Reclaiming Word Reading Instruction in Intermediate Grades

The Six Shifts

In this podcast episode, Katie Egan Cunningham, Jan Burkins, and Kari Yates, the authors of Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This much-awaited sequel to the first Shifting the Balance book introduces six more shifts for elementary teachers. In this episode, the authors discuss the fourth new shift, which addresses reclaiming the role of word recognition instruction in the upper elementary grades. They talk about the false assumption that students will know everything they need to about how words work by the time they reach third grade. The authors also introduce the “Filling-the-Gaps” challenge and the “Moving Forward” challenge and suggest that carefully selected high-utility routines can help with both of these. Learn more about all twelve shifts at TheSixShifts.com.