Coaching Self-Expression: Go In, Poet

Arkansas 2019 Teacher of the Year Stacey McAdoo illustrates her relationship-based approach to nurturing self-expression in her students. This master teacher describes her underlying philosophy behind her guidance of The Writeous, a youth performance poetry collective founded by her and her husband, teacher Leron McAdoo. In these short mini-lessons, viewers watch Ms. McAdoo work intensively with individual students as she coaches them through revision of their work. This close-up view shines a light on how this master teacher creates a safe environment for creative risk-taking through the intentional actions of listening, affirming, mirroring, and provoking student reflection and self-assessment (LAMP). Ms. McAdoo views the writing of poetry as a communal art, and she advocates for teachers to collaborate with others as they support their students. While Ms. McAdoo primarily guides high school students in the artistic genre of spoken-word poetry, her feedback techniques are applicable to the teaching of the writing process as well as to coaching students in general.

The Science of Reading Part 09: Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary

Vocabulary is one of the essential components of reading instruction, but it is sometimes neglected as it can be tricky. How can effective vocabulary instruction be squeezed in to an already limited schedule? Which words are the best words to teach? How many new words do students need to learn in a year?

In The Science of Reading: Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary, literacy specialist William Van Cleave leads our discussion on vocabulary and best practices that can strengthen reading and writing skills. The topics covered in this course range from the development of vocabulary and how it affects reading and writing to choosing and teaching words in a way that will benefit all students.

Building Comprehension and Writing Through Vocabulary is the ninth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on March 2, 2019 at the Main Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 10: Morphology

Morphology, or the study of the forms of words, when embedded in deep research-based vocabulary instruction, helps students become better readers, writers, and thinkers. One of the perks of morphological study in vocabulary is that you do not have to be, or even act like, the expert – it’s all about exploring words with students to help them uncover meaning and deepen their understanding.

In The Science of Reading: Morphology, literacy specialist William Van Cleave explores morphology and how it impacts vocabulary, spelling, and comprehension. After reviewing the basic concepts and key terminology of morphology, Mr. Van Cleave shares several tools and strategies useful in vocabulary instruction that will help students develop the skills and confidence to explore words on their own.

Morphology is the tenth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on March 2, 2019 at the Main Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 11: Syntax Matters

Practicing with sentence-level skills is not just for elementary school, as it benefits older students as well. Syntax is the link between sentence writing and sentence comprehending for learners of all ages.

In The Science of Reading: Syntax Matters, literacy specialist William Van Cleave returns to lead our discussion on syntax and how its study impacts both reading and writing. Mr. Van Cleave provides a brief overview of parts of speech and their functions, as well as sentence parts and the types of sentences they can create. He goes on to discuss lesson structures and sentence-level activities that are useful for embedding the study of syntax into the content of any subject area.  

Syntax Matters is the eleventh course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on March 2, 2019 at the Main Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

Teaching to Close the Opportunity Gap: Let Them Know

Stacey McAdoo, 2019 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, shares deep insights about why and how she provides opportunities for young people to creatively pursue and express their ideas. In these documentary-style videos, Ms. McAdoo is shown working with students in the safe spaces she strategically structures at Little Rock Central High School where she teaches communication as well as college and career readiness skills in the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination). We also watch as she guides youth in The Writeous, a poetry collective she co-founded. Along with students, parents, and colleagues, this passionate teacher-leader addresses the opportunity gaps that exist for marginalized students, and she shows us how personalized, connective teaching helps students find authentic learning and growth.

The Science of Reading Part 12: Reading Comprehension Difficulty - Causes and Instructional Scaffolds

Understanding why some students seem to struggle with or even despise reading can be difficult but is necessary in providing the critical support these students need to be successful learners.  

In The Science of Reading: Reading Comprehension Difficulty - Causes and Instructional Scaffolds, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, aims to help educators strengthen their instructional practices regarding reading comprehension. Ms. Sedita explores the skills involved in reading comprehension, as well as the various reasons students may struggle to understand what they read. She also shares some practical strategies that teachers of any subject can use to support comprehension as students read and learn in their classrooms.

Reading Comprehension Difficulty – Causes and Instructional Scaffolds is the twelfth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 13: Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension

Graphic organizers are powerful tools that can be used by every teacher, no matter their subject area. In The Science of Reading: Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, explores the power of graphic organizers in supporting reading comprehension for all students. Ms. Sedita explains what the research says about the use of graphic organizers and shares a variety of examples to illustrate how educators can best utilize these tools in their classrooms. She focuses on two types of graphic organizers and the underlying skills students must have in order to use them effectively.

Using Graphic Organizers to Support Comprehension is the thirteenth course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 14: Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation

Students generating questions about what they’re reading and learning is a powerful way to improve comprehension.

In The Science of Reading: Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation, Joan Sedita, founder and author of professional development routines for Keys to Literacy, explores how critical thinking and in turn reading comprehension can be supported by question generation. Ms. Sedita talks about the roles of both student- and teacher-generated questions.

Supporting Critical Thinking Through Question Generation is the final course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on October 7, 2019 at the Faulkner County Library in Conway, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 02: An Overview

Dr. Wendy Farone connects research behind the science of reading to classroom instruction with an analysis of four theoretical models of reading: Scarborough's Rope Model, the Simple View of Reading, the Four-Part Processing Model, and Ehri's Phases of Word-Reading Development. She discusses the research that is the basis for these models and relates each one to instructional practices, assessments, and interventions for K-12 classrooms.

The Science of Reading: An Overview is the second course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. It was recorded on January 5, 2018 at the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children's Library and Learning Center in Little Rock, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).

The Science of Reading Part 03: The Reading Brain

The Reading Brain with Dr. Kenneth Pugh is the third course in the 15.5-hour Science of Reading learning path. In this course Dr. Pugh, President and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratory, discusses recent studies dealing with the neuronal connections made as typically and atypically developing children learn to read. The focus of his presentation is on the various ways neuroscience and its emerging technologies can inform intervention and teaching practices.

The Science of Reading: The Reading Brain was recorded on March 5, 2018 at the Science of Reading Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas. This series was developed to help Arkansas educators meet the requirements in the Right to Read Act (Act 1063 of 2017).