S4E21: Judith Hochman, Christine Teahan, & Toni-Ann Vroom on the Writing Revolution

As we get closer to Spring, I am excited to be working with The Writing Revolution as part of my consultancy. The Writing Revolution, or TWR, is an explicit instruction approach to writing that was created by Dr. Judith Hochman. This method has been celebrated by proponents of cognitive science as a solution that adheres … Continue reading S4E21: Judith Hochman, Christine Teahan, & Toni-Ann Vroom on the Writing Revolution

S4E20: Doug Carnine on Advocacy for Evidence

A few years ago, I came upon a paper titled, "Why Educators Resist Effective Practices" with the provocative subheading, And What It Would Take to Make EducationMore Like Medicine. It was written by Douglas Carnine, who I would come to learn was not only one of the most important voices in advocacy for evidence-based education, … Continue reading S4E20: Doug Carnine on Advocacy for Evidence

Is Rehearsal Necessary for Effective Coaching and PD?

S4E19: Thinking Out Loud… Is Rehearsal Necessary for Effective Coaching and PD?

I am excited to bring you an episode of the Thinking Out Loud series with my friend, Gene Tavernetti, who is cross posting these episodes on his podcast, Better Teaching Only Stuff that Works. During the episode, we talk about "rehearsal tasks", which are simply practice opportunities that a coach or presenter can plan for teachers. … Continue reading S4E19: Thinking Out Loud… Is Rehearsal Necessary for Effective Coaching and PD?

S4E18: Blake Harvard on Attention and Memory Constraints

In this episode, I chat with Blake Harvard, aka The Effortful Educator, about applying cognitive psychology to the classroom. Blake and I presented together as part of the cognitive science strand at EdFest USA this year, and we share similar perspectives on the importance of bridging the gap between research and practice. In this interview, … Continue reading S4E18: Blake Harvard on Attention and Memory Constraints

S4E14: Kim Lockhart on Supporting L2 Learners with the Science of Reading

Today I am excited to bring you an interview with Kim Lockhart. Kim's work focuses on the science of reading and its application in second language programs. She has been a vocal advocate on social media for moving away from balanced literacy and adopting evidence-based approaches to teaching reading. When I first encountered Kim, it … Continue reading S4E14: Kim Lockhart on Supporting L2 Learners with the Science of Reading

Defining Explicit Teaching and Direct Instruction

Something about the label, direct instruction, seems to conjure images of boring lectures. The change to using explicit instruction was probably, at least in part, an attempt to remedy this, just like how testing got changed to retrieval practice to avoid associations with standardized tests. Retrieval is still testing, and explicit instruction is still direct, … Continue reading Defining Explicit Teaching and Direct Instruction

The Literacy View & Lucy Calkins

I was recently invited to speak on The Literacy View, where we had a laugh and discussed some of the policies that are being put in place to filter out nonsense in some of the worst reading programs, like three cueing. We also sipped to our concerns that the gurus of balanced literacy past may … Continue reading The Literacy View & Lucy Calkins

Just Tell Them, Don’t Play Guessing Games

Today I was interviewed by Robert Pondiscio, who has hosted talks by me before. It will be a while before that article is published, so in the meantime, I thought I would share two media appearances of my new book, Just Tell Them: The Power of Explanations and Explicit Teaching. 1. Just Tell Them: A … Continue reading Just Tell Them, Don’t Play Guessing Games

Explicit Teaching: A Podcast and a Webinar

Training opportunity approaching!!! I am hosting a free instructional coaching webinar on November 25, 2024. Sign up here and join me and special guests to learn about Steplab’s platform and approach to responsive coaching. Several people have asked me recently if explicit teaching and structured learning is making a comeback. I cannot be sure, because the people who … Continue reading Explicit Teaching: A Podcast and a Webinar

Direct Instruction Demystified

Have a listen to me talk about explicit instruction and Engelmann's DI in this episode of The Saturday Lunch Show with Jamie Clark! https://www.youtube.com/live/7ExMCHs5pss?si=zKSPyBzIIbJbE4Wr Or listen as a podcast below https://open.spotify.com/episode/1J8orBDsOTVdlSGzMr7zij?si=Y8nkdaEbQKW3Ufl1HO2oWQ Interested in having me over to train your staff? Send me a message through my Contact page. Contact