Evidently Reading

New blog post -- The Joy of Complex Text! Often we talk about complex text and how it impacts achievement, but have we talked about how much fun it can be?

The Joy of Complex Text I was a few minutes late for my fifth grade reading group and rushed in, preparing to apologize to my students; I expected them to be sitting and twiddling their thumbs. Instead, one of the students...

Achieve the Core made me my own meme!

My New Year's reading resolutions:

1. More morphemes
2. More big questions
3. More advocacy

New Year, More of the Same Well, it's nearly a new year, and in 2023 my resolutions are to do MORE of what I've been doing. More being the key word. This doesn't mean stagnation, but attempting to increase intentionality in...

New year, new post. Some tips for choosing the right reading curriculum.

So ... you want to choose a curriculum Lately, I’ve responded to many questions, both online and in-person, about how to choose ELA curriculum. After all, it’s that time of year, when education leaders start thinking about the next...

After a hiatus for National Novel Writing Month, I'm back to blogging. My co-author on this one is Robin McClellan, from Sullivan County Schools. We talk about why challenging curriculum is for ALL children:

http://www.evidentlyreading.com/instructional-insights/is-challenging-curriculum-really-for-all-kids

Is Challenging Curriculum Really For ALL Kids? It’s time to discuss the final assumption that holds many schools and districts back from implementing high-quality curriculum: the belief that challenging, on-grade-level reading curricula are too...

Thanks to Melissa and Lori for having me on their podcast to talk misconceptions about high-quality curriculum. Listen here:

https://www.literacypodcast.com/podcast/episode/4ad11e5a/addressing-assumptions-about-curriculum-with-catlin-goodrow

Podcast | Melissa and Lori Lov

Is teaching a curriculum the same as “teaching out of a box?” Some lessons from implementation.

http://www.evidentlyreading.com/instructional-insights/does-implementing-curriculum-mean-teaching-out-of-a-box

Does implementing a curriculum mean you're "teaching out of a box?" In which, dear reader, I continue to examine assumptions that hold districts and schools back from adopting high-quality curricula. The first assumption is here. Now ... Assumption #2: providing a...

Some thoughts on high-quality curriculum materials and what holds us back from implementation. Part 2A of my curriculum series. (There were too many hold backs for just one post).

https://t.co/0dQjWkNZCH

What Holds Us Back From Going All In on High-Quality Curricula November 6th, 2018—the 4th grade classroom was abuzz with discussion as students took turns at the mock voting booth, deciding whether Beto O’Rourke or Ted Cruz should be our state’s...

New post, and the start of a series, on high-quality ELA curriculum: http://www.evidentlyreading.com/instructional-insights/the-power-of-a-quality-curriculum

The Power of a Quality Curriculum This is the first in a series on the practical side of implementing high-quality curricula. Part 1: The Power of a Quality Curriculum Part 2: Curriculum Myths Part 3: Choosing a Quality Curriculum...

My article was featured in The Reading League’s latest newsletter! If you care about evidence-based reading instruction, the League is a great follow.

The Reading League Quarterly Newsletter NEW MEMBER GIVEAWAY The Reading League is growing and we want YOU to join! REGISTER HERE to become a member for free today and you will be entered in our new membership drawing. After our last newsletter, 5 lucky new members won a copy of David Kilpatrick’s Equipped for Reading Success. These n...

Have you listened to (or read) "At a Loss For Words" yet? Have you checked out what type of reading instruction is happening at your school or your child's?

https://www.apmreports.org/story/2019/08/22/whats-wrong-how-schools-teach-reading

How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers For decades, schools have taught children the strategies of struggling readers, using a theory about reading that cognitive scientists have repeatedly debunked. And many teachers and parents don't know there's anything wrong with it.

When our ideas about best practices in education are challenged, how do we change - even when it’s hard. A few ideas (including one from Marie Kondo!)

http://www.evidentlyreading.com/instructional-insights/changing-our-practice-when-changing-is-hard

Changing Our Practice, When Changing Is Hard Let’s imagine that one of your most knowledgeable, trustworthy friends came up to you and said: “I just read a bunch of reputable research that said eating vegetables isn’t healthy. In fact,...

Why I Teach Phonics

http://www.evidentlyreading.com/instructional-insights/why-i-teach-phonics-a-teachers-perspective

Why I Teach Phonics: A Teacher's Perspective Lately, there’s been a renewal of “the reading wars” -- in part due to a couple of high-profile pieces in the media about the lack, in some schools, of systematic phonics teaching ( here and...