Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

One major goal in upper elementary education is to help students become fluent readers. But what does that really mean? Fluency goes beyond speed; it encompasses the ability to read words, phrases, and entire sections of text quickly, accurately, and with understanding.Reading fluency serves as the bridge between decoding and comprehension. Strong fluency skills improve both decoding and comprehension because they introduce a level of automaticity. Fluent readers don't need to think about how to read or sound out individual words; they read smoothly and quickly, allowing them to focus more mental energy on comprehension, meaning, purpose, and building knowledge.So, how can we incorporate this knowledge into our classrooms? In this episode, I will share five strategies to build reading fluency with your students. These strategies are practical, fun, and easy to implement. I hope you'll choose one or two of them to implement in your classroom next year.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode203

When tackling a new approach to your instruction, it takes a lot of research, dedication, and implementation to find success with your students. After hearing about the science of reading, my guest, Meghan Hein, dove head first into learning all she could about it and has since made small changes to her literacy block to align with its practices just this past school year. So, in this episode, Meghan’s here to talk about her work with the science of reading practices, how she worked to align them with her curriculum, and the impacts they’ve had. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode202

Scarborough's Reading Rope highlights the necessity of both word recognition and language comprehension for developing skilled readers. In this episode, I focus on effective vocabulary instruction, a crucial component of language comprehension. I will discuss both implicit and explicit vocabulary instruction methods and their role in enhancing students' vocabulary and reading comprehension.Explicit vocabulary instruction involves directly teaching new words to students, allowing teachers to be intentional about the vocabulary they introduce. In contrast, implicit vocabulary instruction occurs spontaneously during teachable moments and is less structured but natural. However, teaching vocabulary effectively goes beyond knowing word definitions; it requires a deep understanding of instructional strategies. Listen to this episode for ways to effectively teach both implicit and explicit vocabulary in your classroom.The importance of vocabulary instruction is underscored by the Matthew Effect, which suggests that students with a strong vocabulary foundation can accelerate their learning more quickly than their peers with limited vocabulary. A rich vocabulary makes it easier for students to comprehend complex texts, leading to further vocabulary acquisition and improved reading skills. Conversely, students with poor vocabulary face challenges in progressing and understanding new words from complex texts. Therefore, intentional teaching of both explicit and implicit vocabulary is essential to boost students' reading comprehension and overall literacy skills.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode201

Happy 200th episode, my friends! While I love reminiscing on milestone episodes, which I do at the beginning of this episode, I thought the best way to celebrate was to do what I started this podcast for. And that is to continue to support teachers in areas of struggle. After recently sending out a survey to my Stellar Teacher community, I once again saw the need for more support in the area of teaching writing. Struggling with this when I was a classroom teacher, I knew I needed to provide more support. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing how to make teaching writing easier and less stressful for you this next school year. Grab a copy of our free sentence writing routine: stellarteacher.com/sentences.Grab a copy of our free paragraph writing routine: stellarteacher.com/paragraph.Join us for our free summer book study here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode200

I often describe text structure as a roadmap for reading. Understanding how texts are organized is crucial for enhancing language comprehension, which plays a significant role in reading. Deciphering text structure aids in identifying key concepts and understanding the relationships among ideas, people, and events in a text. It also prepares students for what to expect and how information will unfold as they read.Grab a copy of our free sentence writing routine: stellarteacher.com/sentences.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode199

I’ve talked on this podcast before about the science of reading, the major components of it, and why it’s such a major topic in the field of education right now. And while I’ve researched and surrounded myself with all the information I can on it, there’s still so much to unpack and learn. Thankfully, my guest on today’s episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, is an expert on the topic. So, in this episode, Katie is sharing insights into the science of reading, the importance of evidence-based instruction, the idea of the science of happiness, and her new book, Shifting the Balance. Buy Katie's book, Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom, here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode198

I'm thrilled to launch our Science of Reading Summer Series by discussing how activating prior knowledge and building background knowledge enhances reading comprehension. Effective comprehension extends beyond decoding words to deeply understanding text through language comprehension. Our aim is not to teach a long list of standards, but to empower students to deeply understand the topic of the texts that they are reading.Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Sign up for my FREE Revision Made Easy email series here!Follow me on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany. To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode197.

I’ve always been fascinated with how students learn to read, so when I first heard about the science of reading, I couldn’t get enough. I read all the books and did countless hours of research, all to learn this knowledge and share it with my listeners. Starting this Thursday, we’re kicking off our Stellar Teacher Science of Reading Summer Series, where I address one aspect of the science of reading with practical tips and strategies. So, in order to prepare for this upcoming series, in this episode, I’m sharing a brief overview and explaining what the science of reading is and insight into the science of reading in upper elementary.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode196

I’ll be honest: when I was teaching in the classroom, I knew very little about the work Speech Language Pathologists, or SLPs, did in schools. I knew they pulled students to work on speech services, but not much beyond that. After my conversation with today’s guest, Hallie Sherman, I gained a deeper understanding of the role of an SLP and how they help students with their language, which affects their reading comprehension. In today’s episode with Hallie, you’ll learn how to effectively collaborate with SLPS, ways they support students, and practical strategies you can use in your own classroom.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode195

After talking with teachers and sending out surveys to the Stellar Teacher community, it’s clear that everyone is struggling with the same thing: how to teach writing. If I’m being honest, this was definitely a struggle for me when I was in the classroom. I wasn’t confident in my skills, therefore I didn’t know how to teach my students. But I don’t want that for you! So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing the essential writing skills for the start of school that will set your students up for writing success. Grab a free sample of the Sentence Writing Routine here and the Paragraph Writing Routine here! Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode194

Being a first year teacher, there are so many things on your mind and your to-do list before entering your classroom in the fall. But like most first year teachers, they don’t want to wait to get started on all things teaching and are so eager to get started now. Well, if you’re a first-year teacher, you’re in luck! In today’s episode, I have guest Dr. Lori Friesen, who is sharing five things teachers can do now before their first year of teaching.Grab a copy of Dr. Lori Friesen's book here!Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode193

If I’m being honest, there were a lot of things that I struggled with during my first few years of teaching, but nothing compared to knowing how to teach vocabulary effectively. In my first few years, I implemented several programs, but neither of them seemed to be the key to having my students know the word and use it correctly. Eventually, I figured out what I needed to do for vocabulary to finally stick for my students. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing my five easy steps for effective vocabulary instruction.Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode192

You all know how much I love bringing on other literacy experts to share their knowledge with you, but today, you’re getting double the knowledge! In my first-ever double-guest episode, I have Melissa and Lori on, and we are talking about all things literacy. They recently wrote a book, answering 50 literacy questions that keep them, and others, up at night. So, in today’s episode, we’re previewing a few of their literacy questions from the book, answering them, and providing you with practical tips to implement in your classroom.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode191

One of the reasons I love doing this podcast is because I get to share resources, information, and knowledge I’ve learned with you all. I know when I was a classroom teacher, I didn’t have the time to research and really dive into topics like I wanted to. But I get to do that now, and one of the topics I’ve learned so much about, and really one of my favorite topics, is syntax. So, in today’s episode, I’m giving you information for understanding syntax, why it’s important, and ideas to implement in your classroom.Get on the waitlist to join The Stellar Literacy Collective here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode190

When working with kids, part of the job is dealing with their behaviors. Just like adults, kids have good and bad days, experience emotions, get excited, and would rather partake in activities that interest them than do their school work. Learning to understand their behaviors and how to manage them in a productive way is the key to supporting them. To help with this, in today’s episode, I have guest Sara Cottrill-Carlo on to discuss understanding student behaviors and proactive intervention strategies to put in place. Grab Sara's Behavior Intervention Handouts here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode189

Class discussions are a major part of our classrooms. We want our students engaged, talking, sharing, and interacting with their peers. In an ideal world, all of our students would willingly participate, they’d know exactly what they want to say, and conversations would be flowing throughout the day. However, we know that’s not the case. Many students are reluctant to share, are worried they’re going to have the wrong answer, and so many other worries. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing five quick and easy ways for you to enhance class discussions and create more meaningful and productive conversations.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode188

If you’ve been teaching literacy for a while, you know all about the balanced literacy approach to teaching reading. However, you also know that the approach is outdated and not effective in teaching students how to read. And no one knows this more than my guest, Anna Geiger. A former balanced literacy teacher herself, Anna eventually found her way to the science of reading. In today’s episode, she is sharing her journey and why she believes in a structured literacy approach to reading. Pre-order Anna's book, Reach All Readers, here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode187

I’m always reminded how much teachers struggle with this certain writing concept every time I do a workshop or talk with teachers about the struggles they’re facing in their classrooms. I shouldn’t be surprised, for I, too, never felt confident in my ability to teach this concept and, after doing my own research, realized I didn’t teach this to my students in the most effective way. If you haven’t caught on by now, I’m talking about grammar instruction. I used to spend way too much time teaching grammar in all the wrong ways, but thinking if students knew grammar knowledge, it was going to create strong independent writers. Instead, it did the exact opposite. I finally learned the most effective ways to teach grammar and want to share them with you. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing a few grammar mindset shifts and a simple strategy to help you embed more intentional grammar instruction into your writing block.Grab my Sentence Writing Reference Sheets here! Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode186

We’ve made it to that time of year again when we begin to trickle in test prep throughout our instructional day in order to prepare our students for the end-of-year standardized test. Even though this test is inevitable, it doesn't mean the way we structure preparing for it has to be boring or monotonous. Instead, we want to provide our students with high energy and excitement revolving around test prep. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing four ways you can make test prep more engaging and fun for your students.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode185

Being literacy teachers, we know the importance of having good literacy skills and how they can positively impact our student’s learning and communication. And those teachers who don’t teach literacy tend not to make writing a focus in their classroom. However, according to my guest, Katie Novak, that’s the wrong attitude to have. In today’s episode, she shares her philosophy on literacy and how incorporating a Universal Design for Learning approach in your classroom helps create authentic writing experiences for your students.Buy Katie's Book, Shift Writing Into the ClassroomWant to learn more about Universal Design for Learning? Enjoy 20% off Katie's course, UDL Now!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode184

Even though you’re almost three-quarters of the way done with school, it doesn't mean you can’t teach your students new skills or try new things in your classroom. One thing you’ve probably been doing all year is pulling small groups. And even though you’ve done this all year, it’s still important to implement new strategies or have your students work on new skills. I get a lot of questions involving small groups, and an underrated skill students need is independence. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing four steps in helping your students become independent when pulling small groups. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode183

Well, my friends, we’ve made it to the last pillar of reading, which is reading comprehension. While most would argue that reading comprehension is the most important pillar in a student’s success in reading, it’s actually the last one you should focus on. This is because students need a solid foundation in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and vocabulary in order to focus on comprehension. To finish out the series, I’m sharing eight reading comprehension strategies to help students become successful readers.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode182

Everything that a literacy teacher does is to try and help their students be successful readers and writers, which is why, over the last month, we've been focusing on the five pillars of reading. And one of the big factors that contributes to reading is a strong vocabulary. It's no surprise that the way most of us were taught vocabulary when we were younger is not the most effective vocabulary instruction anymore. Instead, there is a new way. So, in today's episode, my guest, Michelle Sullivan, is sharing some evidence-based strategies for building student vocabulary.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode181

We’ve really taken a deep dive into the five pillars of reading over the last few weeks. My goal is to provide you with accurate information and practical tips that you can apply in your classroom to improve your students’ reading. With each pillar, I’ve brought in guests who are experts in their field, and today is no different. Aylin Claahsen not only is a fluency expert, but she is also a close friend of mine. So in today’s episode, Aylin is sharing ways to improve accuracy in fluency that you can use this week in your classroom.Download Aylin's Free Fluency Resources here (Phonics Focused Reading Passages) and here (Fluency Passage Samples)!Grab The Fluency Files here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode180

We are continuing our series on the 5 pillars of reading instruction with effective phonics instruction. If you teach upper elementary, you might be wondering how phonics fits into your literacy instruction, but I’m here to tell you it does. I love bringing on experts in the field to share their knowledge, which is exactly what I’m doing today. My guest on today’s episode, Savannah Campbell, is sharing how phonics instruction can help all students be successful in reading.Download the Free Sound Decks here (graphemes) and here (morphemes)!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode179

Last week, I gave an overview of the 5 pillars of reading, which gives us the foundation of reading. But today I’m doing my first deep dive into one of the pillars, which is phonemic awareness. Whether you’re like me, who learned about it in college, or someone who this is a new concept, I’ve got an expert today who’s going to share her wealth of knowledge on this topic. So, in today’s episode, guest Christina Winter is debunking common myths around phonemic awareness and sharing research for best instructional practices.Download the Getting Started with SOR Toolkit here! Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode178

I recently hosted a workshop on how to create a literacy block that fits everything you need in it because that’s a common challenge for most literacy teachers. But the one recurring question throughout the workshop was, what does effective literacy look like? Effective literacy is directly related to the 5 pillars of reading instruction, which is what this upcoming series is all about.Over the next month, I am going to focus on each of the 5 pillars of reading instruction, including experts in certain areas, practical strategies, and ideas on how to incorporate them in your literacy upper elementary classroom. Before we can dive deep into each pillar, it’s important to have a general understanding. Therefore, in today’s episode, I’m providing an overview of the 5 pillars of reading instruction in order to provide you with some confidence in your instruction and how to help your students.Read the National Reading Panel here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode177

As we start the new year, I want to focus on ways that I can help you with anything your students might be struggling with and provide you with support, resources, and strategies. And today’s topic is something that I think all literacy elementary teachers will resonate with, which is how to help struggling readers in your classroom. While this can be an overwhelming idea because there are so many elements to it, I’m going to make it more manageable for you. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 7 things you need to consider when trying to figure out how to help struggling readers. Grab the FREE Successful Reader Cheat Sheet here!Download my FREE Reading Interest Inventory here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode176

January can be the perfect opportunity to refocus and remind yourself to create a balance between your teacher life and your personal life. But as we all know, that's easier said than done! My first international guest on the podcast, Ashleigh Smith, is one half of the Aussie duo dedicated to helping teachers with the ups and downs of teacher life. In today's episode, she's sharing five secrets to success that will help both new and veteran teachers experience success in the classroom.Grab Ashleigh's freebie for new teachers here! Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join Check out my Free Literacy Workshop, The Time Crunch Cure: Create a Literacy Block That Fits it All In and Achieves MoreTo check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode175

Happy New Year, everyone! As we start the beginning of a new year, I want to help you feel successful in areas that you have identified as challenging or struggling concepts to teach. In a teacher survey, there was an overwhelming response to grammar and the many questions surrounding this concept. So, I wanted to start the year by giving you three grammar swaps that change your grammar instruction for the better.Join me for my free event Read, Write, & Rejuvenate here!Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get your Sentence Writing Reference Sheets here.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode174

When coming back from break, we always prepare our lessons and activities and set goals for the semester ahead. However, something we don’t anticipate happens when students return to school: they often forget how to do school. This means they struggle with executing procedures and routines they once mastered before the break. So, instead of letting these misbehaviors slide, there’s something you can do about it. In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to do a classroom routine reset with five creative tips.Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode173

I’ve stressed many times on this podcast the importance of fostering a love of reading in your students. And while you may incorporate more read alouds and independent reading time, the effort might not result in positive change if you’re always reading from the same genre. This was a mistake I made early in my teaching career, so I want to make that correction for you right now. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing why it’s so important to teach reading genres and five ways to be more intentional throughout your day. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode172

While the weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break can be full of fun holiday-themed activities, this can also be a great time to review and assess student learning of the content you covered in the first semester of school. As you gear up with the state assessments to come in the next few months, finding creative and fun ways to assess your students gets them in the mindset while also helping you gauge where they’re at. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing 10 creative student assessment ideas you can easily use in your classroom this week!Grab the Exit Ticket Templates here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode171

The weeks between Thanksgiving and winter break can be long and exhausting for both students and teachers. But if you can begin incorporating some fun reading activities, your students will be engaged and motivated during independent reading time up until winter break. To get your students interested and engaged in reading until winter break, I’m sharing five ideas that you can use in your classroom starting today.Grab my Free Book Talk Anchor Charts here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode170

As teachers, we look for ways to support all of our students and their academic needs through resources and strategies. And we all have students who are diagnosed, or most likely flying under the radar, who have dyslexia. If you’re anything like I was, I was unsure as to what I could do to support them. So, in today’s episode, I have guest Heather O’Donnell, who is sharing best practices to support students with dyslexia in your elementary classroom.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode169

We all know incorporating reading and making it a priority in the classroom is important, but it takes more than that to really change how a student feels about reading. In order for a student to identify as a reader, they need to be immersed in a culture of reading in which they find personal connections to the text. My guest on today’s episode, Ciera Harris, is sharing how to build a culture of reading in your classroom with practical tips and ideas. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode168

Providing you with strategies, tips, and routines you can easily implement in your classrooms that help improve your students’ writing skills has been a priority of mine over the last month. I’ve given you specific tools to use during your literacy block and beyond, but one way to elevate a student’s writing is already embedded in the writing process: revising. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 revision strategies that help students improve their overall writing skills.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode167

In upper elementary, the goal of all literacy teachers is for their students to be able to write a well-developed and constructed essay. But as you all know, that task is a lot harder and takes a lot of work and practice to happen. Nevertheless, with the help of building foundational skills, such as sentence writing and support, that end-of-year goal will be achieved. In today’s episode, I’m sharing ways you can help your students become stronger paragraph writers.Grab my Paragraph Writing Freebie here!Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode166

Schools are full of engaging activities, creative lesson plans, procedures and routines, and assessments to assess mastery. And while all of those items are important, there’s one thing that’s missing in classrooms, and that is being silly. While teachers want students to have fun, being silly tends to be overlooked. But we’re here to change that. One of my favorite children’s authors, Mike Bender, stopped by to share how his new book, The Most Serious Fart, helps bring silliness into the classroom.Grab a copy of Mike's book The Most Serious Fart here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode165

We’ve spent the last three weeks discussing why sentences are important to a student’s reading and writing skills and activities to implement. So, even if you’re ready to focus on sentences more, where are you finding the time? I’ve got the answer for you! I’m sharing 7 ways that you can incorporate more sentence level work into your instructional day without changing up your schedule.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode164

Sometimes, in order to understand something, you have to break it down to its core. The same is true when reading texts. In order to understand the meaning of a sentence, you need to practice sentence deconstruction. But what is this, and how does it help your students? In the third episode of this four-part series, I’m sharing how sentence deconstruction improves student literacy skills, how to fit it into your schedule, and more!Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode163

Our role as literacy teachers is to grow our students as skilled readers and writers, and one of the most powerful ways to achieve this is through sentence writing. This is the second week in our four-part series on sentence writing, so be sure to check out last week’s episode, Episode 161, to get a more foundational outlook on developing sentences. But now, students need to build on their foundation with more detailed writing. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 simple strategies that help students write detailed sentences that expand their writing.Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode162

When students are in upper elementary, we often assume that they’re ready for more complex literacy skills, and therefore, we have higher expectations of them. However, that theory is completely false. I know when I was in the classroom, I thought that having my students write 5 paragraph essays was a sign they were excelling in writing. But what my students really needed was more foundational work. Today’s episode is the first of a four-week series on sentences, where I’m sharing 5 reasons why spending more time on sentence-level instruction benefits your students. Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode161

The school day can feel long for kids, especially being expected to focus and pay attention while sitting at their desks. One way to get students refocused while also incorporating learning is through movement. Getting students engaged and moving amongst your classroom benefits students in so many ways while also providing an aspect of fun. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 4 specific movement routines for you to incorporate in your upper elementary classrooms. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode160

When I was in the classroom, grammar was not something that I particularly enjoyed teaching, or even thought I taught well for that matter. Then, after a few years, I realized I was making some major mistakes with my grammar instruction, student practice, and application. Once I made a few key changes, it not only improved my students’ grammar skills, but their writing as well. In today’s episode, I’m sharing what you need to avoid doing and what to do instead regarding grammar with student writing. Get my Weekly Sentence Writing Routine free sample here! And get the paid TPT resource here.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode159

In elementary school, having a solid foundation of word knowledge skills is essential as students move throughout the grades. But one word study topic that’s on a lot of lower elementary teachers’ minds, but not so much for upper elementary teachers, is syllabication. With what seems like a simple concept, it actually correlates to bigger literacy skills. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 reasons why you should prioritize teaching syllabication in elementary classrooms this school year.Download my Syllable Types: Lesson Plans document here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode158

At the beginning of each new school year, we set up our classrooms for a successful year which includes routines, procedures, and centers. All of those elements help make engaging activities and lessons possible. As literacy teachers, we also strive to build skilled readers who have a love for reading. In order for those things to become possible, I’m sharing the 3 essential literacy lessons to focus on at the beginning of the school year.Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode157

Being an elementary teacher, you know the importance that is put on read alouds in your classroom. Read alouds have so many benefits, such as fostering a love of literacy and a connection to real-life events and situations. However, getting the most out of them can be difficult. So before you jump into them this school year, I’m sharing 3 tips you can use to maximize your read alouds. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode156

One of my goals this year was to incorporate more writing content into the podcast and available resources in The Stellar Literacy Collective because teaching writing can be challenging for upper elementary teachers and overwhelming for students. However, I want to ditch the negative stigma surrounding writing and provide you with a new mindset. I’m sharing 3 things you can do that will help you successfully teach writing to your students this school year!Grab my Sentence Writing Routine Free Sample here!Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information, click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode155

Talking about literacy is a passion of mine and is what the content of this podcast is based on. However, in today's episode, I'm talking about something different but directly related to how your students learn and improve their literacy skills. There's a phrase that says, "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I've found this quote to be incredibly true, and it all starts with a strong classroom community and culture. In order to develop your classroom community, I'm sharing why establishing core values helps you accomplish that in your classroom. Check out my Free Literacy Workshop. For more information click here. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series here!Join us in the Stellar Literacy Collective Membership: stellarteacher.com/join To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode154