Do you ever wonder what the difference is between reading skills vs. reading strategies? Quite often the terms are used interchangeably but they are not the same thing!

Reading skills and reading strategies are actually 2 different things that require different thinking skills, different parts of the brain, and have different purposes in your students' reading.

In this episode, I'll be explaining what the reading skills and strategies are and the difference between these two groups [and why you should care]. 

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I'll bet you have an idea of what the reading skills and strategies are. But do you really know the difference? It's easy to be confused. 

Listen in.

I did a quick search online and come up with tons of resources, articles, and information about both reading skills and reading strategies. None of them agree. So let me clarify...

• Reading skills are what your students use to decode and...

Do you ever catch yourself saying things like “stop talking and listen” or "turn it off and listen" or some other variation on that theme? Knowing how to listen and connect is fast becoming a lost art. Our students and many adults go through life in their personal sound bubbles [aka. Headphones]. This kind of isolation can inhibit our students' abilities to listen and comprehend in real-time. If your students seem to hear less and less of what you say...you’re not alone!

Today, I have 5 ways to teach and strengthen listening skills.

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Listening is all about hearing patterns, differentiating sounds, and pulling out or extracting the information we need from the fluff.

This is much harder than it seems. Like so many things in our lives, listening is something we do without thinking so much of the time. That doesn't mean we do it well all of the time though. How often do you...

Why is it that some students are asking questions ALL the time and some students can't think of a single question? It’s true across life really. Think about it…There are people who ask questions by the ton in your college classes – in teacher meetings, at conferences – they are unafraid of looking stupid or of being the only one who doesn’t understand, but they aren’t. They’re just the brave ones asking the questions that most everyone else has. They’re also the ones who can take what they’ve learned and apply it effectively faster than anyone else. They don’t fumble around with it so much because they already have clarity and the information is remembered [from asking questions as they were learning].

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“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”
– Albert Einstein

The benefits of...

Prepping reading and writing lessons can be time-consuming and creating lessons that will both engage your students before Christmas break and keep the learning going can be really tricky. 

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Do you focus more on reviewing or teaching new concepts before a break? Do struggle to help your students stay focused until break?

I have news for you...You don’t have to sacrifice great learning to keep your students engaged before Christmas break. AND…

You don’t have to spend hours planning either.

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What teacher isn’t stressed out and needing more than 24 hours in a day right about now? Hardly anyone. Well here’s some tips for your holiday literacy plans that will keep kids engaged without sacrificing learning.

I know you don’t want to slow down and waste a minute when your students are already struggling from the last year [or more] of confusion. But,...

To an outsider, it looks like children playing with Play-Doh. Little do they know, important learning is taking place. And that learning meets multiple district mandates so teachers aren't trying to add one more thing to their already packed day. 

Do you use play in your classroom as a way for students to learn?

I'd like to you meet Vanessa Levin. As a pre-K educator and accidental teacher-preneur, Vanessa knows the importance of taking small steps to reach a larger goal. Whether she is turning resources she used in her classroom into "sellable printables" or intentionally crafting hands-on lessons, Vanessa understands the importance of constructing activities that are developmentally appropriate for your young learners.  Vanessa is passionate about education and pre-K. So listen in to find out more about how to get started engaging your learners in play without a paper and pencil.

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In this episode, you will learn:

• Why...

Do you have students you just can't seem to get excited about reading? Do you struggle to help your students move from knowing how to read to loving books and reading? It's an age-old problem!

Well, I have another tool for your teacher toolbox to help you with this...Author Studies.

Yup! You read that right. I have found author studies to be a great way to create a sense of community for your readers [and NO they do not take tons of time to prepare].

As a teacher, you know how hard it can be to get all students excited about books and reading.  I know you read to your class regularly, provide lots of great skill and strategy instruction, and work really hard to help your students find books they'll love reading.  But sometimes, all that just doesn't move the needle for some students to become lovers of books and committed readers. It's time for a new approach.

Listen in to find out more about how to use author studies to...

Trying to get your students to "catch" the writing bug? Has there been a story rolling in your head and you're not sure how to get it out? Did you go searching for a story, couldn't find it, and now you're thinking about writing it yourself? Then today's episode is for you!

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Today's guest is Lauren Ranalli.  Lauren is an award-winning children's book author and marketing coach for aspiring and self-published authors. Lauren lives in Ann Arbor, MI with her husband, 2 high-energy children, and a higher-energy puppy. Her fourth book is coming out later this year.

Join Lisa and Lauren as they discuss the ways authors find inspiration for their stories and the importance of showing up, even if your students are only dedicating a short time to writing each day. A regular writing habit can have a huge impact on student growth and on your writing growth as well. PLUS, you never know the...

Whether you're just keeping your classroom library stocked with new finds or just looking for author interviews to supplement your teaching, children's book podcasts can help.

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Obviously, you're a podcast listener or you wouldn't be here. As you probably already know, finding great podcasts to listen to that are investing your precious time in can be really hard. With so many podcasts out there it seems like finding what we're looking for should be easy, but it's not! Searching for anything these days can be information overload. 

In today's short episode, I'm sharing my 5 favorite children's book podcasts. These podcasts range from stories read aloud to author and illustrator interviews to children's book industry news. 

Listen in. 

In this episode, I talk about these podcasts:

Julie’s Library Show

Julie Andrews and her daughter share their favorite children’s...

None of us start the school year hoping it's a challenging year. That would be ridiculous!  No. All teachers start the year with hope and great intentions, right? But, somewhere along the way, things can start to unravel [some years more than others]. 

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So we need to figure out - where do things begin to fall apart so we can prevent that from happening in the future.

Today's episode is all about establishing systems and procedures that can go the distance so you and your students are set up for success all year. [Even when you hit those inevitable bumps in the road].

Where do you start? Well... we need to begin by defining what a well-run classroom looks like, what a great class community feels like and what the day-to-day looks like in an organized teacher life.

So what kinds of things make up the infrastructure that is the foundation of a well-run classroom, an organized...

“Writing is hard, even for published writers. And writing with your students... can be just as difficult." 

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“I don’t know what to write!”

It’s a common refrain throughout classrooms, no matter what grade you teach. Three plus three is always six, but writing, well, writing is different every time. Most students want to write something once, get their grades, and be done.

Today's episode is all about the writing process. Lisa chats with writer and teacher Loretta Oakes as they peel back the many layers of writing and what teachers can do to make writing easier and more fun. After taking a screenplay class, Loretta branched out into articles and children’s books, editing friends’ works as she went. Loretta joins us to give her best ideas for coaching students into being better writers.

Listen in. 

In this episode, find out: 

• The three different...