In this Tip for Tomorrow, Melanie provides three ideas for differentiating that can work across grade levels and across genres.

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Let’s revisit the Spring 2017 blog series "Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer," which explored various strategies to maintain children's writing skills during the summer break. Stacey highlights key ideas from the 2017 co-author team, including creating personalized writing spaces, gamifying the writing process, and using books to inspire writing projects. The episode emphasizes the importance of making summer writing fun, engaging, and tailored to each child's interests and needs. Listeners are encouraged to share these strategies with colleagues and students’ families to prevent summer writing loss.

GO DEEPER:

• Recap of the Keep Learning Going Throughout the Summer Blog Series
• Twitter Chat Archive (Many participants’ tweets are no longer present due to deactivating their accounts.)

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

In our second Writing Roundtable episode, renowned literacy expert Lester L. Laminack joins us to discuss his Ferris wheel of education concept, providing a fresh perspective on educational trends. Lester examines the current state of writing instruction, investigating how recent developments influence students' writing experiences and skills. Listeners will gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of writing pedagogy as Lester addresses the promising advancements and potential challenges facing educators.

GO DEEPER:

• Read Lester's original "Ferris Wheel" piece on The Robb Review

ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina is a full-time writer and consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is the author of over 25 books for teachers and children. His academic publications include Climb Inside a Poem (Heinemann) Cracking Open the Author’s Craft (Scholastic), Bullying Hurts: Teaching Kindness Through Read Aloud and Guided Conversations (Heinemann), The Writing Teacher’s Troubleshooting Guide(Heinemann), Writers ARE Readers: Flipping Reading Strategies into Writing Instruction (Heinemann), Reading to Make a Difference(Heinemann), The Ultimate Read Aloud Guide 2nd Edition (Scholastic) and The Ultimate Read Aloud Collection Fiction and Nonfiction (Scholastic), Critical Comprehension: Lessons for Guiding Students to Deeper Meaning (Corwin).

Lester is also the author of several children’s books including: The Sunsets of Miss Olivia Wiggins, Trevor’s Wiggly-Wobbly Tooth, Saturdays and Teacakes, Jake’s 100th Day of School, Snow Day!, Three Hens and a Peacock (2012 Children’s Choice K-2 Book of the Year Award), and The King of Bees all published by Peachtree Publishers. His most recent book for children is Three Hens, a Peacock, and the Enormous Egg. His most recent book, A Cat Like That was released in January 2025.

Lester is available for professional development and school author visits. You can contact him via his website, and follow him on Facebook.

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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Fun test prep may seem like an oxymoron, but in this tip for tomorrow, Melanie shares a few ways you can bring movement, collaboration, and agency into getting students ready to take assessments.

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

In this episode, Stacey interviews Melanie about her upcoming book (co-authored with Maggie Beattie Roberts), tentatively titled THE WRITING BRAIN: FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS OF WRITTEN EXPRESSION. The book emphasizes developing foundational writing skills through research- and evidence-based instructional methods. We discuss the five guiding principles featured in the book: Cognitive Load Theory, Neurological Response to Learning, The Zone of Proximal Development, Universal Design for Learning, and the Gradual Release Model. Melanie explains how their book helps teachers identify and address individual students' writing challenges. She also shares insights about the collaborative writing process with Maggie.

GO DEEPER:

• Cognitive Load Theory: Sweller, J. Cognitive Load During Problem Solving: Effects on Learning. Cogn. Sci. 1988, 12, 257–285. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
• Zone of Proximal Development - Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
• Gradual Release Theory- Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344.

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

There is a lot of research about spelling and how students learn to spell words, and there are important connections between how students spell and how they learn to read. In this episode, Melanie shares a few changes she's made as she works with students who ask how to spell words.

RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• How Words Cast Their Spell
• Rebecca Treiman

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• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
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Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Welcome to The Writing Roundtable, where we explore writing topics with guest authors. In this inaugural episode, Stacey discusses poetry’s significance in elementary education with poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater, who describes poetry as "offerings of beautiful words by beautiful people that I don't know." Amy shares the benefits of poetry and strategies for educators, including daily readings, group writing activities, and showcasing student work. She also reflects on her journey as a children's poet, offering tips for those interested in publication. This discussion provides insights for teachers looking to enhance learning through poetry.

ABOUT THIS WEEK'S GUEST:

Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is a children's author, poet, and writing teacher celebrated for her contributions to children's literature and poetry education. She has contributed to many anthologies and authored several children's books, including Forest Has a Song, The Sound of Kindness, With My Hands: Poems About Making Things, and Read! Read! Read! Additionally, she teaches teachers about writing and is the author of Poems Are Teachers: How Studying Poetry Strengthens Writing in All Genres.

Find Amy online at The Poem Farm and Sharing Our Notebooks.

GO DEEPER:

• Highlights Foundation
• One Simple Ritual, All Year Long (CCIRA)
• SCBWI
• "Something Told the Wild Geese" (Recording) by Rachel Field, sung by the Von Trapp children

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Please subscribe to our podcast and leave us ratings/reviews on your favorite listening platform.

You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.

Explore the transformative power of process logs in writing instruction. Stacey reveals how process logs provide accountability, track progress, and offer authentic glimpses into the writing process. Discover how sharing these logs can make writing instruction more transparent and supportive for students. Whether you're a writer or educator, this episode offers practical strategies for using process logs to deepen your understanding of the writing craft.

GO DEEPER: Explore Two Writing Teachers' blog posts about process logs.

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You may contact us directly if you want us to consult with your school district.

• Melanie Meehan: meehanmelanie@gmail.com
• Stacey Shubitz: stacey@staceyshubitz.com

Email us at contact@twowritingteachers.org for affiliate or sponsorship opportunities.

For more about teaching writing, head to the Two Writing Teachers blog.