Reaching Struggling Learners
97 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago -Reaching Struggling Learners is dedicated to helping teachers, parents, and administrators assist all students in meeting their learning potential. We discuss topics related to education, especially helping struggling or non-standard learners including students with special needs. We discuss the educational issues and present possible strategies or solutions.
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Episodes
#43 Segmenting Phonemes
March 31, 2021 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBSend us a Text Message. A few months ago, this student was unable to sound out words. He was completely reliant on a word bank to communicate through writing anything other than basic sight words he had memorized. But not now! We’ve been working on segmenting phonemes in words, and it has made a world of difference for him and his ability to write! It really is the little things that make teaching fun, isn’t it? On the podcast this week, we are keeping on with the phonemic awareness seri...
#42 5 Steps to Blending Phonemes
March 24, 2021 05:00 - 12 minutes - 8.51 MBSend us a Text Message. Two years ago, I sat in an MTSS meeting with a wonderful kindergarten teacher who was working her tail off to teach her students how to read. Her class overall was pretty low coming into kindergarten, and a small group of these students, even after months of work, just could not seem to blend the letter sounds to make words. This poor teacher was in tears trying to figure out what else to do. Have you ever had students who just seemed to struggle forever on a seemin...
#41 What is Phonemic Awareness?
March 17, 2021 05:00 - 12 minutes - 8.64 MBSend us a Text Message. Do you think of phonemic awareness as baby skills? Or skills that are too easy for your students, who REALLY need to focus on real reading skills like phonics? So many schools put their main focus on phonics and completely ignore phonemic awareness skills...but what if I told you that these skills really DO make a big impact on student learning? What if I told you a shocking number of students come in to schools without strong phonemic awareness skills and it impac...
#40 Drilling Down to the Basics to Support Students
March 10, 2021 06:00 - 20 minutes - 14.4 MBSend us a Text Message. There are so many students struggling in schools now. According to the NAEP only about 40% of students are reading on grade level in 4th or 8th grade. That means that students are overwhelmingly working below where they should be, which impacts their success both in school and after. Today we are going to talk about why it is so important that we drill down to the most basic skill deficit and start there for remediation. Also, make sure you tune in for the next se...
#39 Welcoming Learning Differences
March 03, 2021 06:00 - 12 minutes - 8.85 MBSend us a Text Message. All students learn differently….every teacher knows this...even if sometimes teachers struggle to figure out how to account for all of these differences in the classroom on a daily basis. Today, let’s talk about some ways that we can account for learning differences in the classroom, and help all of our students succeed. I'm going to share some stories, and some ideas to make your classroom a more enjoyable one. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to ...
#38 Supporting Students with a Trauma History
February 24, 2021 06:00 - 23 minutes - 15.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Trauma is a very real issue in classrooms today. It affects behavior management, classroom community, and the academics of students experiencing trauma. While teachers are NOT qualified (nor do they have the time) to provide the counseling supports that students need, there are some simple, yet effective things that we can do in the classroom to support our students. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage ...
#37 How to Build Strong Relationships in the Classroom
February 17, 2021 06:00 - 7 minutes - 5.33 MBSend us a Text Message. We all know that building strong relationships with our students is an important part of helping them progress throughout the school year, but sometimes that understanding gets lost in the piles of papers on our desks, or the massive pressure to make academic gains…. Today, let’s talk about some strategies you can use today to start building relationships in your classroom….which won’t take away from all the academics you have to focus on to get through this year…. ...
#36 The Most Important Factor in Progress
February 10, 2021 06:00 - 11 minutes - 7.76 MBSend us a Text Message. How many times have we worked with a student and wondered if the program or intervention was what was finally going to work for a student? There are so many programs for so many different learning differences out there. Every single one says that they have the answer to learning difficulties, and know what to do to get students back on track in record time. Teachers hear these claims from interventionists, principals, trainers, even commercials. It all sounds too go...
#35 SEL in General Education and Special Education
February 03, 2021 06:00 - 12 minutes - 8.77 MBSend us a Text Message. Social emotional learning is a big deal right now, and will continue to be an issue for teachers and schools for a long time….so what are some ways that we can support the social emotional learning of our students, while keeping up with grade level standards? Today, let’s talk about how social emotional learning can be an integral part of the day in the general and special education classrooms. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you...
#34 Setting up a Caseload Management System
January 27, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 10.9 MBSend us a Text Message. If you are a special education teacher, or for that matter, an interventionist, you know how much work it is to keep track of all of the information including goals, benchmarks, important dates, paperwork, and progress monitoring for your caseload. But what if there was an easier way to keep it all organized and under control? Today we are going to talk about setting up your caseload management system so that you can keep track of all the things and get back to teac...
#33 Collecting Data on IEP Goals
January 20, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.02 MBSend us a Text Message. IEPs, and paperwork, goals, and present levels, evaluations, and reports….special education teachers are buried in all the things they have to do….today, let’s talk about how to progress monitor IEP goals to make life easier when progress report time comes around. One very time-consuming activity that we all have to deal with is finding ways to collect data on those goals that we have written. When we don’t collect that data over the course of the quarter, it really...
#32 How to Teach IEP Goals
January 13, 2021 06:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSend us a Text Message. When I went to college, and was preparing to become a teacher, I learned all sorts of things about teaching strategies and classroom management, and even the basic philosophy behind writing IEPs...but what they didn’t go into depth on was when I had students in my classroom, how was I supposed to teach the skills which were outlined in the IEPs...especially if they were years below the grade level the student was in with me. Today, we are going to talk about how we ...
#31 Making Goals, But With a Plan
January 06, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes - 9.61 MBSend us a Text Message. Welcome to 2021! It is January, and it is really the season of resolutions….but everyone knows that resolutions are made to be broken….How about we change that this year? Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners Season 2, Episode 31. Today, we are going to get excited about all the things we’ve done well, and identify little things that we can do to make our lives easier this year….because we don’t have time for massive time-consuming resolutions...lets win this year...
#30 Looking back on 2020 and New Year Resolutions
December 09, 2020 06:00 - 5 minutes - 4.08 MBSend us a Text Message. So many people have used the words unprecedented and history-making to describe this year… And those words just make me want to scream at this point! While they may be accurate, for me….this year has been surprising, overwhelming, and a blessing. Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 30. Today, let’s look back on this year and start thinking about what we want next year to look like. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’...
#29 Talking to Parents About Progress
December 02, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.3 MBSend us a Text Message. Your students have made a lot of progress this semester, and that is really something to celebrate! But, when students still aren’t at grade level, even after making big gains...talking to parents can be awkward...and difficult…. Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 29. Today we are going to talk about how to discuss progress with parents so that they understand that their child IS making gains, even if they aren’t on grade level yet. Subscribe & Review...
#28 Wrapping up RTI and Progress Monitoring for the Semester
November 25, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.49 MBSend us a Text Message. This has been a long, difficult semester….one I am glad to see is on it's way out! But for those of us knee deep in RTI, what do we need to do to wrap up this semester and prepare for next? Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 28. Today we are going to talk about some end of the semester habits to get into to have you prepared for next semester….before you go on break! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want...
#28 Wrapping up RTI and Progress Monitoring for the Semester
November 25, 2020 06:00 - 9 minutes - 6.49 MBThis has been a long, difficult semester….one I am glad to see is on it's way out! But for those of us knee deep in RTI, what do we need to do to wrap up this semester and prepare for next? Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 28. Today we are going to talk about some end of the semester habits to get into to have you prepared for next semester….before you go on break! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do t...
#27 Two Examples of How RTI Can Improve Learning
November 18, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 7.17 MBSend us a Text Message. I like concrete examples. Having abstract concepts thrown at me is great and all, but I have a hard time visualizing what that concept could look like in my classroom. Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 27. Today, let’s talk about how one skill, which many students struggle with, could be addressed in RTI in your classroom tomorrow. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today....
#27 Two Examples of How RTI Can Improve Learning
November 18, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 7.17 MBI like concrete examples. Having abstract concepts thrown at me is great and all, but I have a hard time visualizing what that concept could look like in my classroom. Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 27. Today, let’s talk about how one skill, which many students struggle with, could be addressed in RTI in your classroom tomorrow. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss...
#26 Is RTI actually effective?
November 11, 2020 06:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBSend us a Text Message. We have spent so much time talking about RTI...but honestly, is it really as effective as the “powers that be” believe it is? Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 26. Today we are going to talk about real life examples of how RTI can be effective in the classroom. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episod...
#25 Why Do Schools Even do RTI?
November 04, 2020 06:00 - 10 minutes - 7.23 MBSend us a Text Message. RtI is a lot of work...for everyone involved. And with all of the extra work we all have to do because of COVID and distance or face to face learning, a lot of teachers are wondering why schools have to do RtI in the first place. Welcome to Reaching Struggling Learners, Episode 25. Today we are going to discuss why schools started and continue to use RtI. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do t...
#24 How to Get More Gen Ed Teacher Involvement in IEPs
October 28, 2020 05:00 - 9 minutes - 6.87 MBSend us a Text Message. Teachers, all of them have so much on their plates right now...and let’s face it, if it isn’t a task they are directly responsible for, things are being back-burnered...just for survival if nothing else. Not that helping out a coworker isn't important, or that data collection isn't either....but when it comes to providing feedback on student performance...if it isn't something that the teacher is directly responsible for creating....that feedback gets put to the bott...
#23 How to Get More Parent Involvement in IEPs
October 21, 2020 05:00 - 13 minutes - 9.51 MBSend us a Text Message. If you’re a special education teacher, you know that some parents are going to come to every IEP meeting and give good input...and other parents are going to be incredibly difficult to reach and getting them to attend, even over the phone, can be like pulling teeth. What can we do to get more involvement from that second group of parents? Today, let’s talk about how we can get more parents actively involved in IEP meetings. In this episode, I'll be sharing several i...
#22 Getting Parents Involved in Providing Interventions
October 14, 2020 05:00 - 7 minutes - 5.39 MBSend us a Text Message. Have you ever sat with your coworkers and discussed how awesome it would be if parents could or would work with children at home? I know I have many times. Today we are going to talk about some ways that teachers can help parents understand the interventions they are providing to students, and how they can support the students at home. If we can get more buy-in from parents, we can make bigger, faster gains in student learning. Are you subscribed to my podcast? I...
#21 5 Steps to Staying Healthy During Cold and Flu Season
October 10, 2020 05:00 - 15 minutes - 11 MBSend us a Text Message. Obviously we have been talking...a lot...about staying healthy and basically not getting COVID...and now that cold and flu season is also upon us, what can we do to keep healthy with all the stresses and extra work we have because of all the things that have happened in 2020? Today we are going to take a tiny break, in this bonus episode, to just talk about we can do to stay healthy during this season. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? ...
#20 Talking to Parents About Your Academic Concerns
October 07, 2020 05:00 - 10 minutes - 7.36 MBDoes the thought of calling parents and discussing your concerns about academics or behavior make you feel queasy? Do you feel uncomfortable talking to parents about your concerns? Hey, we have all been there….let’s talk about what we can do about it! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s ...
#20 Talking to Parents About Your Academic Concerns
October 07, 2020 05:00 - 10 minutes - 7.36 MBSend us a Text Message. Does the thought of calling parents and discussing your concerns about academics or behavior make you feel queasy? Do you feel uncomfortable talking to parents about your concerns? Hey, we have all been there….let’s talk about what we can do about it! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’r...
#19 Ok, I have data….What do I do with it?
September 30, 2020 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.68 MBSend us a Text Message. How incredibly frustrating is it when you’ve been working with a student for a long time, and you have come to understand that the student needs more supports than you’re able to give...but no one will listen when you talk about this issue???? I know it absolutely drove me up the wall when that happened to me! Today, I would like to talk a little bit about what you can do with all of that data you’ve been collecting and how you can use it to advocate for your studen...
#18 4 Easy Steps to Collecting Data for RTI
September 23, 2020 05:00 - 13 minutes - 9.12 MBSend us a Text Message. Have you been working on RTI in your classroom, but it all seems so complicated and is taking up way too much time? Let’s see if we can make this process a bit easier for everyone. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click ...
#17 What do they mean when they ask you to collect data for RTI?
September 16, 2020 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBSend us a Text Message. Today, I would like to talk about something that has been a struggle for so many teachers I have worked with over the past several years...and that is determining what data should be collected for RTI. While it seems complicated, once you get into working with RTI, I think you'll see it isn't nearly as complicated as it seems. So, let's make it a little more clear today. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encoura...
#16 Practicing Skills During Down-Time
September 09, 2020 05:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBSend us a Text Message. I have all the time in the world to fit in everything I need to! ….said no teacher ever… Teachers don't have enough time for all the things they have to do in a day...yet they are masters at somehow making it all work and fitting it all in. It isn't easy, but somehow, they manage it. Today, I'm going to share one huge way that I fit RTI skill practice into my day and make sure that the skills are practiced, even when we don't have time allotted in the schedule ...
#15 How to Get Started with RTI
August 19, 2020 05:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBSend us a Text Message. Getting started with RTI can be overwhelming and incredibly intimidating....let me take the overwhelm out of it for you and give you step by small step directions on how to successfully get RTI running in your classroom....with a minimal amount of anxiety and stress for you! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes...
#14 What To Do When You Know a Student is Struggling
August 12, 2020 09:00 - 12 minutes - 8.91 MBSend us a Text Message. We have all had those students in our classes....students who we know do not have the skills they need to be successful in meeting our grade level standards, and certainly will struggle more as they go further on in school....The obvious answer is: HELP THEM! But, with all of the demands on teacher's time and workload....how in the world do we fit in supporting students who are below grade level and teach them the skills they need to make progress? I've got some ide...
#13 What is ZPD?
August 05, 2020 10:00 - 13 minutes - 9.22 MBSend us a Text Message. What is ZPD? And what the heck does it have to do with my classroom, and especially my struggling learners??? Today, we talk about how identifying and using the ZPD can help our struggling learners make long term progress. First, we start by explaining what ZPD is in simple terms, with lots of examples....then we move on into why you should use it in your classroom. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage...
#12 How to Track a Special Ed Caseload Without Losing Your Mind Part 2
July 29, 2020 05:00 - 9 minutes - 6.62 MBSend us a Text Message. Last week we talked about ways to tame the paperwork beast....this week we talk more about this topic, and how you can create systems that work for you to keep it all under control! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. Click...
#11 How to Track a Special Ed Caseload Without Losing Your Mind Part 1
July 22, 2020 09:00 - 10 minutes - 7.58 MBSend us a Text Message. Being a special education teacher is a HUGE job, and so many wonderful teachers get buried under the PAPERWORK. Today I discuss ways that I have found to tame the paperwork beast to save time so that I can get back to doing what I love….teaching! Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re n...
#10 Appreciating Learning Differences in the Classroom
July 15, 2020 18:00 - 11 minutes - 8.16 MBSend us a Text Message. We know that our students learn differently, but how much time do we really spend thinking about these differences, let alone appreciating them? In this episode, I talk about the importance of appreciating the learning differences in our students, and how we can use these differences to help our students achieve success. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to mis...
#9 The First Step in Solving the Problem
July 08, 2020 05:00 - 11 minutes - 7.82 MBSend us a Text Message. We know that there is a problem with the education system and that it is failing students. Why then do so many blame the students for the failure? What can teachers do to get one step closer to solving this problem and helping students learn what they need to, in order to succeed? Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus...
#8 Conversations About the Failure of the Education System
June 25, 2020 12:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBSend us a Text Message. 2020 has been ridiculous, no one can or will argue that point. But some good has come from all of this….important conversations have been had on the national stage. Hopefully these conversations are the start to major change in the country and world. There is one conversation that has not been widely had, but I think is vital to the advancement of struggling learners. Today, I want to discuss an important topic for struggling learners, and all learners in reality….t...
#7 My Honest Thoughts About Self Care
May 29, 2020 19:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Today, as we wind down the school year….the weirdest year I think any of us could ever have imagined…. I am reminded of how important teachers are in this crazy mixed-up world. Teachers bear the burden of educating, caring for, and protecting students….but the emotional toll it is taking on teachers is causing physical harm, and teachers are leaving the profession in droves. So, today, we are going to talk about that hashtag that has been trending for a long time now...
#6 Trauma in the Classroom
May 13, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBSend us a Text Message. With all the crazy things going on in the world- COVID-19, quarantine and now killer hornets (is that not a thing of nightmares????) we are all feeling the stress. But as teachers, we are aware that the stress we feel is nothing compared to what many of our students have dealt with or are dealing with right now. Today, I want to take a short break from progress monitoring and talk about a very real issue that teachers and students are struggling to deal with in thi...
#6 Trauma in the Classroom
May 13, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 24.9 MBWith all the crazy things going on in the world- COVID-19, quarantine and now killer hornets (is that not a thing of nightmares????) we are all feeling the stress. But as teachers, we are aware that the stress we feel is nothing compared to what many of our students have dealt with or are dealing with right now. Today, I want to take a short break from progress monitoring and talk about a very real issue that teachers and students are struggling to deal with in this remote learning environ...
#5 RTI Tier 3 Explained
May 06, 2020 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBSend us a Text Message. In Episode 4 of the Reaching Struggling Learners Podcast, we talked about RTI and Tier 1 and 2 interventions. In this episode, we expanded on what we talked about last week and moved into what makes Tier 3 interventions different and how to implement them in school setting. We discuss different ways that Tier 3 could be approached, and how teams arrive at moving a student to Tier 3. Finally, we discuss what could happen if a student continues to be unsuccessful, des...
#4 RTI Tiers 1 and 2 Explained
April 29, 2020 05:00 - 23 minutes - 15.8 MBSend us a Text Message. Today, on the Reaching Struggling Learners Podcast, we talk about RTI, especially Tiers 1 and 2 and what that could look like in a classroom. We also talk about why data collection and honing in on the root of the problem is so important, and can make a teacher’s life much easier in the end. For some great links and more information about progress monitoring, and how to get started, check out my blog post: 5 Steps to Begin Effective Progress Monitoring Subscribe &...
#2: Let's Build a House!
April 14, 2020 20:00 - 14 minutes - 10.2 MBSend us a Text Message. I heard a great analogy several years ago about education and teaching, which has struck a nerve with me. I have come to realize that teaching is a great deal like building a house. Our students need a firm, well-built foundation, on which all later learning can be built. In previous years, teaching was more tailored to the individual student, and while I value this individualization, I have no wish to go back to the one-room schoolhouse with 40 students! But, I do...
#3 The Progress Monitoring Struggle is Real
April 14, 2020 08:00 - 13 minutes - 9.32 MBSend us a Text Message. Today on the Reaching Struggling Learners Podcast, we discuss some of the pressures put on teachers to show improvement, ways that progress monitoring has been presented to me, and why I think that the process shouldn’t be so stress-inducing for teachers. Subscribe & Review in iTunes Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode. I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if ...
#1 Let’s Do This!
April 14, 2020 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBSend us a Text Message. I am Jessica Curtis (boy mom, veteran teacher in gen ed and sped, passionate about making sure every student is able to perform the basic skills needed to be successful after graduating high school, especially reading) of Everyday Teaching Adventures. I started ETA because I like making things for my students and realized that many teachers were struggling to find resources which met the needs of struggling learners. So I started out by creating resources to help wi...