentional think-alouds, you can share your thoughts to help all readers think critically about a text and level up their reading comprehension. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode143 Resources Mentioned: Connect with Me:
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| 22 Nov 2021 | 58. Making the Most Out of Your Read Aloud | 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! | |||||||
| 22 Apr 2024 | 169. Interventions for Cognitive Factors That Affect Reading Comprehension | 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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| 14 Nov 2022 | 109. Using Your Read Aloud Specifically for Spiral Review | 00:16:20 | |||||
All month long I’ve been discussing the topic of read alouds, so if you missed episodes 106, 107, and 108, make sure you go back and take a listen to hear all the different strategies, tips, and suggestions regarding read alouds. This episode is the last in our series, which helps bring it all together. Today, I’ll be sharing the benefits of using your read aloud specifically for spiral review. Just like we want to make sure our students understand and practice new concepts, there are certain skills we utilize spiral review on. While we know additional instructional time for such review can be limited, that’s why practicing these skills during your read aloud is beneficial. During the episode, I share 4 ideas on how to organically and purposefully incorporate spiral review on struggling skills during your read aloud time. Incorporating spiral review during your read aloud doesn’t have to take up a lot of time or provide you with a lot of additional prep work. These 4 quick and easy ideas will give you an opportunity to focus on spiral review of specific skills, all during your designated read aloud time. Implement these ideas and watch your students master their struggling skills with daily practice! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode109 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! | |||||||
| 06 Nov 2023 | 145. Unpacking the Role of Vocabulary Acquisition | 00:16:25 | |||||
One of our biggest roles as literacy teachers is to improve their comprehension skills. However, we rarely focus on the one component that gives students the foundation of comprehension, which is vocabulary. Vocabulary is so much more than just words, for it transforms a story and is the key to communication. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing the role vocabulary acquisition has in your upper elementary classroom and the impact it has on students. At an initial glance, vocabulary seems to only affect reading and writing, but it truly does have an impact on all other subject areas as well. By being intentional about vocabulary acquisition, you will be creating an experience that involves students and an opportunity for a deeper level of comprehension and understanding. When students add vocabulary words to their toolbox, they are able to make connections that add to their overall learning experience. Knowing how to deepen a students’ vocabulary acquisition will directly impact their reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication. With this critical background information, you will now be able to add to your knowledge with strategies and various methods for students to receive vocabulary. Stay tuned to next week’s episode where I discuss myths and misconceptions surrounding vocabulary. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode145 Resources Mentioned: Connect with Me:
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| 06 Sep 2021 | 47. 7 Strategies to Enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills in Your Students | 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! | |||||||
| 04 Jan 2021 | 12. Become an Effective Writing Teacher | 00:20:32 | |||||
It’s a new year and time for reflection as a writing teacher! In today’s episode, I will be diving into a few writing tips to make you a more effective teacher which will make your students stronger, as well. It is important to practice what you preach. How many times has a student called your bluff? Not following through definitely impacts the effectiveness of your processes.
Tip 1: Show Up Everyday Excited and Enthused Show up excited and enthused… even if you aren’t. Make writing time exciting - make it a BIG DEAL! There is power to your excitement; your students will feel your energy.
Tip 2: Take Your Time and Model All Key Parts Authors do not write their entire book in 15 minutes and say, “I’m done!” Students do not know the life of an author and what the process they go through looks like. As the teacher, you must show your students what this looks like. Your modeling is vital and so important.
Tip 3: Be Consistent With Your Routines and Expectations Whatever you expect your students to do, you are responsible for showing them how to do it. If there are certain steps or routines you want them to follow, consistency and showing the steps are necessary. Make it a habit. When you do not show up consistently or create a writing routine, students will lose their motivation and ability to perform and give their all.
Tip 4: Lower Your Expectations Teachers really have to start lowering their expectations at what they want their students to do. This does not mean having zero expectations. So often, teachers want student writing to be fluid and matching that of an adult. It is important to focus on the growth piece and not perfectionism. You must keep in mind that your students are still very much in their early stages of being a writer. Celebrate growth, move slowly, and allow the process to happen at your students’ pace.
Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive, please subscribe and leave a review! | |||||||
| 19 Sep 2022 | 101. Orthographic Mapping: What it is and How You Can Use it in Your Reading Instruction with Michelle Sullivan | 00:36:15 | |||||
With so many “buzzwords” circling through the educational world, it’s hard to keep them all straight. What do they mean? How is this different from what I’m already doing in the classroom? What type of activities do I need to be implementing in order for my students to be successful? All of these questions can relate to the idea of orthographic mapping. Luckily, I have brought on guest Michelle Sullivan to help give us some insight on this topic. So in today’s episode, we’re discussing exactly what orthographic mapping is and why it is so crucial for your reading instruction. Michelle helps explain why this idea is so important for our students, for it’s more than just having words stored in our brains. Orthographic mapping also has positive effects on reading comprehension and fluency. Beyond those, there are so many reasons why it’s important, which Michelle helps breakdown for us throughout the episode. Resources Mentioned:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/episode101 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! | |||||||
| 24 May 2021 | 32. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Set Up Effective Writing Centers? | 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! | |||||||
| 15 Aug 2022 | 96. Descriptive Writing: Excellent Word Choice Strategies | 00:18:51 | |||||
Do you have students who are constantly using bland and boring words in their writing? I know I sure do! I’m continuing our series on descriptive writing, but if you haven’t listened to the first two episodes in the series, Episode 94 and Episode 95, be sure to do that now. In today’s episode, I’m focusing on providing excellent word choice strategies to use with your students. When I noticed my students not being descriptive with their writing, I realized the words they were using were in their comfort zone. However, as I started implementing ways to get them out of their comfort zone, to think more creatively about the words they were choosing and using, their language became more colorful and descriptive. I came up with 7 word choice strategies to use with my students, which you can start using immediately in your classroom! As always, make sure you model and practice each strategy with your students so they know what’s expected of them and how to use each strategy properly. Resources:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/episode96 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! | |||||||
| 17 Jan 2022 | 66. Reset Your Reading Block: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself | 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! | |||||||
| 23 Nov 2020 | 7. Thankful for Teachers | 00:06:40 | |||||
This episode shares a quick and heartfelt “thank you” to teachers everywhere. The work is hard, the days are long, but teachers ARE making a difference. Thank you for impacting students all over the world. Education would not be the same without you.
Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive, please subscribe, and leave a review on iTunes! | |||||||
| 31 May 2021 | 33. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Exactly is Free Choice Friday? | 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! | |||||||
| 28 Mar 2022 | 76. How to Make Poetry Your Students' Next Favorite Writing Unit! | 00:17:58 | |||||
Last week I spoke about National Poetry Month and ideas to spark reading in your classroom. I want to continue the conversation about poetry because it is such an interesting genre that students really enjoy learning about! In this week’s episode we are diving into ideas that will engage your students in writing with a big connection to poetry. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/favorite-writing-unit/ Resources Mentioned:
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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! | |||||||
| 04 Apr 2022 | 77. Test Prep Tips That Will Help ALL of Your Students | 00:21:01 | |||||
The stress and overwhelm felt during test season is not only felt by students, but also by teachers as well. Every year during testing season the days seemed longer and tougher. Looking back now I can only imagine that my students were impacted by my feelings during those times, and not for the better. I knew that testing season was inevitable every year, but I also knew I had to figure out ways to make testing season more manageable for myself and my students. By teaching and reinforcing strategies I saw my students grow and tackle the hard topics with ease. These strategies were beneficial for all of us! In this episode, I share some of my best practices when it comes to reading and preparing students for tests so you don’t feel the way I did years ago. These tips that I share are not only meant for those students that are behind. Each and every student in your class will benefit from knowing these strategies and having them at their disposal. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/test-prep-tips Resources Mentioned:
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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! | |||||||
| 26 Jul 2021 | 41. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Are Your Small Group Must-Haves? | 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! | |||||||
| 16 Oct 2023 | 142. Using Graphic Organizers to Support Quality Written Responses | 00:21:46 | |||||
As literacy teachers, our goal is to develop skilled readers and writers. And although we want our students to be independent in these areas, providing them support actually helps them master literacy skills to become independent. One of my favorite ways to support my students in writing is through using graphic organizers. In this episode, I’m sharing why using graphic organizers can be used to support quality written responses. There is so much power in using simple supports that scaffold students into writing about reading. Graphic organizers are an easy support for students while also benefiting them as they structure their ideas to easily craft a written response. In order for you to use graphic organizers in the most effective way, I outline my process as to how I introduce them to students, ways students interact with them, and how it ultimately creates a well-developed written response. In upper elementary, we want our students to be strong in their written responses in regard to reading. As I’ve established, using graphic organizers is one of the best ways to do that. These visual tools provide a clear framework for analyzing texts and generating thoughtful responses. So, take some time this week and implement and practice written responses using graphic organizers and see your students thrive in their writing skills. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode142 Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Me:
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| 02 May 2022 | 81. Engaging Literacy-Based End of Year Activities | 00:23:59 | |||||
We can feel it - it’s getting closer and closer each week. I’m talking about summer! While we’re all excited for the break, it has a lot of us teachers asking the magic question: What am I supposed to do the last few weeks of school? This is one of my favorite times of the year, so I’m sharing engaging literacy-based end of year activities you can easily do with your students! SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/end-of-year-activities 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! | |||||||
| 20 Dec 2021 | 62. Empowering Realizations From 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! | |||||||
| 27 Dec 2021 | 63. Starting the New Year with Student Reflection and Goal Setting | 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! | |||||||
| 13 Sep 2021 | 48. Leveraging Math Word Problems to Practice Reading and Writing Skills | 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! | |||||||
| 01 Mar 2021 | 20. Using “Think Marks” to Guide Student Reading Responses | 00:15:43 | |||||
Having your students write about their reading is something that should be happening every single day! It gives them practice to develop their writing skills and helps build thoughtful reflection while reading. If you're feeling like you've run out of ways to motivate your students to write about their reading, I have a great tool for you that you can implement today!
My secret is a chart called the "think marks anchor chart". Teachers, this is the solution to getting even your most reluctant writers to think and write about what they are reading! And guess what? All you need is chart paper, sticky notes, and a pencil!
In this episode I share:
Resources from this episode:
Connect with me:
For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode20 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! | |||||||
| 01 Nov 2021 | 55. Cultivating Engaged and Confident Writers Through the Use of Writing Prompts | 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! | |||||||
| 14 Jun 2021 | 35. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Find Enough Time to Teach New or Spiraled Content? | 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! | |||||||
| 26 Apr 2021 | 28. 7 Test Prep Ideas for Every Learning Style | 00:20:32 | |||||
It’s that time of year again. Test season. Although it seems crazy to continue with testing despite the inconsistent year everyone has had, the show must go on right? This time of year is an important opportunity to fill in the gaps and squeeze in some extra practice. Let’s take a look at how we can best prepare your students while having a little fun too!
My number one piece of advice is to avoid overusing traditional test prep, which involves individually reading long passages and answering many questions in one sitting. These test prep strategies I share today include tips that you can use all throughout the school year. This episode is all about helping you and your students feel confident for the test. You’ve got this!
In this episode I share:
How are you planning to tackle test prep this season? Send me a message on Instagram @missps_style and let me know! Resources Mentioned: Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode28 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! | |||||||
| 23 May 2022 | 84. 6 Tips for Summer School Success | 00:27:28 | |||||
While the majority of teachers have summer on their minds, other teachers are extending their time in school to teach summer school. Whether you’re required or volunteering, please know you are doing a great thing! In order to make your time more enjoyable, on today’s episode I’m sharing 6 tips for summer school success. Teaching summer school is an important job. You are the reason they’re not prone to the summer slide and you’re helping set them up for summer success. If teaching summer school, implement these 6 tips:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/summer-school/ Resources Mentioned:
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| 22 Feb 2021 | 19. The 5 Parts to Writing a Complete Sentence | 00:21:45 | |||||
How many of your students still struggle with writing complete sentences? I know I have experienced this in my classroom year after year. Today, I am sharing the 5 necessary parts to a complete sentence. I will share a breakdown of how I have found success with teaching each part and ways I implement several opportunities for sentence writing practice in the classroom setting. Episode Highlights:
Connect with Megan on social media: 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! | |||||||
| 07 Feb 2022 | 69. 9 Quick Mini-Lesson Ideas for Biography Exploration | 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! | |||||||
| 05 Nov 2020 | 3. Making Literacy Instruction Effective By Using Essential Questions | 00:15:48 | |||||
Episode 3 is all about creating and using essential questions to move your literacy instruction forward. Essential questions help with student inquiry and accountability with internalizing the standards and skills that are required to be mastered. When we can begin crafting and implementing essential questions in reading and writing, our students will begin thinking deeper.
Key Points:
Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive, please subscribe, and leave a review on iTunes! | |||||||
| 25 Oct 2021 | 54. How to Teach Context Clues | 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! | |||||||
| 28 Nov 2022 | 111. Help Your ESL Students Find Success and Confidence With These 4 Tips | 00:15:45 | |||||
Finding ways to support students, whether it’s in writing or other academic needs, is a passion of mine. Therefore, when I had ESL students in my classroom, it was my goal to help them grow, learn, and develop academically and in the English language. In last week’s episode, Episode 110, I shared writing strategies that support ESL students, so be sure to take a listen if you haven’t already. On the podcast today, I’m sharing 4 additional tips to support your ESL students that help them thrive in your classroom. When having students in your classroom who need additional support, it’s important that each support helps them grow academically, in the language, and provide simple action steps. These 4 tips are simple, yet effective for your ESL students, or really, any student needing additional support pertaining to literacy. My 4 tips are:
Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode111 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! | |||||||
| 19 Apr 2021 | 27. 6 Strategies to Help Students Craft Engaging Leads and Jaw-Dropping Conclusions | 00:23:25 | |||||
How many times have you had a student begin a story with “one day” and close with “the end”? Probably more than you can count! Today is the day to finally put an end to the overused leads and conclusions. This episode is all about exposing your students to better leads and conclusions so they can begin incorporating them into their own writing. If you take some time to make leads and endings the focus of your lessons, you will be surprised at how quickly your students' overall writing skills will improve.
I have six strategies that will help your students generate attention-grabbing leads and jaw-dropping conclusions in their writing. After listening, just start small. Pick one strategy and give it a try! You can always revisit this episode if you need it. Are you ready to see your students' writing transform before your eyes?
In this episode I share:
Resources mentioned:
Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode27 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! | |||||||
| 27 Sep 2021 | 50. 50TH EPISODE CELEBRATION: ASK ME ANYTHING! | 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! | |||||||
| 03 Jan 2022 | 64. Reset Your Routine: 5 Questions to Ask Your Students | 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! | |||||||
| 24 Jan 2022 | 67. Reset Relationships with Parents: 3 Areas to Consider | 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! | |||||||
| 15 Nov 2021 | 57. Understanding the Importance of Fluency and Incorporating it Into Your Busy School Day with Aylin Claahsen | 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! | |||||||
| 20 Jun 2022 | 88. Step-By-Step: Understanding the Writing Process | 00:20:12 | |||||
Hey literacy friends! As you all know, I’m very passionate about literacy…especially writing. In last week’s episode, I shared 4 ways to enhance how you teach descriptive writing, so take a listen to that episode to further strengthen your students’ writing. In today's episode, I’m walking you through different steps of the writing process and focusing on the overall goal of each step. It is said that writing is a journey, not a destination, which explains why it’s called a process and takes time to complete effectively. In order to do that, it’s important to note the steps of the writing process, which are brainstorming (or prewriting), drafting, revision, editing (including peer editing), and publishing. Throughout the episode, I dive further into each of those steps and provide ways to help your students achieve each step of the process fully. Teaching writing as a process is the key to showing kids how to navigate language and the different purposes of writing on their own. If you’re unfamiliar with the writing process, this will help give you an overview of what the steps are and how to implement them in your classroom. By explicitly explaining and modeling the writing process, you are helping your students become better and strong writers, which is the ultimate goal! Stay tuned for next week’s episode where I share some best practices when it comes to teaching writing. And then look for a future episode where I go more in depth with the additional ways you can allow students to celebrate their published work. Resources:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/understanding-the-writing-process 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! | |||||||
| 03 May 2021 | 29. Ways to Stay Motivated When Feeling Underappreciated | 00:25:00 | |||||
Lesson planning, parent conferences, endless meetings, and working way beyond contract hours. The job of a teacher is truly never-ending. Feeling underappreciated on top of all of this can really negatively affect your mental state.
I’m here to help you find ways to stay motivated, even when feeling a major lack of appreciation. Rather than relying on others for validation of your hard work, it’s time to take control of your own joy! So, happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of you incredible teachers today and every day! I’m always cheering you on.
In this episode I share:
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode29 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! | |||||||
| 23 Jan 2023 | 119. 5 Black History Month Activities for Elementary Students | 00:22:17 | |||||
In order to change our future, it’s important to know and learn from our history. There are so many important events and people in our nation’s history, that we should take time to teach it in our classrooms. February is next month, and also Black History Month, which is the perfect time to teach your students about African American history and the people who have impacted our society and laws. If this is your time teaching this topic, this episode is for you! I’m sharing easy to implement and creative Black History Month activities to teach, while also engaging students in literacy practices that are focused on reading and writing. I’ll also remind you of 3 important words to remember when discussing this topic. I first start out by sharing those 3 words: resilience, contributions, and inquiry. With each word, I explain how they’re associated with the teachings of black history, which leads into my 5 black history month activities. Each activity is meaningful and can be adapted to your individual students and specific topics you’re teaching of black history. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode119 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! | |||||||
| 15 Jan 2024 | 155. Joining Forces: Combining Sentences with Conjunctions [Sentence Expansion Series] | 00:30:46 | |||||
Over the last two weeks, I’ve been discussing different strategies that help with sentence expansion. In today’s episode, I’m sharing the third strategy in this series. Just like the previous two strategies, you might have already talked about and taught this particular skill, but I challenge you to intentionally have your students use it in their writing. Using conjunctions to combine sentences is the topic I’m discussing today, along with the different types and ways to use them in student writing. So we’re on the same page, conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, and clauses together. For students to have success using conjunctions to expand their sentences, they need to have an understanding of what they are and what each conjunction means. Therefore, I highlight three different types of conjunctions and further explain their purpose and examples on how to use them when combining sentences. Just like with the other two strategies, I provide action steps on how to implement in your classroom, along with sample sentences you can directly use with your students. In wanting students to develop and grow in sentence writing, using conjunctions is the perfect way to achieve that. Conjunctions combine ideas and allow for more complex expression and communication when speaking or in written form. After today’s episode, using conjunctions is another strategy you can use with your students to help expand their sentences. Stay tuned to next week’s episode for another strategy to add to your toolbox! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode155 Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Me:
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| 19 Jul 2021 | 40. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Do You Help Students Increase Their Stamina? | 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! | |||||||
| 10 Jan 2022 | 65. Reset Your Writing Block: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself | 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! | |||||||
| 31 Jan 2022 | 68. Introducing and Teaching the Biography Genre | 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! | |||||||
| 21 Mar 2022 | 75. 5 Ways to Focus on Reading During National Poetry Month | 00:18:59 | |||||
Did you know that April is National Poetry Month? This is a genre that your students will love to explore! This week, we are going to dive into ways that you can incorporate poetry into your school day that promotes reading. These ideas can be embedded into your daily schedule or you can give Poetry Month its own special block. If you’re anything like me you love any and everything that promotes reading! National Poetry Month truly comes at the perfect time of the year. Routines are established, they’ve recovered from the holiday break, and they’ve worked hard learning literacy skills for more than six months now. Let’s be honest, it’s testing season and there’s truly no better time for them to be able to explore their creativity. There’s no better time to make reading fun while still practicing those important skills you’ve been teaching. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/national-poetry-month 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! | |||||||
| 13 Mar 2023 | 126. Using SEL to Boost Reading and Writing Skills with Andrea Burns | 00:36:09 | |||||
Sometimes our students experience big feelings and they’re not always equipped on how to cope or even express how they feel. A great way to teach your students about SEL and create an open dialogue within your classroom is through literacy. On today’s episode, I have guest expert Andrea Burns to show how to use SEL to boost reading and writing skills. Andrea Burns is extremely passionate about all things bookish! This includes children’s literature, the smell of a brand new book, or adding new picture and chapter books to her already full bookshelf. Andrea lives in Kansas and works as a book buyer for a local bookstore. She has a Masters of Science in Curriculum & Instruction and loves to continually learn new things! Andrea's passion about social emotional learning and her advocacy for SEL and literature has been featured on Good Morning America. Andrea's debut book is called Failure Friday, which is published through National Center for Youth Issues. Andrea is expecting her first child in March and can't wait to make her little one an avid reader! Since Andrea is a lover of all books, especially related to SEL, she talks openly about the importance of having conversations revolving around a students’ social emotional well being. In order to prioritize this in your classroom, Andrea shares ways to incorporate SEL to boost reading and writing skills with your students. Each tip is simple, quick, and achievable, no matter how much time you have. As we know, SEL is a big topic that can encompass so many feelings and emotions. By using books, it helps create connections with your students, their peers, and can be relatable to everyone. Using SEL to boost reading and writing skills fosters open and shared discussions in your classroom that teaches students essential skills that can be utilized as they navigate life. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode126 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! | |||||||
| 07 Jun 2021 | 34. Diving Into Your Q&As: My Students Never Finish Their Guided Reading Book... HELP! | 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! | |||||||
| 05 Apr 2021 | 25. 5 Tips for Teaching Poetry | 00:14:18 | |||||
April is National Poetry Month and I am here for it! Poetry is something that is not typically embedded in the curriculum all year long, yet exploring poetry with your class provides numerous learning opportunities. It opens the door to new reading and writing experiences that your students may have not tried out before. The more exposure that you and your students have to poetry, the better. If you feel like teaching poetry is scary, it doesn’t have to be!
As you may be able to tell, I love poetry so much! Through my experiences I have found that giving my students intentional exposure to poetry helped so much when it came to state testing. While test prep is always a good thing, there are many other benefits as well. Poetry is meant to be creative and exploratory, so have a little fun with it!
In this episode I share:
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Connect with me: For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode25 | |||||||
| 05 Jul 2021 | 38. Diving Into Your Q&As: How Can I Better Differentiate to Reach All of My Students? | 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! | |||||||
| 29 Nov 2021 | 59. Holiday Literacy Ideas to Get You to Winter Break | Part 1 | 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! | |||||||
| 01 May 2023 | 133. How the Enneagram Can Be a Powerful Teaching Tool with Kirsten Hammond | 00:44:09 | |||||
Today’s episode is on a topic that’s gaining popularity amongst everyone, which is the Enneagram test. This personality theory helps determine certain characteristics based on a variety of factors. And while it’s good to be self-aware, this information can be beneficial in the classroom. My guest today, Kirsten Hammond, is sharing how the Enneagram test can be a powerful teaching tool. For those that are unaware, Kirsten first gives a brief overview of the Enneagram test and outlines the nine different primary personality types. From there, she explains how it can be used to differentiate and support different learning experiences in the classroom. This includes tailoring your lessons, how students process information, and ways students can showcase their learning to meet the needs of each student. Having students take the Enneagram test helps you determine how best to support your students academically and emotionally. Kirsten shared so many useful ways to bring the Enneagram test into your classroom, and just like me, you’ll gain so many ideas on how to utilize it with your own students! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode133 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! | |||||||
| 14 Dec 2020 | 10. 4 Myths About Reading | 00:17:17 | |||||
This episode is all about unpacking some common myths and untruths about reading. While there are so many false beliefs when it comes to students and reading, I am only going to take a little bit of time to address four of them. These insights will increase awareness and will provide a fresh outlook on what is best for students.
Key Points: I will be sharing some truths to consider when it comes to these 4 myths,
Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive, please subscribe and leave a review! | |||||||
| 18 Mar 2024 | 164. Helping Students Manage and Overcome Test Anxiety | 00:21:58 | |||||
When it comes to preparing for a state standardized test, we tend to focus our energy and time on the content our students need to master in order to get a high-achieving score. We implement daily practice and review for weeks leading up to the test. However, one aspect that we don’t focus on but plays a big role in our students’ performances is test anxiety. In today’s episode, I’m providing you with a variety of information that will help students manage and overcome test anxiety. Test anxiety is the emotional component around testing, which can often be difficult to identify in students. Therefore, I’m sharing the signs of test anxiety, some of the major causes or factors that contribute to it, and strategies to help reduce this overwhelming feeling they have. Knowing these signs and factors can help you identify students early on, which will then provide them with the necessary strategies and tools to help them process and manage it to the best of their ability. Making sure your students are prepared academically to take the state standardized test is so important, but don’t forget to prepare them for the emotional role it can have on them as well. By addressing test anxiety directly, you will be supporting them by giving them the tools and strategies they need to feel confident and perform as their greatest selves. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode164 Resources Mentioned:
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| 06 Dec 2021 | 60. Holiday Literacy Ideas to Get You to Winter Break | Part 2 | 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! | |||||||
| 15 Feb 2021 | 18. Paragraph Writing 101 | 00:17:38 | |||||
Paragraph writing can be hard, but it can be easier! A major part of the battle is that our students just don't understand how a paragraph works. If you are ready to make that a thing of the past, today's episode is for you! I am going to share 4 components to paragraph writing that will have your students writing clear, focused paragraphs in no time! Episode highlights:
Connect with Megan on social media: 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! | |||||||
| 09 Jan 2023 | 117. Build a Thriving Classroom Community Through Morning Meeting with Shelly Small | 00:36:58 | |||||
Routines and structure are important parts to a smooth and effective classroom, but when a routine involves students, engagement, and relationships, that’s when it becomes an essential part of your day. This routine is known as morning meeting. While you may have heard of this before, my guest today, Shelly Small, provides more insight as she shares how to build a classroom community through morning meeting. Shelly Small is in her 15th year in Elementary Education and 13th year in the Dual Language setting in the Dallas area. Currently, she’s the 3rd-grade Dual Language teacher and Dual Language Lead at her campus. She loves being involved in her district’s Dual Language cohort. Señorita Small has taught 1st-6th grade with her favorite grade level being 3rd. She had the honor of winning Teacher of the Year during the unprecedented pandemic school year of 2020-2021. These past two years have been years of professional firsts including recording her first podcast episode - this one! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode117 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! | |||||||
| 11 Jan 2021 | 13. 11 Ideas to Spice Up Your Writing Time | 00:19:44 | |||||
Returning back to school after a break takes some easing into. In this episode, learn 11 ways to make your writing block fresh and more engaging! These ideas will for sure spice up your writing time and keep your students having fun! Spiral these ideas throughout the year to gain a boost in your day! The 11 ways to increase engagement during your writing block are: Idea #1: Writing Materials Idea #2: Student DJ Idea #3: Flexible Seating Options Idea #4: Writing Outdoors Idea #5: Writer of the Week Idea #6: Quick Writes Idea #7: Free Write Idea #8: Writing Choice Boards Idea #9: Partner Writing Idea #10: Classroom Book Idea #11: Publishing Party Links mentioned:
Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive, please subscribe and leave a review! | |||||||
| 08 Mar 2021 | 21. 4 Ways to Repurpose Sticky Note Reading Responses | 00:16:05 | |||||
In case you don't already know, I have a major sticky note addiction. Seriously, I use them for everything! I get asked all the time, "what in the world do you do with all those sticky notes?!". To be honest, there was a time when I would just toss them in the trash can, but not anymore! Now I have several favorite ways to repurpose sticky notes to help document authentic student work.
Sticky notes are my favorite teacher tool because they can be used in small group and whole group lessons. They can also be used during independent work, and the kids love them! They don't find them intimidating to write on because of their small size. There is so much you can do beyond just basic writing on a sticky note. Before you think about throwing yours away, try these tips.
In this episode I share:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with me:
For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode21
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! | |||||||
| 25 Apr 2022 | 80. 8 Ideas to Prevent "Summer Slide" | 00:24:36 | |||||
With only a few weeks of school left, we tend to be in summer mode or close to it. While we all love the break that summer brings, it can sometimes interfere with maintaining students’ literacy skills. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 8 preventative ideas to help prevent the “summer slide”. Although it’s always fun to receive gifts on your birthday, this year, I wanted to give YOU, my audience, a gift! To win, complete the BINGO card that has clickable links with various tasks that you will need to complete. Completing five in a row (a BINGO) counts as one entry; for five more entries you can complete a blackout board; and two more additional entries, post it on your Instagram story and tag me. I will randomly select three winners who have a chance to win an Amazon gift card, Target gift card, Teachers Pay Teachers gift card, or credit to my Teachers Pay Teachers store. This gift goes until April 29th and I’ll pick the winners on April 30th. Submit a screenshot of your BINGO card either to megan@theliteracydive.com, or DM me @theliteracydive. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/prevent-summer-slide Resources Mentioned:
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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... | |||||||
| 01 Apr 2024 | 166. 3 Scaffolds Every Reading Teacher Should Use | 00:27:59 | |||||
I’ve always made it a priority of mine to find simple yet effective strategies that support literacy teachers in the classroom. One of our main jobs as literacy teachers is to provide our students with the skills to become successful readers and writers. And one way to do that is by giving your students scaffolds to support their literacy growth and development. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing three effective scaffolds that I believe every literacy teacher should be using with their students. Reading scaffolds are necessary tools in the upper elementary classroom. They’re designed to support all learners as they develop their literacy skills, which eventually leads to comprehension of a variety of texts. There are three different effective scaffolds that should be staples in your classroom. With each scaffold, I share how it will enhance a student’s reading comprehension, a variety of ways to use them, and provide specific examples that you can easily incorporate during your literacy lessons. By using scaffolds in your classroom, you are providing temporary support that helps students accomplish tasks they can’t yet manage on their own. And while you might have heard of these effective scaffolds, it’s important to know how to successfully use them in order to better support the needs of your students. So, the next time you’re asking students to formulate their own ideas, make sure to take advantage of these scaffolds available to you. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode166 Resources Mentioned:
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| 12 Jul 2021 | 39. Diving Into Your Q&As: What Do I Do When My Students Rush Through Their Writing? | 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! | |||||||
| 12 Sep 2022 | 100. Leveling Up Your Small Groups with Reading Responses | 00:18:56 | |||||
Small group instruction is a big part of a teacher’s literacy block and being able to work with students on certain skills. But the question always seems to be, what different types of activities can I do with my students during that time, especially when working with texts? In today’s (100th 🥳) episode, I’m sharing how to keep students engaged by leveling up your small groups with reading responses. To help celebrate my 100th episode, I’m giving away a resource of mine for FREE! In order to receive your free resource, here are the steps.
Resources Mentioned:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/episode100 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! | |||||||
| 12 Jun 2023 | 139. Literacy Block Reflections and Ideas to Better Support Your Students | 00:21:44 | |||||
We often teach and practice reading and writing separately, but in reality, they work together to improve a students’ literacy skills. I know you all have effective and successful literacy blocks, but my hope is that with me sharing my thoughts and experiences with you, that you’ll find new ways to teach reading and writing to your students. So listen up as I share ideas to better support your students during your literacy block. During this conversational-type episode, I rattle off all the different ways I’ve helped my students during my literacy block with their reading and writing skills. Each suggestion helps improve a student’ confidence, comprehension, and love for either reading or writing. We want students to improve their literacy skills, which these ideas include activities and a variety of ways to support your students during your literacy block. Be sure to reflect on your own practices and see what you can implement that makes your literacy block enjoyable and fun! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode139 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! | |||||||
| 12 Dec 2022 | 113. Your Classroom Routines: Reflect & Reset for 2023 | 00:22:00 | |||||
With being so close to winter break, you’re probably just in survival mode and ready to leave the classroom behind for a while and not think about it until you go back in January. And while I totally understand your mindset, now is the perfect time to evaluate and reassess your current classroom routines, procedures, and systems and determine if a change is needed. Trust me, you’ll thank me come January! While I think it’s important for you to do some self-reflection, there’s another group that needs to be involved in the assessment of the first half of the school year: your students. By involving your students, you’ll get the most accurate depiction of what’s truly working or not working in your classroom. I’ve come up with 5 key questions to ask your students that will help you determine if a reset is necessary on any of your current classroom routines. Resources Mentioned:
Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode113 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! | |||||||
| 15 May 2023 | 135. Quick Write & Emoji Memories: Disguising Writing Part 2 | 00:19:29 | |||||
Getting students to write and practice various literacy skills can be a daunting task, which is why I’ve loved coming up with different ways for disguising writing for students! In Episode 134, I shared two creative writing routines and in today’s episode, I’ll be sharing two more writing routines for disguising writing. The two creative writing routines I’m showcasing are Quick Write and Emoji Memories. In the same format as last week, with each routine, I highlight the purpose, suggested time, general tips, examples, and ways to support or extend the routine. With each disguising writing routine, students are still practicing literacy skills, but with these two in particular, they’re given a choice in their writing! Whether you’re implementing these routines at any point in the school year, they’re proven to be effective and efficient. By disguising writing with these routines, students are learning essential literacy skills that can be utilized with various genres and content areas. Stay turned to next week’s episode for the last two writing routines! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode135 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! | |||||||
| 18 Dec 2023 | 151. Differentiated Instruction for ELLs: Scaffolding Techniques for All Levels with Beth Vaucher | 00:29:22 | |||||
We discuss all the time the difficulty that students have when it comes to writing and getting their ideas out on paper. But now imagine English isn’t your first language. The challenge now becomes greater, but there’s a way to meet their needs. This is through using scaffolds with your writing. In a special episode from Beth Vaucher of the Equipping ELLs podcast, she’s sharing how to use different scaffolding strategies with all language levels. Beth is an expert in strategies, resources, and tips for meeting the diverse needs of your English language learners. She walks you through three effective scaffolding strategies and how to take one standard and modify the scaffold to support all five language levels. While you have probably heard of these scaffolding strategies before, it’s important to build up your toolbox in order to effectively support your students in the area of writing. When you become an expert in these scaffolding strategies, you can start applying them in any language group you’re working with so they can start interacting with the materials. Beth does a great job at sharing the practical application of each scaffolding strategy so you can effectively use with all five language levels if they exist in your classroom and modify them to meet the needs of your students. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode151 Resources Mentioned:
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| 27 Mar 2023 | 128. Meeting the Needs of Gifted Learners: Effective Differentiation Techniques with Stephanie Higgs | 00:44:11 | |||||
Today’s topic of conversation involves a group of students who need our support, but in a different way than the majority of our students. I’m talking about our gifted learners. We tend to always think about students who struggle or need additional support, but it’s important to remember that our high-achieving students deserve our attention and their own needs met as well. In order to provide you with the most effective information, I brought on guest Stephanie Higgs to join me in this conversation. Stephanie is a gifted educator and differentiation coach, where she’s an expert in her field. She joins me today in sharing how to meet the needs of gifted learners by providing effective differentiation techniques and strategies. Stephanie starts off by sharing a shocking statistic that puts into perspective the importance of supporting and providing complexity and depth of content. She reiterates the fact that teachers should support them where they are academically and find challenging ways that help them grow as learners. Likewise, she shares activities that seamlessly fit in an already established literacy block or routine. If you have gifted learners in your classroom and maybe lacking ways to support them or you don’t have ideas for what to do to keep them engaged, this episode is for you! Stephanie is a wealth of knowledge and wants to partner together to figure out how to support gifted learners in a manageable way. This is an episode you don’t want to miss! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode128 Resources Mentioned:
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Are you looking for fun, creative, and engaging ways to get your students excited about reading and writing? If so, this is the episode for you! I love coming up with creative ways that spark student engagement, and this time, they’re spontaneous activities that include reading and writing. So I’m sharing how two activities boost daily reading and writing excitement in your elementary classrooms. I came to the conclusion that if I want students to enjoy reading and writing, I need to create opportunities that sparked joy in both of those areas. With that in mind, I remembered an activity from back when I was in school and adapted it to incorporate daily reading and writing that’s spontaneous and fun. With each routine, I discuss the importance of it, benefits, the structure and expectations, and how to easily implement it in your classroom. We always create and develop lessons that focus on practicing and mastering literacy skills, but never develop ways that spark an initial love for literacy. However, with these two routines, you can spontaneously incorporate daily reading and writing in a way that increases their excitement and engagement with literacy. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode144 Resources Mentioned:
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| 17 Oct 2022 | 105. Solving the Mystery of How to Make Writing Fun | 00:20:41 | |||||
If you’ve been listening to the podcast for awhile, you know that we’ve been discussing all things writing. Our topics have ranged from finding time to teach it, effective strategies, and how to incorporate writing across various content areas. However, we still know that students are reluctant writers and one way to help with that is by making it more fun and enjoyable. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing how to make writing fun that’s beyond the basics. Now, there’s a lot of simple ways to make writing fun, but I want to go beyond the basics. What I mean by that is more than fun paper, materials, or just allowing student choice. I’m not saying there’s nothing wrong with adding those to student writing, but there’s endless possibilities you could try as well. Some ways to make writing fun include:
As we’ve learned over the last several episodes, writing can be a challenge for students, making them reluctant writers. Nevertheless, providing opportunities to make writing fun for your students will keep them engaged and willing to write during your designated writing time. By incorporating my tips for making writing fun, you will be amazed by how much your students look forward to it! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode105 Resources Mentioned:
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| 05 Jun 2023 | 138. Science of Reading Tips for Upper Elementary with Sara Marye | 00:33:39 | |||||
While most of my episodes involve writing strategies and creative ways to get students writing in the classroom, literacy skills are developed and mastered alongside reading. And one of the hottest trends in education right now is the science of reading. There’s so much to unpack with this, so to help us, I have my good friend, Sara Marye, who’s sharing 4 tips on why you should align your instruction to the science of reading in upper elementary. The science of reading encompasses so many aspects of literacy, so it can be hard to determine what it all entails. Sara helps break down the research, pillars of reading, and the model that all work together that makes students successful readers. With this being such a big push, it’s important to note that it’s not just for lower elementary, which is why Sara is giving practical tips and strategies that you can use in your classroom. Sara and I have such an informative conversation regarding the science of reading. Many of you may already have elements of this in your classroom, but we know there’s always opportunities for growth, especially when it involves the success of your students. With Sara’s tips for aligning the science of reading to your instruction, you will have concepts and strategies to implement in the fall! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode138 Resources Mentioned:
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| 16 May 2022 | 83. 8 Tasks for a Teacher's Summer To-Do List | 00:22:55 | |||||
With summer approaching, it’s important for teachers to take some time to take a break and relax because you deserve it! I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been good at taking the whole summer off. So in today’s episode I’m sharing 8 tasks that you can add to your summer to-do list that will help you ease yourself back into school! Like I mentioned, I tend to get antsy or feel overwhelmed when I head back to school if I don't prepare just a little bit over the summer for the upcoming school year. Plus, I’ve found that taking the whole summer off can make it difficult to get back in the groove when school starts again. I’m a believer in a good balance between work and relaxation, and this teacher’s summer to-do list will accomplish just that. The 8 tasks for a teacher’s summer to-do list include:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/summer-to-do-list Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
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| 01 Jan 2024 | 153. Using Adjectives and Adverbs to Brighten Up Student Writing [Sentence Expansion Series] | 00:22:32 | |||||
Happy New Year, my friends! Let's jump-start 2024 with some practical and easy strategies to expand student sentences. At the beginning of the year, our goal is for students to write a complete sentence, but our goal at the end of the year is for them to add meaningful details to those sentences. And while that might seem challenging, I’ve come up with easy ways to make this achievable for your students. Since I really want you to listen, understand, and actively try the strategies I’m sharing, in this series on sentence expansion, I’m going to be sharing one strategy per episode. This will give you an opportunity to process and implement during your school week before trying another. So in the first episode of this series, I’m sharing how using adjectives and adverbs helps with expanding sentences in student writing. This simple strategy has a great impact that provides students with concrete ways to add details to their otherwise plain sentences. In order for you to effectively implement this in your classroom, I share an easy five-step process that involves using student sentences as examples and discussions to evaluate the difference. Additionally, I share examples of how to put expanding sentences into practice. As literacy teachers, we truly want our students to enjoy writing and have their writing come to life and the only way to do that is by adding details to paint a picture. By adding more adjectives and adverbs, students will be expanding sentences independently which ultimately improves their writing. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode153 Resources Mentioned: Connect with Me:
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| 30 May 2022 | 85. Implementing an End of the School Year 5W Reflection | 00:20:22 | |||||
Let’s celebrate YOU! You’ve finished, or almost finished, the school year! While it’s a time for celebration, it’s also a time to think about how the year went and find changes or positives throughout the year. In today’s episode, I’m sharing why implementing an end of the school year 5W reflection is so powerful and beneficial. If you know me and have been following me for awhile, you know how much I value reflections, but I find reflections are the most powerful at the end of the year. When it comes to an end of the year reflection, I like to go back to the basics of the 5W’s: who, what, when, where, why, and the bonus area of how. These 5W reflections are designed for you to think about all different aspects of your school year from your students, parents, activities, schedule, management, and most importantly, yourself. Throughout the episode, I present a variety of questions involving each category that will help you think about all variations of your school year. Please remember that no school year is perfect, but when you can do the intentional work, you are making the vow to make it as best as it can be for the kids. By implementing an end of the year 5W reflection, it will provide a clear vision for what next year will hold and what that will look like for you. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/5w-reflection Connect with me:
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| 08 Jan 2024 | 154. Make Writing Come to Life with the 5Ws and H Strategy [Sentence Expansion Series] | 00:20:57 | |||||
This series is all about how to easily get students to expand their sentences by adding details to their basic sentences. Last week’s strategy was all about adding the 2 A’s, adjectives and adverbs, to create a story and description. But today’s strategy also serves a greater purpose than just sentence expansion. In today’s episode, I’m discussing how to add the 5Ws and H strategy to your students’ sentence writing. When students write their initial simple sentence, adding in the 5Ws and H strategy helps add information, depth, context, and interest to their sentence. It requires students to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how about the subject. To assist in implementing in your classroom, I provide four main steps and one additional step that you can easily use with your students to model and practice the 5Ws and H strategy. Additionally, I share three examples that you can put into action when implementing during your writing block. Not only will students expand their sentences with this strategy, but it also serves the purpose of thinking, questioning, and understanding on how to add details and information. If your students are struggling on how to add details to their sentences, this 5Ws and H strategy can be easily used by your students today! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode154 Resources Mentioned:
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| 12 Feb 2024 | 159. Writing Stamina: 6 Challenges Students Face and How to Help Them | 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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| 03 Oct 2022 | 103. How to Find More Time to Teach Writing | 00:14:06 | |||||
Our number one complaint as teachers is we don’t have enough time. Enough time to lesson plan, gather materials, teach each content area with the same equity, communicate with parents, eat our lunch, or have time for ourselves. The list goes on and on. But let me ask you this: how are you using your time? Is it that you don’t have enough of it or are you not managing it in the best way? In last week’s episode, Episode 102, I discussed the challenges of teaching writing and how to overcome them. The issue of time was definitely part of those challenges. But what if I told you there were ways to find more time in your day to teach writing? In today’s episode, I’m going to share my tips and strategies on how to find more time to teach writing in your classroom. Throughout the episode, I share simple ways that either prioritize making time to teach writing or small ways to incorporate it throughout your day. We all have a writing block incorporated into our day that’s designated for writing, but I help break down what that can look like and how to make that writing block effective and achievable for you, as well as your students. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode103 Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
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| 18 Jul 2022 | 92. The 4 Elements of Strong Paragraph Writing | 00:18:51 | |||||
Paragraph writing can be hard, but it can be easier! A major part of the battle is that our students just don’t understand how a paragraph works. If you are ready to make that a thing of the past, this episode is for you! In today’s episode, I’m sharing the 4 elements of strong paragraph writing. Like all things, this process of paragraph writing does not happen overnight. But also like all things, with explicit teaching, routine, practice, consistency and accountability, progress and mastery can and will follow. But first, it’s important for your students to understand the 4 elements of strong paragraph writing, which are unity, order, coherence, and completeness. Knowing the basics of paragraph writing is essential before the construction of the actual paragraph. We also know that writing can be difficult for students, especially getting started and coming up with their ideas. I’m also sharing 4 tips to help get your students started with paragraph writing that will meet the needs of each student. Paragraph writing takes time and patience, but your students will eventually get there. The key is to be thorough, consistent, and intentional when modeling and supporting your students. By knowing the 4 elements of strong paragraph writing, it will have your students writing clear, focused paragraphs in no time! Resources: SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/episode92 Connect with me:
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| 21 Dec 2020 | 11. My 2020 Wrap Up | 00:12:17 | |||||
In this final episode of 2020, I am sharing a few of my reflections from 2020. Despite 2020 being a tough and hard year, so much good has happened during this year and I will share some of the positives with you! I started from January and reflected all the way to December and wrote down great things that happened - I challenge you to do this same practice prior to 2021! Connect with Megan on social media: If you are enjoying The Literacy Dive Podcast, please subscribe to the show! Rating and leaving a review is appreciated! | |||||||
| 22 May 2023 | 136. Acrostic Response & Tell All About It: Disguising Writing Part 3 | 00:20:26 | |||||
For the last few weeks, I’ve been sharing creative writing ideas that get students writing and working on their literacy skills in a fun and non-threatening way. I love coming up with ways to disguise writing and have so many ideas, but narrowed it down to my final two that I’m going to share. Those two routines are Acrostic Response and Tell All About It. If you’ve listened to Episodes 135 and Episode 134, you know that I’ll be breaking down the purpose, suggested time, general tips, examples, and ways to support or extend each routine. While these routines still work on literacy skills, what makes these two creative writing ideas unique is they touch on a genre and type of writing that usually doesn’t get a lot of love or attention. Since we’re at the end of the series, not only would I love to hear which creative writing ideas were your favorite, but samples of what your students have created! Share your hard work and dedication to these routines with me on Instagram or email me at megan@theliteracydive.com! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode136 Resources Mentioned:
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| 02 Aug 2021 | 42. 6 Back-to-School Activities to Get to Know Your Students | 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! | |||||||
| 03 Apr 2023 | 129. Build Student Confidence with These Test-Taking Strategies | 00:21:04 | |||||
We know that state tests are quickly approaching, so it’s our job to begin preparing our students for them. Beyond getting them ready for the content portion of the test, it’s important to acknowledge that this test can be a source of stress and anxiety for our students and prepare them to stay calm and think positively. In today’s episode, I’m sharing how to utilize test taking strategies to give students confidence and success. There’s a lot of different aspects to the state test, so I’ve come up with 4 main test taking strategies that cover them all. The strategies range from types of test questions and how to answer them to managing time and building confidence. To give better insight, I share examples, tips, and even a helpful acronym, that will give your students a new found sense of confidence and preparation. Knowing common test taking challenges, practical tips and tricks for mastering skills, and effective time management will help teachers prepare students for the state test. This is a difficult and stressful time for both parties, so I’m wishing you the best during testing season and please reach out for support or references! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode129 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! | |||||||
| 13 Nov 2023 | 146. Debunking 4 Vocabulary Myths and Misconceptions in the Upper Elementary Classroom | 00:17:00 | |||||
Last week I brought attention to vocabulary acquisition and the importance of expanding your students’ vocabulary toolbox. But before you start incorporating more vocabulary into your instructional day, I wanted to bring awareness to some common vocabulary myths and misconceptions as you focus on this in your upper elementary classrooms. So in today’s episode, I’m debunking vocabulary myths and highlighting the need for structured vocabulary instruction, along with different ways to embed vocabulary. Reading and memorization were always the standard ways for teaching vocabulary, but we have since learned those aren’t effective ways to learn new vocabulary words. Instead, incorporating vocabulary in discussions, stories, and explicit instruction will make vocabulary more memorable and meaningful for students. Additionally, I provide examples on how using vocabulary in context creates a deeper understanding of the word. In order to expand a student’s vocabulary, it’s more than just exposure while reading texts. It’s actually intentional instruction with application as the end result. By knowing common vocabulary myths and how to teach it effectively, your students will have more vocabulary words in their toolbox and use it in other contexts. Stay tuned to next week’s episode where I dive into strategies and actionable tips for vocabulary! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode146 Resources Mentioned:
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| 22 Jan 2024 | 156. Enhancing Sentences with Prepositions [Sentence Expansion Series] | 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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| 07 Mar 2022 | 73. 13 Ways to Give Your Students' Brains a Break in 5 Minutes or Less! | 00:22:31 | |||||
This episode is brought to you by test prep! Whether we like it or not, it is among us and likely the exhaustion has set in. Let’s be honest, the exhaustion has set in for both teachers and the students. Spring is right around the corner and it’s time to take all the lessons from the year and put them to practice. Our students are such good sports during this time of the year and so I want to focus this episode on ideas to give them the break they deserve.
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/give-your-students-brains-a-break 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! | |||||||
| 24 Apr 2023 | 132. 5 Questions to Ask to Keep Any Writing Curriculum Grounded in Best Practices with Emily and Carrie | 00:39:38 | |||||
Incorporating writing that engages students into your instruction can be difficult, especially if you already have an established writing curriculum that your district requires. However, I’m here to tell you it’s not impossible! My guests on today’s episode, Emily and Carrie, are both writing experts who specialize in engaging students to write creatively and often. They’re sharing how to use best practices with any writing curriculum. With both Emily and Carrie’s expertise, they have come up with fun writing activities that are achievable for students and also make parents and teachers confident and feel at ease knowing they’re working on their writing foundation. While it seems like kids are reluctant and unsure about what to write, Emily and Carrie believe the exact opposite is the case. Instead, they recommend asking yourself 5 questions that will change your mindset about best practices in any writing curriculum. In order to make writing a priority and create a conducive environment for growth amongst your students, having best practices for any writing curriculum is essential. Since Emily and Carrie have a wide range of experience between them, from elementary and middle, their beliefs and instruction are focused on student growth in their writing. Implement one or all of their best practices and watch your writing curriculum go from rigid to flexible! Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode132 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! | |||||||
| 09 Aug 2021 | 43. 8 Strategies to Teach Show Don't Tell | 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! | |||||||
| 15 Mar 2021 | 22. "Write Long" - A Reading Response Strategy | 00:15:26 | |||||
Getting students to write can often feel like pulling teeth. Can you relate? It doesn't have to be that way! Sometimes it just takes bringing some new ideas to the table, and I'm here to help.
Have you ever heard of the phrase "writing long"? Essentially it is when you turn a short idea or response into a longer well-developed reading response paragraph. I'm showing you how to implement this strategy with your students. It is an actionable practice that you can begin in your classroom right away! The best thing about this strategy is that it is beneficial for all students, whether they are below, on, or above grade level.
In this episode I share:
Resources from the episode:
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For full show notes, head to misspsstyle.com/podcast-episode22
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! | |||||||
| 10 May 2021 | 30. Team Up With Parents and Students to Prevent Summer Slide | 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! | |||||||
| 22 Aug 2022 | 97. Descriptive Writing: Figurative Language Strategies | 00:23:10 | |||||
Bringing you descriptive writing strategies has been like Christmas morning to me, and today might be my favorite strategy of them all. Have you guessed it yet? It’s figurative language! In the last episode in the series about descriptive writing, I’m sharing my favorite and effective figurative language strategies. First, let’s get on the same page. Figurative language is defined as the use of words in a way that deviates from the conventional order in meaning in order to convey a complicated meaning, colorful writing, clarity, or comparisons. Since this descriptive writing idea deviates from literal meanings, it can definitely be tricky for students to understand. However, the use of figurative language is a powerful way to express language, written expression, and keeping readers engaged. As I’ve stated throughout this series, keep exposing your students to the various descriptive writing elements, but keep it on their level. Meaning, start small and at a level they understand, then work your way to more complex components. Today I’m sharing seven figurative language strategies to start using in your classroom today. Resources:
SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/episode97 Connect with me:
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| 26 Dec 2022 | 115. Your Reading Block: Reflect & Reset for 2023 | 00:27:42 | |||||
The beginning of the year is the perfect opportunity to think about the practices and routines that are set in your classroom. There’s power in asking yourself questions intended to see at what point you can add, remove, or adjust key elements in your instruction. In sticking with the theme of the past several episodes of reflecting, in this episode, I’m going to explore resetting the other side of literacy, which is reading, specifically your reading block. Reading is fundamental and the foundation of all subjects, which makes it so important to have an effective reading block. The five questions I share examine your practices while leaving you with actionable tips you can easily implement. They also take a look into your reading strategies, supports, and reading goals set for your students. Show Notes: https://theliteracydive.com/episode115 Resources Mentioned:
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| 06 Jun 2022 | 86. 3 Things to Avoid When Teaching Writing (From a Student's Perspective!) with Anna Brekken | 00:24:51 | |||||
You all know that I love writing and enjoy sharing tips when it comes to teaching writing. But I have a treat for you today! On today’s episode, I have guest Anna Brekken, who is a very accomplished 15 year old student! Anna is sharing three things teachers should avoid when teaching writing. Anna is a high school student and creative writer. She believes everyone has an incredibly important story to share, and creative writing is the tool to uncover your voice and stand out. When Anna started high school, she was disappointed in the way English was taught, so she did a TEDx talk about how to improve it. Before that, Anna launched a blog, built her greeting card shop on Etsy, and pondered major life questions like, “Which font is worse, Comic Sans or Curlz?” If she’s not connecting with other teen business owners, you might find Anna chasing Pickles (her cat) or making every school assignment aggressively creative. Anna is an aspiring speaker and writer– new ideas flood her notes app daily! One of the reasons I enjoy this episode is because our conversation revolves around a student perspective instead of the typical teacher or adult perspective. Anna is open about the three things teachers should avoid when teaching writing, which are: shy away from basic retell of texts repetitively, focus more on a specific audience, and not prioritizing grammar over the actual content and writing. SHOW NOTES: https://theliteracydive.com/anna-brekken/ Resources Mentioned: Connect with me:
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| 23 Aug 2021 | 45. Increasing Student Writing Skills and Motivation (Part 1) | 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! | |||||||