Last year, Scholastic unveiled the Scholastic Literacy Framework, a comprehensive and research-based approach designed to address achievement gaps, promote equitable learning, and enhance instructional effectiveness.
In the “Science of Reading in Practice” webinar series, Scholastic experts share their insights and provide educators with evidence-based strategies and best practices for improving reading instruction.
In the latest installment, Melissa Loftus and Lori Sappington, authors of The Literacy 50 and hosts of the Melisa & Lori Love Literacy Podcast, offer powerful insights from their extensive interviews with expert guests, sharing practical solutions that will help guide educators in addressing common concerns about phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Read below to find out the top 10 takeaways from the webinar!
Use sound boxes to help students visualize letter-sound relationships. Introduce letters once students grasp a few phonemes.
Incorporate decodable texts that reinforce taught sound-spelling patterns through various reading methods, like buddy reading and echo reading.
Teach strategies like ‘scooping’ to help students group words meaningfully, enhancing comprehension alongside decoding.
Recognize that fluency is crucial for comprehension; accurate and automatic word recognition frees cognitive resources for understanding the text.
Demonstrate fluent reading to set a standard, helping students understand phrasing and flow before they read independently.
Use rich texts and diverse language experiences for teaching vocabulary. Focus on meanings, connections, usage, and repetition.
Implement a structured approach: Say, Define, Make Tangible, Practice, and Provide Ongoing Opportunities.
Shift focus from leveled texts to complex, topic-aligned texts that challenge students and enhance vocabulary development.
Introduce collections of texts on specific topics to deepen understanding and engage with varied vocabulary and structures.
Encourage interactions with grade-level texts to provide authentic reading experiences and expand students’ literary exposure.
These strategies aim to fill gaps in literacy instruction and enhance overall reading skills in students. Visit the Scholastic Phonics & Foundational Reading Skills page for more helpful research-based instructional tools.
Check out the full webinar and stay tuned for more tips and strategies from our “Science of Reading in Practice” webinar series! Be sure to follow @ScholasticEdu on X and @Scholastic on Linkedin and Facebook for more engaging educational content.
See all of Scholastic's Foundational Reading Skills resources.
Watch a short video about the Scholastic Literacy Framework.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Melissa Loftus is a former middle school ELA teacher and district coach. She holds a BA in education and English and an M.Ed. with reading specialist certification and is National Board Certified. She’s co-host of the popular podcast Melissa & Lori Love Literacy and Scholastic co-author of The Literacy 50 with Lori Sappington.
Lori Sappington is a former elementary and high school ELA teacher and district coach. She holds a BA in elementary education and English, an M.Ed. with reading specialist certification, and an Advanced Leadership Certificate from Towson University. She’s co-host of the popular podcast Melissa & Lori Love Literacy and Scholastic co-author of The Literacy 50 with Melissa Loftus.
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