Centering Text with Middle School Readers feat. Sara Quinn

Sara Quinn, a middle school reading interventionist in Atlanta, Georgia, joins host Rose Else-Mitchell to talk about her journey from teaching kindergarten to supporting adolescent readers. Along the way, Sara questioned familiar practices, went deep with Orton-Gillingham instruction, and continued searching for evidence about ways to connect reading instruction with meaningful text experiences. Rose and Sara discuss what it takes to teach middle school students who have experienced years of reading difficulty, what’s challenging about assessing comprehension with adolescents, and the importance of explicit instruction that helps students understand both what to do and why as they build reading and writing skills. References and Resources:I’m a reading interventionist, but I don’t teach reading by Sara QuinnQuest for a Better Gist Statement: When "Find the Main Idea" isn't Working by Sara QuinnStaying Power by Zena SharmanWhat Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent LiteracyThe Taste of Country Cooking by Edna Lewis (Sara's favorite cookbook)Jamie’s Italy by Jamie Oliver (Rose's favorite cookbook)Science of Reading Center at SUNY New PaltzCredits:Guest: Sara Quinn, Middle School Reading Interventionist and Goyen Literacy Fellow based in Atlanta, GAHost: Rose Else-Mitchell, Executive Director of the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New PaltzProduced by the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz, Rose Else-Mitchell, and Onalee SmithOriginal music and audio editing by Ross Gentry***Keywords: middle school literacy, adolescent reading instruction, science of reading, reading intervention, reading comprehension, explicit instruction, structured literacy, reading fluency, vocabulary instruction, writing instruction, student engagement, literacy coaching, comprehension strategies, reading motivation, literacy development***Get in Touch:Have a question or topic you’d like us to cover? Interested in being on a future episode of Reading Realities? Contact us at [email protected]. If this episode resonated with you, please:Follow Reading RealitiesLeave a rating and reviewShare with a colleague or educator in your networkVisit our website to learn more.