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PODCAST

Reading Teachers Lounge

Shannon Betts and Mary Saghafi

This is the Reading Teachers Lounge where listeners can eavesdrop on professional conversations between elementary reading teachers. We are passionate about literacy and strive to find strategies to reach all learners. Shannon and Mary are neighbors who realized that they were “literacy soul sisters” at a dinner in their Atlanta neighborhood. Once they started chatting about reading they haven’t really stopped. Come join the conversation.

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All Episodes

53:37

8.10 Season Finale: Beyond Decoding

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2026/06/20

Shannon and Mary record their Season 8 finale, catching up on what they've been doing during the school year. They've both been busy with balancing personal and professional responsibilities, with work hours increasing for Shannon in tutoring and for Mary in advocacy work and supporting parents in IEP meetings. In their tutoring practices, they're both advancing beyond decoding work with many of their students, and during the discussion, they both realized they had adopted...

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72:01

8.9 Teacher Preparation

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2026/03/08

Shannon and Mary welcome Dr. Ellen Ballock and Julia D'Onofrio from Gordon College to talk about teacher preparation programs. Discover how they design and implement teacher prep programs focused on literacy instruction, the science of reading, and practical teaching methods. Our guests shed light on the importance of comprehensive training, common misconceptions in literacy education, and the roles of explicit instruction and evidence-based practices. They also delve into how their curriculu...

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66:56

8.8 Grammar and Syntax

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2026/02/06

In this episode of the Reading Teacher's Lounge, hosts Mary and Shannon welcome expert Sara Lee to discuss best practices for teaching grammar and syntax. They dive into how understanding sentence structure, grammatical functions, and modifiers can elevate both reading comprehension and writing skills for students of all ages. Sara emphasizes the importance of embedding grammar instruction within reading and writing activities, and provides practical strategies for making grammar engaging and...

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50:59

8.7 Supporting Learning at Home

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2026/01/23

In this episode, we explore effective practices for supporting students with homework. Join us as we discuss strategies to foster a productive & stress-free homework environment. We cover the importance of EF, the advantages and challenges of traditional homework, & how to address post-COVID implications. Also, we share insights on balancing homework with students' SEL, creative engagement techniques, & practical communication tips for accommodations. 01:14 Supporting Learners at...

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67:17

8.6 Deliberate Orthography

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2026/01/09

Shannon and Mary revisit the topic of Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) and discuss the importance of understanding the deliberate reasons for English spellings with guests Jennifer Petrich and Bradley Johnson. The conversation follows the hosts' and guests' experiences with SWI, detailing how it helps students understand and apply the structure of English spelling with its focus on word structures, etymology, and morphology. Emphasizing a shift from a phonics-only approach to one that al...

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54:42

8.5 The Literacy Block

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/12/07

Mary and Shannon are joined by Lindsay Kemeny, a returning guest and 1st grade teacher. Lindsay discusses her latest book and shares insights into structuring an effective literacy block. During the chat, Lindsay stresses the importance of routines, transitions, and frequent student responses in her data-driven instruction. Lindsay also opens up about her personal journey, detailing how her son's struggles with dyslexia transformed her teaching methods. The conversation covers practical...

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42:52

8.4 SEL Concerns

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/11/16

Educator and author Erin Waters joins Shannon and Mary to discuss supporting the whole child through Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Erin shares her teaching journey and highlights the crucial connection between SEL & literacy development—because our students aren’t just learning to read; they’re learning who they are. They explore what SEL looks like in real classrooms: morning meetings that build community, read-alouds that spark emotional awareness, and simple coping strategies that h...

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44:51

8.3 Affirming Practices with Dr. Jasmine Rogers

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/10/31

In this episode, you're getting a preview of the types of conversations happening with educators in our bonus subscription episodes. This month, Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Jasmine Rogers, a reading specialist and college educator, about her dual roles in literacy. Dr. Rogers discusses her research on African American English (AAE) and structured literacy, emphasizing the importance of affirming behaviors in promoting student motivation and effective communication. Dra...

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57:21

8.2 Treasured Stories

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/10/17

In this special episode of the Reading Teachers Lounge, hosts Shannon and Mary have an engaging and insightful conversation with acclaimed children's author Kate DiCamillo about treasured stories. They explore Kate's journey as a writer, discussing the profound impact of her debut novel 'Because of Winn-Dixie,' the themes of her books, and the role of animals in her stories. Kate shares her thoughts on writing with empathy, the importance of ending stories with hope, and the joy of reading al...

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45:38

8.1 New Season, New Stories

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/10/03

Shannon and Mary kick off the new season with reflections on how far the podcast has come, from family anecdotes to stories of former students thriving—like Rigby, a once-struggling reader now headed to college. They share practical tips for using Canva to teach morphology, highlight successes from their summer tutoring, and discuss balancing work, rest, and family life. Additionally, they unveil exciting plans to feature more teacher voices in the show through their bonus episodes, available...

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39:44

August 2025 bonus episode

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/08/22

In this August bonus episode of Reading Teacher Lounge, Mary and Shannon exchange insights on recent articles they've read. They dive into practical strategies for supporting students, especially those with ADHD. They discuss homework routines, communication between teachers and parents, and how to create structured homework environments. Mary shares guidelines from ADDitude and Edutopia on effective homework systems and collaboration between special education and general education teams. Sha...

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31:40

7.18 Season 7 Finale

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/07/11

Shannon and Mary look back over Season 7 and reflect on what really matters for our reading students. "The right things for our learners" emerged as the unofficial theme of our seventh season. This phrase encapsulates what each of us strives for – cutting through the noise to identify the most impactful practices for the unique students in front of us. The conversations with our guests this season revealed a common thread: the need to simplify and focus on what's most important. In th...

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56:13

7.17 Impactful Interventions

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/07/05

Shannon and Mary chat with Dr. Katie Pace-Miles about MTSS and RTI, sharing practical tips for delivering effective reading interventions, choosing quality resources, and running efficient team meetings to support struggling readers. Whether you're a classroom teacher trying to support struggling readers, a specialist designing intervention programs, or a parent advocating for your child, this conversation provides clear, actionable guidance for making literacy interventions both manag...

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69:19

7.16 Executive Functioning Demands

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/06/27

What's really happening when students struggle to stay on task, complete assignments, or transition between activities? In this illuminating conversation with literacy experts Dr. Matt Strader and Dr. Douglas Fisher, Shannon and Mary delve into the complex world of executive functioning and its impact on classroom performance. Executive functioning isn't just about behavior—it's about cognitive processes happening in the brain's prefrontal cortex. Both guests help us understand the cruc...

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65:24

7.15 Language Demands

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/06/20

Send us a text Shannon and Mary talk with Dr. Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez about supporting Multi-Language Learners, exploring language development, daily classroom language demands, and practical strategies to help MLLs thrive. The information presented is relevant for teachers, administrators, and support staff seeking practical tools to enhance instruction for multilingual learners. RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE: Our Season 5 Episode 2: Supporting English Language LearnersMcGraw-...

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54:53

7.14 Literacy Leaders

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/06/13

Send us a text Shannon chats with Laura Stewart (from 95 Percent Group) about bold moves that literacy leaders can take to transform the literacy practices in their learning communities. Laura provides stories and strategies relating to successfully implementing best practices informed by the Science of Reading into schools and classrooms, and Shannon shares some real-life examples of what she's learned to do and not to do as a literacy leader. Listen and also download the...

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70:41

7.13 The Right Things for Our Learners

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/06/06

Send us a text Shannon and Mary welcome Dr. Timothy Shanahan to the Reading Teachers Lounge to quiet the noise within the literacy community and help us all realize the MOST important things we should be doing for our learners according to the reading research. Listeners will find out what practices and activities they should prioritize to improve their students' reading achievement. RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE: Leveled Reading, Leveled Lives: How Students' Rea...

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49:50

7.12 Effective Student Engagement

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/05/30

Send us a text Shannon and Mary chat with Brandi Dugal from The Fidget Game, featured on Shark Tank, about unique ways to engage and motivate students to learn. They share methods for gamification, brain breaks, and other strategies teachers can use to increase student engagement. Listen for ideas to make reading more fun and how to help motivate even the most reluctant readers to get excited about their learning. RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE: The Fidget Game websiteF...

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113:51

7.11 Structured Word Inquiry

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/05/23

Send us a text Dr. Pete Bowers shared how Structured Word Inquiry (SWI) transforms spelling and vocabulary into tools for deep thinking - perfect for engaging advanced and struggling readers in the elementary reading classroom. We encourage the listeners to also check out this episode on YouTube to learn from the visuals Dr. Bowers shared during the discussion (link is at the top of the show notes). RESOURCES MENTIONED DURING THE EPISODE: Our Youtube link to the episodePete Bower's W...

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63:22

Challenging Advanced Readers

Reading Teachers Lounge ·

2025/05/18

Send us a text How can teachers effectively support advanced readers in elementary school? In this insightful episode, we’re joined by literacy expert Nancy Young to explore practical, evidence-based strategies for meeting the needs of gifted and high-achieving readers in the classroom. Nancy shares her expertise on differentiation strategies, including offering choice in reading materials, using tiered assignments, and implementing project-based learning to keep advanced readers engaged. We...

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148 results

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