Reading Road Trip: Novels in the Elementary Class: Best Practices with Clara Maria Fiorentini

Kate chats with Clara Fiorentini this week. Tune in to explore novels in the classroom: how class novel studies fit into structured literacy, how complex text can be scaffolded, using « read-alikes » to choose texts, and avoiding the perils of « extractitis » – don’t miss this thoughtful conversation about chapter books!

Reading Road Trip: Classroom Comprehension with Dr. Kristin Conradi Smith, Tamara Williams & Ellen Frackelton

This week Kate talks to Kristin Conradi Smith, Tammy Williams, and Ellen Frackelton about research-based comprehension strategies for the classroom, including considerations for text selection and preparation, common pitfalls to avoid and “use it tomorrow” ideas. Bottom line: no more strategy of the week!

La littératie au quotidien

Une banque d’activités pédagogiques permettant de développer trois des sphères du Référentiel en lecture : identification des mots, fluidité et compréhension. Inclut aussi plusieurs ressources illustrant des pratiques gagnantes pour l’apprentissage de la lecture de même que des outils permettant de suivre et d’évaluer le progrès des élèves.

Maya’s Book Nook: Beyond the Book Resources

Maya’s Book Nook is a website created by Speech-Language Pathologist Dr. Lakeisha Johnson. The Behind the Book section houses a bank of materials to accompany a diverse, culturally relevant children’s book. Equally useful for both parents/caregivers and educators, these handouts include target vocabulary words, as well as questions to support dialogic reading to build language comprehension.

« No More Strategy of the Week »: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book

In this article, the authors present some considerations for abandoning decontextualized strategy instruction and instead provide some ideas for how to shape comprehension instruction around the texts we use in the classroom. They offer some guiding theories, some key considerations, and they present examples for classroom teachers.

Home Reading Materials

Fostering partnerships between school and home is key to supporting strong student outcomes. Jenni vanRees and other educators at Blue Heron Public School (WRDSB) have created this collection of materials to support a home reading program aligned with structured literacy and the science of reading. The materials include: a letter home to parents and caregivers…

Juicy Sentence Guidance

Far too often, students who struggle with reading and language are given simplified, uninteresting texts. These texts are judged to be “at-the-students’ language or reading level” but deny students access to rich, interesting, age-appropriate text. This guidance document outlines some ideas for fostering conversations around “juicy sentences,” where students learn to deconstruct and reconstruct sentences,…

Syntax Knowledge to Practice

In the webinar, Margie Gillis and Nancy Eberhardt explored the effective use of syntax in teaching reading and writing. The webinar highlighted the role syntax plays in enhancing language and literacy. Gillis and Eberhardt highlight a « function-first » approach to teaching syntax, a key element of the Ontario Language curriculum. Specific instructional activities to teach syntax…

Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction: Connecting Assessments to Effective Interventions

This book is a fantastic resource aligning closely with much of the new Ontario Language Curriculum and reinforcing how assessment can inform our instruction and interventions in order to best help students succeed in literacy. It’s valuable learning for classroom educators, those working in coaching/consulting roles and those in special education. While targeting skills typically…

Foundations for Literacy: An Evidence-based Toolkit for the Effective Reading and Writing Teacher

This resource has been compiled by a group of Canadian language and literacy experts. It is organized into three primary segments. First, it highlights the essential information educators should possess about various research types, enabling them to stay well-informed and knowledgeable about the connection between language, reading, and writing instruction. The next section focuses on…

Informational Texts Qualitative Analysis Tool

This is a rubric to support educators in analysing an informational text, and planning for instruction. It is organized around the four categories of qualitative complexity: purpose/meaning, language, structure, and knowledge. Within each category, educators will first analyze the complexity level of each category, drawing from the Literary Text Qualitative Rubric, to determine what makes this…