In today’s episode, I’m unpacking a skill that often gets overlooked in upper elementary but has a huge impact on whether students can read big words with confidence. So many of our students see a long word and immediately freeze or give up, not because they don’t want to try, but because they don’t have the tools to break the word apart. That’s where syllabication comes in. When we intentionally teach students about syllable types and syllable division, we give them the confidence and know-how to tackle long words with accuracy and independence.

Throughout the episode, I unpack why syllabication is such an essential part of reading instruction in grades 3–5. I talk through the six syllable types, the foundational vowel sounds students need to understand, and why prompts like “slow down” or “break apart the word” aren’t effective unless students actually know how to do those things. I also share several reasons students struggle with multisyllabic words—gaps in early instruction, difficulty applying known rules to longer words, and the increased complexity of upper elementary texts. Most importantly, I focus on how teaching syllabication directly supports fluency, comprehension, and word recognition, and how it complements the work we’re already doing with prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

Finally, I break down what effective syllable instruction looks like in the classroom: explicit, systematic teaching paired with ongoing practice. I walk you through how to introduce each syllable type, why to start with simple examples, the importance of teaching exceptions, and ways to build in meaningful practice through warmups, small groups, independent reading, and vocabulary routines. My goal in this episode is to help you feel confident bringing syllabication into your classroom—because when students understand how syllables work, they gain a powerful tool for reading big words. And if you’re looking for ready-to-use lessons and visuals to support your teaching, be sure to check out the syllable types resource I mentioned at stellarteacher.com/syllables.

***This episode is a replay of Episode 121, a listener favorite that continues to help teachers support students with multisyllabic words.

Check out my Syllable Types: Lesson Plans & Activities Bundle here!

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode283.

In this episode, I’m kicking off December with a little real talk about this wild stretch between Thanksgiving and winter break—and how we can make it feel a bit lighter. These weeks can be LONG, so I’m sharing encouragement to protect your energy, give yourself permission to slow down a bit, and be more present with the people you love.

From there, I dive into the fun stuff: practical ways to incorporate movement into your literacy block so you can keep students engaged, focused, and still learning—even when they’re a little squirrely. I walk you through four easy movement routines you can start using right away: “Find Someone Who,” gallery walks, whip arounds, and snowball fights. I explain how each routine works, when to use it, and why taking just a few minutes to get kids up and moving can actually boost attention and comprehension rather than derail your lesson.

I also share tips for explicitly teaching and practicing these routines so they feel structured rather than chaotic—think modeling expectations, practicing the movement without content first, and using visual reminders like slides or anchor charts. Whether you’re looking for simple ways to review content, build in brain breaks that are still connected to instruction, or just survive these last few weeks with a little more joy, this episode will give you low-prep, high-engagement ideas you can use between now and winter break (and then again when you’re back in January!).

***This episode is a replay of Episode 111. While a few details may have shifted or changed since it first aired, the ideas and movement routines are still just as relevant and ready for you to use in your classroom.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode282.

In today’s episode, I’m diving into a small but mighty part of literacy instruction that has a huge impact on your students’ reading and writing success—the sentence. For years in my own classroom, I didn’t give sentence-level work nearly enough attention, even though sentences are at the heart of everything students read and write. If you’ve ever wondered how to strengthen your students’ writing, boost their comprehension, or make your literacy instruction more effective, this episode will give you a fresh perspective on why focusing on sentences matters so much.

I’m sharing five key reasons why sentence-level work is an essential part of upper elementary literacy instruction. Strong sentences are the foundation of all writing—whether students are crafting paragraphs, essays, summaries, or responses to reading, their success depends on their ability to write clear, complete, and detailed sentences. At the same time, understanding sentence structure is crucial for comprehension. When students understand how phrases and clauses work together, they are better equipped to make meaning from the increasingly complex texts they encounter. Plus, sentence-level work is manageable for students and teachers, it’s one of the most effective ways to teach grammar, and it benefits all learners—those who struggle and those who are already confident writers.

My hope is that this episode inspires you to slow down and give sentence-level writing the time and intention it deserves. Prioritizing sentences can transform your writing instruction, strengthen your students’ reading comprehension, and make your overall literacy block more effective and more manageable. Whether you’re looking for a place to start or simply need a reminder that small shifts can lead to big growth, this episode will give you practical insight into why every upper elementary teacher should be spending more time on sentences.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode281.

As we head into Thanksgiving week, I know things can start to feel a little chaotic. Schedules are disjointed, students are distracted, and you’re probably juggling classroom responsibilities with holiday prep, travel plans, or hosting duties. It’s a lot—and it’s easy to feel the pressure to keep pushing through. But this week’s episode is your gentle reminder that it’s okay to pause, slow down, and give yourself permission to do less.

In this short and heartfelt episode, I’m encouraging you to shift your focus from productivity to connection. Instead of cramming in one more lesson or assessment, think about what it might look like to create a calm and cozy classroom space. Read a picture book just for fun, play a simple vocabulary game, have your students free write about something joyful, or do a quick classroom reset together. These activities may look different from your usual plans, but they’re still deeply valuable—they help your students feel grounded, connected, and ready to return after Thanksgiving break with a clear mind.

So if you needed a little permission slip this week, this is it. Doing less doesn’t mean you’re falling behind—it means you’re protecting your energy and caring for your students in a meaningful way. You’re already doing enough, and the best thing you can give yourself (and your class) this Thanksgiving week is a moment to rest and recharge. Tune in for a little encouragement and a reminder that slowing down is sometimes the most productive thing you can do.

Purchase our Thanksgiving Themed Literacy Resource, or our Seasonal Literacy Bundle.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode280.

There are so many times as teachers when we realize we’re the ones doing all the heavy lifting during our lessons—talking, thinking, and writing—while our students sit back and watch. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Student engagement isn’t something that happens automatically, even with a great lesson plan. In this episode, I’m unpacking what it really means to plan for engagement and why it’s essential to build intentional opportunities for students to think, respond, and connect throughout every lesson.

I share a handful of simple engagement routines that can transform the way your students interact with your lessons. These routines—like the classic think-pair-share, agree/disagree statements, two-sentence responses, and three-two-one reflections—don’t require fancy materials or major prep. Instead, they’re flexible structures that you can use in any subject to spark thinking, encourage participation, and give every student a voice in your classroom.

By the end of this episode, you’ll see how easy it can be to plan for engagement and keep your students actively involved all lesson long. My challenge for you this week is to choose one engagement routine and try it out. Start small, stay intentional, and watch how your students’ focus, confidence, and comprehension grow. Click play to discover how small, intentional changes can make a big difference in how your students show up and engage during lessons.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode279.

If you’ve ever wrapped up what felt like a perfectly modeled lesson only to see blank stares when your students try it on their own, you’re not alone. You know the moment: you’ve explained, demonstrated, and thought aloud, but when it’s their turn, they freeze. The problem often isn’t the modeling itself—it’s that students need more support between watching and doing. That’s where effective scaffolding comes in.

In this episode, I break down the four key steps of scaffolding—modeling, approximating, fading away, and independent learning—and share why each one matters. You’ll learn how these steps help students internalize new skills rather than just imitate what they see, and how skipping a single phase can lead to confusion or frustration. When we add in those middle scaffolds, we create the structure students need to build true confidence and independence.

Ultimately, scaffolding is about slowing down the learning process just enough so that all students have the chance to succeed. When we give them the right amount of support—and remove it at the right time—we set them up for meaningful growth and long-term learning. This episode will help you reflect on your own scaffolding practices and feel confident making small, intentional shifts that lead to big results.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode278.

In this episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast, I’m diving into one of the most important and challenging comprehension skills we can teach our students—summarizing. If you’ve ever had students freeze when asked to write a summary or retell every single detail of a story, you’re not alone. Summarizing requires students to synthesize, prioritize, and organize information while expressing it in their own words. It’s a higher-level skill that takes time to develop, but it’s also one of the most powerful ways to boost reading comprehension.

I’ll walk you through three simple and effective summarizing frames you can introduce in your classroom this week. We’ll look at how the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then (SWBST) frame helps students capture the plot of a fiction text, how the TAMKO frame guides nonfiction summaries, and why the 10-Word Summary is a flexible, engaging way to help students identify what matters most. Each of these frames provides the structure students need to confidently summarize without getting overwhelmed—and over time, they’ll learn to do it independently.

If your students struggle to write clear, concise summaries, this episode is for you. You’ll learn how to model and scaffold each of these frames so students can see what an effective summary looks like. Plus, I share tips for deciding which frame to use, how to help students transition beyond them, and ways to make summarizing an engaging, low-stress part of your literacy routine.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode277.

In this episode of The Stellar Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing a simple, effective five-day routine to help upper elementary students who are struggling with reading. I know how overwhelming it can feel to support students who are behind while still teaching grade-level content, so my goal is to give you a strategy that’s easy to implement and takes just 15 minutes a day. I walk through why intervention is so challenging in upper elementary, and why many traditional resources don’t meet the needs of third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students who still need phonics, decoding, and phonemic awareness support.

I break down each day of the five-day routine, showing you exactly what to do: from introducing a weekly sound-spelling pattern, practicing phonics with activities like “tap it, map it, graph it,” building fluency through reading words, phrases, and sentences, to applying skills in decodable texts and finishing with spelling and fun games. This routine is structured yet flexible, allowing you to pull small groups, work with your whole class, or adapt it to your schedule. I also share how to make these lessons engaging for upper elementary students so they stay motivated and build confidence with big words and tricky spelling patterns.

Finally, I talk about resources and tools that make this routine even easier, including the Stellar Reading Intervention Toolkit. This ready-to-use toolkit follows the five-day framework and includes everything you need—word lists, activities, decodable texts, comprehension questions, and follow-ups—so you can start teaching right away without the stress of planning from scratch. I challenge you to pick one sound-spelling pattern this week and give the routine a try. Even small steps can make a huge difference in helping your students catch up, gain confidence, and become successful readers.

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To check out all of the resources from this episode, head to the show notes: https://www.stellarteacher.com/episode276.