Three Examples of Joy in the Science of Reading Classroom

Earlier this Fall, I wrote a piece called Stop Being Such F****** Killjoys that implored members of the science of reading and learning communities to stop creating a false dichotomy between rigor and fun. Since then, we published two longer pieces about rigorous classroom routines and activities that are also joyful and playful: Vowel Surgery and Figurative Language Four Square. Today, I wanted to share very different three videos that build on this theme.

First up, kindergarten teacher Anjanette shows us how she brings purposeful movement into phonics lessons. This video highlights fun and easy ways to weave brief, purposeful movement into your phonics lessons without diluting the lesson or routine. A lively pace and quick bursts of movement keep students energized and focused—boosting engagement without taking away from the learning.

Next up, reading interventionist Tal shares three activities to help intervention students develop bilateral coordination (the ability to move both sides of the body together in an intentional and synchronized way). Like Anjanette, Tal does not spend much time on these activities, but they serve as a quick warm-up for intervention, while also helping these students develop gross and fine motor skills. Tal also uses these activities to build relationships and rapport with these striving readers, who are often self-conscious and reluctant to participate in intervention.

Finally, we visit reading interventionist Sara’s 7th grade intervention small group, where students are preparing to read a new text about world religions. These older students spend most of their day lost and disconnected from their core instruction—and as a result rarely get the opportunity to contribute in their classes and develop their oral language skills. In this clip, note how Sara is building their confidence, motivation, oral language skills and background knowledge simultaneously…while creating a joyful and affirming space for these teenagers.