Student-Focused Coaching: The Instructional Coach’s Guide to Supporting Student Success Through Teacher Collaboration

Research shows that professional learning combined with extended peer coaching is an extremely effective method of ensuring new practices are applied in classrooms. This book presents the Student-Focused Coaching model, supporting teacher collaboration with the goal of increasing student success. Unlike many common coaching models (which may feel more evaluative and have formal observation and feedback components) SFC allows a classroom teacher to identify their goals, which they work towards with the support of their coach, also aligning well with the outcomes-driven MTSS model. An excellent resource for those working as instructional coaches, the book is also helpful for those in less formal coaching/support roles, administrators, and those working at the board level making decisions about professional development and coaching models. While SFC can be used within a wide range of curricular areas in all grades, it is perfectly suited to support teacher implementation of the new Language curriculum. 

Why Explicit Instruction?

Explicit Instruction expert, Dr. Anita Archer, provides the rationale and overview of explicit instruction and its benefit for students. Archer provides a quick 5 minute overview of what Explicit Instruction is and isn’t, with concise and kind language.  This resource can be used to for professional development and to begin discussion between educators on Explicit Instruction. 

Partner Reading: A Class-Wide Reading Intervention That Works

This PaTTAN Webinar focuses on partner reading, a classwide intervention to improve students’ fluency. This is an intervention that can be used best in grades 2-8, but also possible in mid-year of grade 1. Lindsay Kemeny implemented this class-wide intervention in her grade 2 classroom and in just two weeks saw growth in her students’ ORF scores. In this webinar, Lindsay shows educators how to implement partner reading in the classroom and provide printable resources. 

Focused Oral Reading Practice: A New Approach

This webinar will support educators in determining oral reading fluency goals, specifically for accuracy and rate, and how to provide instruction for these goals in a small group setting.  Michael Hunter provides examples of assessment with a focus on accuracy, error tracking using decodable texts, and how to provide small group instruction to first improve accuracy followed by rate. This webinar will support educators of all grade levels working with students to improve oral reading fluency with connected text. 

Lessons Learned Through a Statewide Implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Support

In this International Dyslexia Association Perspectives article, Steve Goodman discusses the successful implementation of a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) in schools through an Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative. The article presents five key lessons from scaling up MTSS, including defining MTSS clearly, using data and focusing on outcomes, strategic scaling, investing in local implementation capacity, and aligning MTSS with other key initiatives. Goodman emphasizes the ongoing nature of the implementation process and the significance of supporting educators for effective MTSS implementation and improved student success. The article offers valuable insights for education policymakers and practitioners.

Effective Universal Instruction: An Action-Oriented Approach to Improving Tier 1

Within a multi-tiered system of supports, instruction begins at the Tier 1 whole group level, and this book is a guide to making that Tier as effective as possible. MTSS can be applied to social-emotional and academic areas, including literacy, making this title an excellent support to the new Language curriculum. The book guides educators and leaders through a team-based and cyclical action plan based on questions around determining the effectiveness of current universal instruction with various assessments, what needs must be addressed, how they will be addressed, identifying barriers to effective Tier 1 implementation, how effectiveness of improvements to instruction can be monitored/measured, and whether improvements have ultimately been effective. Many reproducibles are included, such as meeting agendas and problem-solving checklists. Administrators will find great value in this book to aid their role as instructional leaders, as will consultants and coaches who support schools.

Teaching Spelling to Intermediate Poor Spellers: Never Too Late

This PaTTAN webinar, “Teaching Spelling to Intermediate Poor Spellers: It’s Never Too Late,” with Dr. Louisa Moats, discusses explicit, structured language teaching for grades 3-5 students who struggle with spelling. Dr. Moats emphasizes understanding English orthography through five lenses: the language of origin, grapheme-phoneme correspondences, arbitrary letter order and sequence patterns, and morphology. She presents a case study of a dyslexic sixth-grade student and identifies phonological challenges and the need for instruction in advanced orthographic patterns and morphological structures. Poor phonology can hinder spelling, making the orthographic mapping process problematic. Dr. Moats suggests weaving phonological, orthographic, morphological, and syntactic layers together in instruction and providing practice for generalization. The webinar offers examples of lessons and activities to support struggling spellers, aiming to develop their spelling skills effectively.

Morphological Awareness and Second Language Learners

In this International Dyslexia Association Perspectives article, Gloria Ramírez discusses the significance of morphological awareness in second language learners’ vocabulary learning and reading comprehension, providing valuable insights for educators. The article emphasizes that explicit and systematic instruction on morphological awareness can greatly benefit language learners, especially those facing reading difficulties. Educators can use the principles presented in the article to effectively teach students to identify smaller meaning units in complex words, enhancing their word reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension. Additionally, the article highlights the transferability of morphological awareness skills from the learners’ first to their second language, enabling educators to capitalize on their existing language skills to improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension in the target language. Educators can better support second language learners developing strong language and literacy skills by incorporating these principles into their instruction.

Morphological Awareness Strategies for the General and Special Education Classroom: A Vehicle for Vocabulary Enhancement

In this article from the International Dyslexia Association Perspectives, Susan M. Ebbers discusses the significance of teaching vocabulary through morphology and presents practical strategies for instruction. The focus is on morphemes, including prefixes, suffixes, and roots, which are vital in conveying meaning and facilitating vocabulary growth. The author emphasizes the need for explicit instruction in morphology to foster students’ morphological awareness, a metalinguistic insight that aids in understanding word structure and meanings. Ebbers suggests introducing morphemic analysis gradually, starting with familiar affixes and base words. Incorporating context clues and multisensory activities can reinforce morphological knowledge. By nurturing morphological awareness, students can enhance their vocabulary and comprehension skills, improving their reading, writing, and communication abilities.

The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System – And How To Fix It

The Knowledge Gap is not a teacher resource book but instead a report from journalist Natalie Wexler which delves into concerns around decontextualized instruction in reading comprehension “skills”, and the need to ensure content knowledge is taught, as well as how comprehension skills and strategies can be successfully embedded within it. While Wexler’s observations and commentary are based on the US, many parallels can be drawn to the history of reading comprehension instruction here in Ontario. This book offers a perspective to consider when implementing Strand C of the curriculum (Comprehension – Understanding and Responding to Texts), of interest to classroom educators as well as coaches, consultants and instructional leaders.

The Writing Rope: A Framework for Explicit Writing Instruction in All Subjects

Along with research on effective writing instruction, author Joan Sedita shares her Writing Rope model identifying five components of a comprehensive writing curriculum: critical thinking, syntax, text structure, writing craft and transcription. There are chapters exploring each in detail, with an abundance of ideas for classroom application. The Writing Rope is geared towards Grade 4-8 teachers and provides excellent support for expectations under B2 and B3 as well as Strand D of the Ontario Language curriculum. The framework can – and should – be used for writing in various content areas as well, making it ideal for all Grade 4-8 teachers, not just those who teach Language. The book comes with a code for purchasers to download dozens of supporting teacher and student resources.

Beneath the Surface of Words: What English Spelling Reveals and Why It Matters

In Beneath the Surface of Words, author Sue Scibetta Hegland aims to convince readers that English spelling isn’t as unreliable or quirky as they may have believed…and argues an excellent case. For example:there’s actually a reason for the L in talk! Written in an engaging voice, this is an excellent title for building educator knowledge to support instruction in spelling, particularly related to morphology and etymology, with connections to vocabulary as well. Helpful appendices, for example “Applying Suffixing Conventions” and “Working With Word Sums and Evidence Banks” are also included. Reading Beneath the Surface of Words is like taking a crash course in the complexities and rationale of the English writing system and is recommended for all literacy educators.