Word Love

Proud of my daughter, Lily, whose self portrait was selected for the 2nd Annual District 13 Art Scene exhibition.

“Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”

It’s funny because so many of us remember it from school, even if we remember almost nothing else about the cell.

But that may be the point.

Maybe those little phrases, definitions, and half-remembered facts are not as useless as we sometimes think. Maybe they help us follow conversations, recognize ideas, ask better questions, and connect new learning to old memories.

My latest piece is about shallow knowledge, cultural vocabulary, and why remembering something small is still better than remembering nothing.

Read or listen: https://open.substack.com/pub/wordlovedispatch/p/shallow-knowledge-is-better-than?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Quick question:

How do you decide which words to teach?

I get this one all the time—and the truth is, most vocabulary lists don’t lead to much real use. Kids recognize the words, but they don’t use them.

I wrote up the process I use to build word banks that actually show up in student talk and writing.

It’s simple, but it’s deliberate.

Take a look: https://open.substack.com/pub/wordlovedispatch/p/where-do-you-get-your-words?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I’m working on narrowing K–2 Word Love math vocabulary down to a small, core set—about 12–15 words per grade.

Most lists get long fast. I’m trying to figure out which words actually matter and are worth revisiting all year.

If you teach or support K–2, I’d appreciate your input.

Kindergarten: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSelH1oxzA7H70ZncAal4GdOECYNQj6ka8QwSC6k-LkZskCk6Q/viewform?usp=header
1st Grade: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgtY-qDnd1PefiXz9OPy2zAcEjmeffNvDAQ5-4-FYX61S7TQ/viewform?usp=header
2nd Grade: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScKZY3CjZ8DS-MV-DxqJjnDSgKgKr2pTe5FSrLA2MlzPSO7EA/viewform?usp=header

Choosing 2nd Grade Math Vocabulary I’m narrowing this to a small set of core 2nd grade math words. Which of these are truly worth teaching and revisiting all year? Assume only 12–15 words will make the final list.

I’m running Word Love Summer Sessions again this year, and I’m looking forward to this group.

June 16–18 (vocabulary, grammar, spelling)
July 15 (Science of Learning Studio)

If you’ve been thinking about tightening up vocabulary or grammar instruction—or just getting clearer about what actually sticks for kids—this is a good place to do that work.

Some teams come together. Some send a few teachers.

Learn more: https://mailchi.mp/readwritemike.org/summer

Before anyone grabs the scissors…

This isn’t an anti–Reading Rope post.

It’s a “what does a teacher actually do next?” post.

I refer to the rope. I share it. But I keep coming back to this:

Is it helping teachers act on the science of reading—or just helping us display its parts?

That’s what this piece is about.

Curious what people think.

Read or listen here: https://open.substack.com/pub/wordlovedispatch/p/is-it-time-to-snip-the-reading-rope?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I was in a classroom a couple of weeks ago and started asking kids about fables.

They knew 'The Tortoise and the Hare.' A few knew 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.' But many of the others—'The Fox and the Grapes', 'The Lion and the Mouse'—were completely unfamiliar.

It struck me how much these stories have faded, even though they’re behind so many of the phrases we still use every day.

They’re short, memorable, and incredibly useful in the classroom—for reading, discussion, and even just building shared knowledge.

I wrote a short piece about why I think fables deserve a place back in regular instruction.

Read or listen here: https://open.substack.com/pub/readwritemike/p/the-shortest-stories-still-teach?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

First day of spring break and we’re segmenting up in here! Lily insisted on writing her own to-do list😅

I used to teach fluency by explaining it.

Charts, definitions, all of it.

And I would lose the classroom before we even started reading.

Recently, I watched a teacher begin with a simple move. She read aloud and asked students to notice what they heard. Then they read together. Then they read again.

Fluency is a straightforward practice. That is why it is easy to derail.

When the focus stays on modeling, repeated reading, and gradual release, students actually improve. When it turns into explanation and one-and-done reading, it does not.

I wrote about what this looks like and where it goes wrong.

Read or listen here: https://open.substack.com/pub/readwritemike/p/fluency-is-simple-thats-the-problem?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I’m starting a new memoir series about school called Lessons Before Lessons: A Learning Life.

The newest piece, The Math Race, goes back to a second-grade classroom, a chalkboard, and a speed game that quietly changed how I approached learning.

It wasn’t about math facts. It was about pressure, performance, and what happens when a kid freezes in front of a room full of peers.

If you’ve ever watched a student shut down after a public mistake, you might recognize the moment.

You can read or listen to it here 👇
https://open.substack.com/pub/readwritemike/p/the-math-race?r=7wxs3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web