S03E11 - Know Thy Purpose: Jocelyn Seamer on Transforming 3–6 Literacy cover art

S03E11 - Know Thy Purpose: Jocelyn Seamer on Transforming 3–6 Literacy

S03E11 - Know Thy Purpose: Jocelyn Seamer on Transforming 3–6 Literacy

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 In this episode, I’m joined by Jocelyn Seamer—educational consultant, author, and leading voice in structured literacy—to unpack what effective literacy instruction really looks like in the upper primary years. We dive into how to move beyond levelled texts and strategy-heavy comprehension lessons, and instead build a literacy block grounded in rich texts, explicit instruction, and purposeful writing. Jocelyn shares practical advice on everything from planning with backward design, to teaching spelling through morphology, to managing cognitive load with the “stretchy band” analogy. Whether you’re trying to make sense of guided reading, support struggling readers, or link reading and writing more effectively, this episode is packed with clarity and actionable ideas. Key topics include: Replacing levelled texts with rich, age-appropriate readingDesigning integrated, text-based units that link reading and writingExplicit vocabulary and background knowledge instructionThe role of syntax, spelling, and morphology in building strong writersResponsive teaching and avoiding the “dress rehearsal” trap in assessments A must-listen for any Year 3–6 teacher ready to teach literacy with more clarity, purpose, and impact. Resources mentioned: Reading Reconsidered – Doug LemovFive Plagues of the Developing Reader – from Reading ReconsideredThe Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – C.S. LewisVelveteen Rabbit – Margery WilliamsRose Meets Mr. Wintergarten – Bob GrahamThe Lost Thing – Shaun TanBringing Words to Life – Beck, McKeown & KucanQuestioning the Author – Beck, McKeown & SandoraDIBELS and Acadience – normed reading screenersMotif – free assessmentsKenn Apel’s morphology assessmentsJared Cooney Horvath You can connect with Jocelyn: Linkedin Facebook: @JocelynSeamerEducation Youtube: @JocelynSeamerEducation Podcast: The Structured Literacy Podcast Website: www.jocelynseamereducation.com/ You can connect with Brendan: Twitter: @learnwithmrlee Facebook: @learningwithmrlee Website: learnwithlee.net Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast: https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast About Jocelyn Seamer is a former teacher, tutor and school leader who has experienced, first-hand, the transformative power of evidence-based practice in literacy instruction. She has led teams to grow and develop school policy and practice to reflect the vast body of evidence that makes up the Science of Reading. Through her own classroom practice and leadership roles in schools, Jocelyn has developed a strong understanding of how you can take simple, yet effective action to get every child on the road to literacy proficiency in the first years of school. Jocelyn feels a very personal responsibility to provide opportunities for classroom teachers to have access to the information and training they need to change children's lives and looks forward to helping you achieve great things in your teaching practice. Read more on Jocelyn Seamer Education. 🎯 Struggling to know whether to model again or move on? You’re not alone — and this course is for you. Effective Primary Maths Teaching is my live, two-day online course designed to help you stop second-guessing and start teaching with clarity and purpose. Across two highly practical days, I’ll walk you through: ✅ When and why to use explicit instruction, word problems, fluency tasks, and more ✅ How to align your teaching with student readiness ✅ The nuts and bolts of effective daily reviews, worked examples, and fluency practice ✅ A practical framework to help you teach responsively — not reactively Everything’s grounded in the science of learning, backed by real classroom examples, and designed so you can take action straight away. You’ll leave with a workbook, an action plan, and the confidence to use it all on Monday. 🗓️ Dates: Day 1 – Monday 4 August 2025 (9am–3pm AET) Day 2 – Monday 1 September 2025 (9am–3pm AET) 🖥️ Live online (with recordings) | 🧠 10 hours total | 💲 $299 Whether you’re a teacher wanting clarity or a leader building consistency, this is the course people tell me they wish they’d done years ago. ▶️ Register now: events.humanitix.com/effective-primary-maths-teaching The last one sold out — don’t miss out.
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