The essence of family literacy is that parents are supported as the first teachers of their children. Family Literacy is the idea that long after diapers and baby steps, our children have so much to learn by watching, observing, and collaborating with trusted adults at home, particularly when it comes to building a strong foundation for reading with confidence. On this episode, we dive deeper into this idea and share the how and why of building and sustain robust family literacy practices.

On this episode, we explore literacy instruction, the science of reading, early childhood literacy, and the differences between skills-focused and knowledge-focused classrooms. Our two guests are passionate leaders in the field: Dr. Lynne Kulich, Director of Early Learning at NWEA, and Natalie Wexler, an education writer and author.

“For many, learning mathematics leads to perceiving the subject as a collection of procedures that are disconnected from any big picture. It’s much like filling a box with puzzle pieces, yet never building the puzzle.”

For this episode, we are joined by Dr. Ted Coe and Anita Brown of NWEA to discuss how educators move beyond doing math to thinking about mathematical concepts, with a focus on formative conversation starters.

Two years on from the start of the pandemic and we’re starting to see a glimmer of hope and pieces of normalcy return to our schools and classrooms. But as we move forward, we cannot ignore the lingering impact of pandemic disruptions.

Equity is not a buzzword. It’s not a synonym for diversity. So, what is it? Fenesha Hubbard and Joyce Smith of NWEA join the pod to show what schools and classrooms would look like if we truly valued equity in the context of instruction.

The NWEA stances on writing lay out a clear vision for the future of writing instruction. This paper addresses what writing is, why it’s important and how the organization can better meet the needs of the writers we serve through our products, services, research and advocacy.

Get questioning strategies and practical tips for using guided conversations to uncover how sixth-graders think and communicate about mathematical concepts.