Episode Details

Welcome to Literacy with Laura, the first in a professional development series featuring Laura Stewart, Chief Academic Officer from the 95 Percent Group. In this episode, Jeff Bradbury and Laura Stewart explore key aspects of literacy instruction, focusing on the differences between reading skills and strategies, the importance of oral reading fluency, and effective methods to support English language arts instruction. They also discuss the significance of decodable texts in early reading development and provide practical tips for educators. 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!

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Conversation Takeaways

• Skills are foundational abilities that children develop through practice.
• Reading strategies help students engage with text meaningfully.
• Accuracy in oral reading fluency is crucial for comprehension.
• Decodable texts support the development of decoding habits.
• High impact, repeatable routines maximize cognitive energy for learning.
• Explicit instruction benefits all students, including English learners.
• Utilizing students' home language can enhance learning.
• Oral language is a vital scaffold for English learners.
• Visual aids and graphic organizers support comprehension.
• Realia provides tangible experiences to enhance vocabulary.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Literacy and Instruction
• 01:29 Understanding Skills vs. Strategies in Reading
• 03:26 Oral Reading Fluency: Accuracy and Comprehension
• 06:10 Supporting English Language Arts Instruction
• 11:13 The Importance of Decodable Texts

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: https://www.95p