Stellar Teacher Podcast: A Podcast for Upper Elementary Teachers

Sara Marye, Literacy Teacher, Elementary Teacher

Welcome to the Stellar Teacher Podcast! We believe teaching literacy is a skill. It takes a lot of time, practice, and effort to be good at it. This podcast will show you how to level up your literacy instruction and make a massive impact with your students, all while having a little fun! Your host, Sara Marye, is a literacy specialist passionate about helping elementary teachers around the world pass on their love of reading to their students. She has over a decade of experience working as a classroom teacher and school administrator. Sara has made it her mission to create high quality no-fluff resources and lesson ideas that are both meaningful and engaging for young readers. Each week, Sara and her guests will share their knowledge, tips, and tricks so that you can feel confident in your ability to transform your students into life-long readers. For printable and digital resources, head to stellarteacher.com. Connect with Sara on Instagram @thestellarteachercompany read less

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221. Dear Stellar Teacher: How Do I Fit Everything Into My Literacy Block?

221. Dear Stellar Teacher: How Do I Fit Everything Into My Literacy Block?

Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new podcast segment, Dear Stellar Teacher! We are so excited to launch this monthly segment, where we’ll be diving into listener questions, sharing stories from teachers, and having real, candid conversations about the joys and challenges of teaching. You can expect these episodes to hit your feed on the first Monday of every month, giving you that extra dose of inspiration and encouragement to kick off your month. For these episodes I will be joined by my amazing teammate, Emily Caudill, who is one of our curriculum creators at The Stellar Teacher Company, and a former elementary teacher.In today's episode, we tackle a question that so many teachers struggle with – how to fit everything into your literacy block when your time feels stretched and your schedule is chaotic. We’ll share tips for maximizing your literacy time, making transitions more efficient, and even doing a time audit to pinpoint where you can make small, impactful changes. We'll discuss how to get creative with your time by “double-dipping” parts of your literacy block and why routines can be the secret to maximizing both your instructional time and your planning efficiency.We also reflect on the importance of mindset, and the importance of focusing on what you can control, while letting go of what you can't. While it’s natural to want to fit everything in, remember that progress beats perfection. It’s perfectly fine to slow down or revisit a concept to ensure your students truly understand before moving on. We share an inspiring story from a teacher inside the Stellar Literacy Collective who did that, and how her students benefited. So, if you’re feeling pressed for time or just want to make your schedule work better for you, tune in for tips, mindset shifts, and solutions to help you take back control of your day!Do you have a burning question you want us to explore on the podcast? Or maybe you have an amazing story that deserves a shout-out? We’d be thrilled to feature your question or stellar story on the show! Just shoot us an email at sara@stellarteacher.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!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/episode218.

Episodes

221. Dear Stellar Teacher: How Do I Fit Everything Into My Literacy Block?

221. Dear Stellar Teacher: How Do I Fit Everything Into My Literacy Block?

Welcome to the first episode of our brand-new podcast segment, Dear Stellar Teacher! We are so excited to launch this monthly segment, where we’ll be diving into listener questions, sharing stories from teachers, and having real, candid conversations about the joys and challenges of teaching. You can expect these episodes to hit your feed on the first Monday of every month, giving you that extra dose of inspiration and encouragement to kick off your month. For these episodes I will be joined by my amazing teammate, Emily Caudill, who is one of our curriculum creators at The Stellar Teacher Company, and a former elementary teacher.In today's episode, we tackle a question that so many teachers struggle with – how to fit everything into your literacy block when your time feels stretched and your schedule is chaotic. We’ll share tips for maximizing your literacy time, making transitions more efficient, and even doing a time audit to pinpoint where you can make small, impactful changes. We'll discuss how to get creative with your time by “double-dipping” parts of your literacy block and why routines can be the secret to maximizing both your instructional time and your planning efficiency.We also reflect on the importance of mindset, and the importance of focusing on what you can control, while letting go of what you can't. While it’s natural to want to fit everything in, remember that progress beats perfection. It’s perfectly fine to slow down or revisit a concept to ensure your students truly understand before moving on. We share an inspiring story from a teacher inside the Stellar Literacy Collective who did that, and how her students benefited. So, if you’re feeling pressed for time or just want to make your schedule work better for you, tune in for tips, mindset shifts, and solutions to help you take back control of your day!Do you have a burning question you want us to explore on the podcast? Or maybe you have an amazing story that deserves a shout-out? We’d be thrilled to feature your question or stellar story on the show! Just shoot us an email at sara@stellarteacher.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!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/episode218.

220. How to Help Your Students Become Masters at Decoding Multisyllabic Words With Marnie Ginsberg

220. How to Help Your Students Become Masters at Decoding Multisyllabic Words With Marnie Ginsberg

In this episode, we’re diving deep into a topic that many upper elementary teachers grapple with—how to help students with decoding multisyllabic words. I’m excited to be joined by Marnie Ginsberg, the founder of Reading Simplified, a research-based program that gives educators practical tools to support struggling readers. Marnie is here to share some incredibly simple yet powerful strategies that you can start implementing right away. Whether your students are stumbling over three-syllable words or longer, these tips will help them gain the skills they need to become confident readers.Decoding single-syllable words is tough enough, but when students are introduced to multisyllabic words, the challenge escalates. As Marnie explains, multisyllabic words build upon the decoding skills students develop early on, but with extra complexities. We’ll talk about how these multi-step processes can overwhelm students who haven’t mastered automaticity with one-syllable words and why addressing this gap is critical for their reading fluency and comprehension. Many teachers focus heavily on comprehension, but Marnie reminds us that if students struggle to decode, that’s where we need to begin.During our conversation, Marnie also introduces specific activities like "Switch It", "Read It,", and "Write It" which help refine students’ letter-sound knowledge and build the automaticity needed for decoding longer words. You’ll hear how you can incorporate these strategies into your classroom, even if you're not a phonics expert. Marnie’s practical tips will give you the tools to support students who are falling behind, empowering them to become fluent, confident readers capable of tackling multisyllabic words with ease.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/episode218.

219. 5 Game-Changing Tips for a Rock-Solid Literacy Year

219. 5 Game-Changing Tips for a Rock-Solid Literacy Year

In today’s episode, we’re diving into five key strategies to help you build a more effective literacy block in your classroom. As teachers, it can be tempting to compartmentalize every aspect of literacy instruction into separate chunks, but that often leads to time constraints and missed opportunities for students to apply their skills holistically. We’ll explore why it's crucial to avoid teaching everything in isolation and how we, at the Stellar Literacy Collective, have designed resources to make it easier for you to integrate different literacy components seamlessly into your schedule.Flexibility is key when planning your literacy block. While routines and schedules provide structure, being adaptable to your students' needs is just as important. Today, we’ll discuss how to balance the consistency of your literacy routines with the flexibility to adjust your pacing based on student responses. Remember, the goal isn’t to rigidly follow the schedule but to focus on the content and let your students' progress guide your instruction.We’ll also talk about setting realistic expectations for what you can accomplish in your literacy block. By auditing your time and building in buffer moments, you’ll become better at predicting how long activities will actually take. Along the way, we’ll touch on why focusing on mastery over mere completion leads to meaningful progress, and why the traditional five-day school week shouldn’t be the sole dictator of your schedule. So don’t be afraid to introduce new lessons or assessments on any day of the week!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/episode218.

218. A 5-Step Process to Help Students Read Multisyllabic Words

218. A 5-Step Process to Help Students Read Multisyllabic Words

In upper elementary, students are exposed to more multisyllabic words in the texts they are reading. Coming across big words can feel intimidating and overwhelming. To help, I've created a simple strategy and visual that you can start using with your students immediately that will help them decode and understand multisyllabic words.In this episode, I’ll guide you through a 5-step process for decoding multisyllabic words, explaining the key foundational concepts students need beforehand. I’ll also show you how to implement this routine in your classroom and how to use it as a diagnostic tool to identify where students need extra support, leading to better reading success.Supporting students who struggle to read big words can be tough. My hope is that with this 5-step process, you’ll equip them with a tool that scaffolds learning until decoding multisyllabic words becomes automatic!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/episode218.

217. How to Integrate Writing Instruction Across All Subjects

217. How to Integrate Writing Instruction Across All Subjects

Writing instruction is crucial in every 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade classroom. But with limited time in an already packed literacy block, how do we cover everything students need to know? The solution is simple: integrate writing instruction into all content areas.In this episode, my goal is to inspire every teacher to see themselves as a writing teacher, no matter the subject they teach. Writing skills and an understanding of sentence structure are vital for student success across all subjects. By the time students reach upper elementary, they are doing more content writing, and with just a little bit of intention and a little extra time, you can seamlessly incorporate writing instruction into science, social studies, math, and more.After you listen to this episode, I have two challenges for you. The first is to pick one of the five ideas shared in this episode and implement it this week. The second challenge is to share this episode with a fellow educator. Embedding writing instruction throughout the day is essential, so spread the word to help increase student writing in every content area!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/episode217.

216. Back to School: 3 Fun, Engaging, and Important Literacy Lessons to Teach at the Beginning of the Year

216. Back to School: 3 Fun, Engaging, and Important Literacy Lessons to Teach at the Beginning of the Year

I remember back-to-school time being both exciting and exhausting. It's a new school year filled with fresh possibilities. It's also extremely busy with classroom setup, planning, organizing, and meeting students, parents, and new teachers. To lighten your load, I'm sharing 3 important literacy lessons to teach at the beginning of the year to set your students up for literacy success.As literacy teachers, we strive to build skilled readers who develop a love for reading. I've come up with 3 literacy lessons that are great to teach at the beginning of the year, and I've included various ideas for fun, engaging activities for students to participate in during each lesson. Plus I share picture books you can use to go along with each lesson.Focusing on literacy from the start emphasizes its importance. Therefore, implementing these 3 essential literacy lessons towards the beginning of the year will lead to more skilled readers in your classroom this school 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/episode216.

215. Practical And Easy Ways To Incorporate Reading Fluency Activities In Your Classroom With Aylin Claashen

215. Practical And Easy Ways To Incorporate Reading Fluency Activities In Your Classroom With Aylin Claashen

We've discussed how challenging it is to fit all the necessary skills into your literacy block with limited time. But what if I told you that focusing on fluency doesn't have to take extra time? It can be seamlessly integrated throughout your day. Game changer, right? In today's episode, my special guest, Aylin Claahsen, shares practical reading fluency activities you can incorporate into your classroom today.Many believe that upper elementary students are already fluent readers, but that's not always true. Fluency involves five key aspects: accuracy, expression, pace, smoothness, and reading for meaning. While this may seem like a lot, Aylin offers five strategies to help you support fluency development in your students.Fluency is the thread that ties reading and comprehension together. Aylin's tips are easy to implement and require no extra time or prep. You can start using these reading fluency activities today to enhance students comprehension, fluency, and their love for 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/episode215.

214. Teaching Genre: Why It's Important and How To Introduce It To Your Students

214. Teaching Genre: Why It's Important and How To Introduce It To Your Students

I loved teaching genre when I was in the classroom, and now I love talking about it. I view teaching genre as the cornerstone of a literacy block. Genre is something that you can talk about in both reading and writing, so anytime you talk about genre, it can have an impact on all areas of your literacy block. Genre categorizes books and texts by specific attributes. When students understand genre, it gives them a roadmap to help them navigate the texts they read. By learning genre, students gain tools and clues to comprehend different types of texts.Teaching genre boosts academic performance, student engagement, and community building. It's a great topic to introduce at the start of the year. In this episode, I share three fun activities to introduce genre to your students.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/episode212.

213. 3 Easy Strategies to Embed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into Your Classroom With Abby Moehringer

213. 3 Easy Strategies to Embed Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into Your Classroom With Abby Moehringer

Today, we're focusing on social and emotional learning (SEL) with Abby from Mrs. Mo's Modifications. Abby, a behavior specialist and former special education teacher, is passionate about helping teachers incorporate social and emotional learning into their classrooms. In our conversation, she explains what SEL is and its importance, emphasizing the need to explicitly teach and practice these skills with students.As the new school year approaches, I challenge you to embed social and emotional learning practices in your classroom. Consider incorporating welcoming activities to build rapport, engaging lessons that encourage participation, and teaching topics such as friendship, goal setting, dealing with failure, and coping skills. Model these practices and give students time to practice them.Teaching social and emotional learning is crucial for whole child development. When we are teaching academics, we are teaching human beings. We need to make sure that we're addressing the whole child and giving them support in all areas, not just our content specialist area. Tune in to learn how to make SEL a reality in your classroom this 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/episode213.

212. 5 Things To Do and 5 Things To Avoid When Teaching Word Study

212. 5 Things To Do and 5 Things To Avoid When Teaching Word Study

As a new school year approaches and you prepare your literacy lessons and schedule, I want to share some advice on teaching word study. In this episode, I'll discuss 5 things to do and 5 things to avoid in word study instruction.Expanding students' vocabularies is crucial in upper elementary, so incorporate a daily word study activity. This should be a shared goal across all subjects, not just ELA. Make your lessons fun and engaging for all students, and always connect word study instruction to students' reading and writing.Teaching word study can be intimidating, but you don't need to be an expert to start. You can do it! Reuse routines and activities throughout the year with new words. Keep instruction bite-sized, and teach word study concepts as generalizations, not rigid rules. The goal is not mastery but helping students apply what they learn to their reading and writing.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/episode212.

211. What Is Morphology and How Do I Teach It?

211. What Is Morphology and How Do I Teach It?

I’ve shared on the podcast before that it’s impossible to teach every single unknown word to your students. So, with that in mind, what can you do as a literacy teacher to help your students learn and understand the meaning of new words? You need to provide them with the tools to figure out word meanings, and one way to do that is through teaching morphology. In today’s episode, I’m explaining what morphology is and how you can teach it. Grab my free How to Read Big Words Strategy poster here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!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/episode211

210. How to Engage the Rest of Your Class So You Can Pull Small Groups

210. How to Engage the Rest of Your Class So You Can Pull Small Groups

As elementary teachers plan their small groups, they think about the lessons they’ll be teaching, activities for students to engage in, and the number of students in each group. And while those are important components of a successful small group, there’s one major aspect teachers don’t often think about: the rest of their class! This is such a challenge for teachers that the number one question I get asked pertaining to small groups is What do I do with the rest of my class so I can pull small groups? So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing five ways to plan your small group time that also engages the rest of your class. Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!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/episode210

209. Scheduling Tips for Creating an Effective Literacy Block (SOR Summer Series Part 7)

209. Scheduling Tips for Creating an Effective Literacy Block (SOR Summer Series Part 7)

As we conclude our Science of Reading Summer Series, I want to share some tips for planning your literacy block for next year. We know fitting everything into a literacy block can be challenging, so here are some key components to include: word study, reading comprehension, whole group lessons, writing, small group lessons, independent practice, and transitions.The good news is that these components don't have to be done in isolation. I encourage you to be creative and find ways to teach multiple concepts at once. Integrating different elements can make your literacy block more engaging and efficient, allowing you to cover more ground without overwhelming your students.Remember that while it's important to establish routines and structure in your literacy block, you want to also maintain flexibility to adjust as needed throughout the year. This adaptability ensures we can meet our students' needs and help them become successful readers and writers.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/episode207.

208. 5 Steps to Better Paragraph Writing in Upper Elementary

208. 5 Steps to Better Paragraph Writing in Upper Elementary

Being an upper elementary teacher means that we put a bigger focus on getting students to write a five-paragraph essay by the end of the year. And as we’ve talked about recently on the podcast, students need to have a foundation of good sentence writing first. Once students have that solid foundation, they then learn how to write strong paragraphs. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing five tips that will help students write better paragraphs in upper elementary. Grab our Sentence Writing Routine Free Sample here!Sign up for my FREE private podcast, the Confident Writer Systems Series, here!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/episode208

207. How to Help Students Read Multisyllabic Words (SOR Summer Series Part 6)

207. How to Help Students Read Multisyllabic Words (SOR Summer Series Part 6)

The Simple View of Reading highlights that reading comprehension requires proficiency in both decoding and language comprehension. If a student struggles with decoding, effective comprehension instruction won't help them understand the text because decoding is a crucial part of reading. In this episode, I share a straightforward process to help your students read and decode multisyllabic words.To decode multisyllabic words, students should circle any prefixes, put a box around any suffixes, look at the remaining part of the word, underline the vowels, and break the word into syllables. Then, they should say the word parts slowly, and then say the word, and see if it sounds like any words they already know. As a bonus step, they can read the word again more quickly and then read it in a sentence.To help students master decoding multisyllabic words, it's crucial to practice this routine until it becomes automatic. When students can read big words effortlessly, they can focus their mental energy on comprehension. In this episode, I share strategies to make this routine more second nature for your students.How to Read Big Words Strategy Poster: stellarteacher.com/bigwords.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/episode207.

206. 3 Ways to Improve Students’ Sentence Writing

206. 3 Ways to Improve Students’ Sentence Writing

A common misconception upper elementary teachers often make with sentence writing is that students don’t need to practice or develop this skill. Since teachers are so focused on the end result of a five-paragraph essay, sentence writing is often ignored or not prioritized. However, that’s not benefiting students and their academic success at all. Instead, this foundational skill needs to be incorporated daily into their literacy block. In today’s episode, I’m sharing 3 ways to improve student sentence writing and why it directly impacts academic success. Grab my Sentence Writing Routine Sample 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/episode206.

205. 3 Ways You Can Organize Your Classroom Library (SOR Summer Series Part 5)

205. 3 Ways You Can Organize Your Classroom Library (SOR Summer Series Part 5)

In this episode, we shift our focus from instructional strategies to an often overlooked yet crucial aspect of literacy instruction: the classroom environment, specifically the classroom library. While effective teaching practices are essential, how we organize our learning spaces can significantly impact our students' reading experiences and development. As the new school year approaches, I want to share ideas for organizing your classroom library in ways that align with the science of reading.I used to organize my library by reading levels, but now I understand that this limits students' reading choices and does not support their growth or love for reading. Instead of doing this in your classroom this year, try organizing it by genre, or topic/theme, or author/series, or a mix of these. These approaches not only help foster a love for reading but also align with how books are organized in real-world settings.No single organizational method fits all classrooms. However, avoiding reading levels and using a mix of genre, topic, and author organization can create a more engaging and effective classroom library. Tune in to learn the benefits and limitations of each method.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/episode205

204. 4 Ways to Enhance Your Vocabulary Instruction

204. 4 Ways to Enhance Your Vocabulary Instruction

One of the ways for students to be successful readers and have excellent reading comprehension is if they have a good understanding of words and their meanings. This is why vocabulary instruction is an important aspect of your literacy block, or really during any content area. However, vocabulary instruction is more than just introducing new words to your students. So, in today’s episode, I’m sharing four ways to enhance vocabulary instruction and why you should focus on a variety of vocabulary concepts. 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/episode204

203. 5 Strategies for Improving Reading Fluency in your classroom (SOR Summer Series Part 4)

203. 5 Strategies for Improving Reading Fluency in your classroom (SOR Summer Series Part 4)

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

202. Classroom Shifts: Small Changes, Big Impacts With Meghan Hein

202. Classroom Shifts: Small Changes, Big Impacts With Meghan Hein

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