8.9 Teacher Preparation

8.9 Teacher Preparation

Author: Shannon Betts and Mary Saghafi March 8, 2026 Duration: 1:12:01

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 curriculum bridges gaps in teacher knowledge, ensuring future educators are well-equipped to foster student success.   This episode will likely remind you of your own teacher training and inspire you, making you feel hopeful about the future of our field and for new teacher candidates.

01:16 Meet Today’s Guests
05:10 Teacher Prep Shifts Nationwide
10:54 Data Language and Decision Making
14:36 Unlearning Balanced Literacy
18:06 Teaching Phonemic Awareness to Adults
22:06 Modeling Explicit Instruction
25:39 Morphology and Word Study
29:49 Curriculum Partnerships and Fidelity
32:01 Adapting Curriculum with Scaffolds
35:50 Redesigning for Comprehension
38:13 Gateway Checks for Think Alouds
40:39 Coaching Struggling Candidates
43:53 Writing Methods and Sentence Work
48:22 Sentence Composing Mentor Models
52:11 Practicum Pathway and Feedback
01:03:04 Doctoral Program for Change Agents
01:07:19 Closing Thanks and Takeaways

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE EPISODE:

  1. Gordon College
  2. Sentence Composing (Don Killgallon)
  3. Grammar for Middle School: A Sentence Composing Approach by Don and Jenny Killgallon *Amazon affiliate link
  4. NCTQ
  5. Early literacy observation tool (Massachusetts)
  6. Moat's Survey of Teacher Knowledge
  7. How Spelling Supports Reading  article by Louisa Moats
  8. Gordon College's Science of Learning Doctoral Program

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In the Reading Teachers Lounge, hosts Shannon Betts and Mary Saghafi pull up a chair for a conversation that feels both deeply professional and warmly familiar. These two elementary reading teachers and Atlanta neighbors discovered a shared, fervent passion for literacy over a local dinner, realizing they were kindred spirits in their mission. That initial chat never really ended, and now it forms the heart of this podcast. Each episode invites you into their ongoing dialogue, where practical classroom strategies, reflections on what works, and thoughtful discussions about reaching every single learner are all on the table. It’s a space designed for fellow educators, dedicated parents, and anyone invested in how children learn to read, offering tangible ideas rather than abstract theory. The tone is collaborative and grounded in real classroom experiences, reflecting a joint belief that literacy is foundational. By tuning in, you gain access to their collective experience and earnest curiosity, all focused on the complex, rewarding world of teaching reading. This isn't about performance; it's about sharing a genuine professional conversation from their lounge to yours, making the Reading Teachers Lounge a unique podcast for those who live and breathe language education.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 129

Reading Teachers Lounge
Podcast Episodes
All About R-Controlled Vowels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:34
Shannon and Mary discuss how they discovered the importance of teaching phonics instruction and syllable division to help their student begin to crack the code of reading. Throughout the episode they will talk about stra…
All About Long Vowels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:05
Mary and Shannon describe how they teach long vowels to their struggling readers. They share their favorite resources and routines for conducting phonics lessons. Are you challenged by your struggling readers? Do you nee…
All About Short Vowels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:22
Shannon and Mary discuss background and strategies for teaching short vowels. You will learn facts and tidbits about literacy and why short vowels make their short, unique sounds. Hint! It has to do with the consonant ne…
Learning Disabilities 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:26
The process for identifying a specific learning disability such as dyslexia is complicated in the public school setting. In this episode Mary explains the RTI (Response to Intervention) process. She also breaks down how…
Decoding the MAP test [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:10
You've completed the benchmark assessments. You have done what has been asked of you by the administration. But really...what does that MAP score mean? Can you explain it to your students? Is it valid? Can you help your…
Getting to Know Your Readers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:56
How do you get to know your readers? Shannon and Mary share some of their experience using basic assessment tools to check foundational skills of their students: oral reading fluencysight wordsphonemic awarenessdecoding…
Becoming a Reading Teacher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:00
When was it that you first felt like you were a reading teacher who made the reading "magic" happen? When did you start to see growth from your students? What was the difference in your instruction or approach? In this e…
Introduction, Why we became teachers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:43
In this first episode, Shannon and Mary (two elementary reading teachers) introduce themselves and tell the stories about why they chose education and describe their varied teaching experiences.Support the showGet Litera…