De Facto Leaders

Every time I look into research on the summer slide, I get more confused. It’s no wonder professionals and families are scrambling every May as they think about how kids should be spending their time in the summer.  I’ve intended to do a deep dive into the research and gain a better understanding of how significant the

The idea that exposing kids to enriching literacy and play-based experiences will effectively teach them to read and write sounds nice on paper. Unfortunately, it’s not in-line with the large and growing body of evidence that suggests that kids need direct, explicit instruction to learn to read, write, and spell.  Sure

When schools respond to “behavior problems” in students, the focus is often on the symptom, not the cause.  Failing to look beyond the surface behavior does a disservice to students, which is why in this episode I share commentary and a clip from my conversation with Dr. Shameka Stewart on the school-to-confinement pip

“We don’t need to work on decoding because students have access to assistive technology and accommodations.” “We don’t work on word-decoding in high school.” “Working on reading in high school is too little too late.” If you’ve ever heard any of these arguments, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, beliefs like these do st

In this episode, I reflect on my conversation with my colleague Cassandra Williams as we discuss book and resource deserts, as well as how to engage with school communities.  In the interview clip I share, Cassandra shares a story of how one of her colleagues found a surprising way to increase attendance at parent-teac

Ever feel overwhelmed being the only SLP in your district without a network of fellow clinicians for support? You're not alone; many in similar situations face these challenges. In this episode, I’m sharing a case study of an SLP who, despite being the sole clinician in her district, felt the pressure of not having a t