The Science of Engaging Literacy Instruction

Welcome to Literacy with Laura, a professional development series featuring Laura Stewart, Chief Academic Officer from the 95 Percent Group. In this final episode, Jeff Bradbury and Laura Stewart discuss key topics in literacy education, focusing on intervention strategies, the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model, curriculum recommendations, and engaging instructional practices. They emphasize the importance of collaboration among educators and the need for effective professional development to enhance teaching outcomes. If you are a new listener to TeacherCast, we would love to hear from you. Please visit our Contact Page and let us know how we can help you today! Subscribe to My Weekly Newsletter To get our weekly Instructional Coaching Tips sent right to your inbox, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Conversation Takeaways

• Intervention is about accelerating progress for all students.
• A multi-tiered system of support is essential for literacy.
• All students should receive instruction during intervention time.
• Curriculum should align with the goals of instruction.
• Explicit instructional dialogue aids teacher understanding.
• Teachers need professional learning to effectively teach reading.
• Engaging instruction is crucial for student motivation.
• 30 to 45 minutes is a general guideline for tiered instruction.
• The 95% group phonics core program is highly recommended.
• Advocating for comprehensive support is vital for educators.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Literacy with Laura
• 00:50 Understanding Intervention in Literacy
• 05:27 Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Explained
• 08:36 Curriculum Recommendations for Literacy
• 11:20 Engaging Instruction: Making Learning Exciting
• 15:50 Final Thoughts and Advice for Educators

About our Guests Laura Stewart Laura Stewart is the Chief Academic Officer at 95 Percent Group. She is a nationally recognized Science of Reading and Structured Literacy advocate who has dedicated her career to improving literacy achievement at leading education companies. Stewart has more than 25 years of academic leadership experience. Most recently, she served as the Chief Innovation Officer for The Reading League and Chief Academic Officer for professional development with the Highlights Education Group. Other key education roles include vice president of professional development for the Rowland Reading Foundation and Zaner-Bloser, school district administrator and adjunct professor. She is the author of several training guides and training workshops, as well as 12 children’s books, and the co-author of The Everything Guide to Informational Text, K-2: Best Texts, Best Practices (Corwin Press, 2014). She serves on several advisory boards, including The Path Forward for Teacher Preparation and Licensure in Early Literacy. About the 95 Percent Group 95 Percent Group is an education company whose mission is to build on science to empower teachers—supplying the knowledge, resources, and support they need—to develop strong readers. Using an approach that is based in structured literacy, the company’s One95 Literacy Ecosystem™ integrates professional learning and evidence-based literacy products into one cohesive system that supports consistent instructional routines across tiers and is proven and trusted to help students close skill gaps and read fluently. 95 Percent Group is also committed to advancing research, best practices, and thought leadership on the science of reading more broadly. For additional information on 95 Percent Group, visit: