Coach From The Couch

It doesn’t really matter which approach you take. What matters is that it’s taught.

Explicitly. Systematically.

And to automaticity.

Much more in the post: https://coachfromthecouch.com/2026/06/07/two-phonics-approaches/

For the past several months, I’ve spent a good deal of time learning more about speech to print phonics instruction through training in both Reading Simplified and Sounds-Write.

Not because I think this approach is better than the more commonly used print to speech approaches, but because I just wanted to learn more about the differences between the two--and more importantly, what those differences look like in actual classroom instruction.

So I put what I've learned into a new blog post comparing the two.

I also included a side-by-side comparison chart that breaks down the instructional differences in a very practical way.

One thing that became very clear to me while writing this piece is that, as always, the conversation is far more nuanced than social media often makes it seem.

Check out the full post in the comments below 👇

As the school year comes to a close, it's time for reflection.

Think about the students leaving your classroom this year.

Are they stronger readers than they were in August?

Most teachers can answer that question with a resounding yes.

But here's a much harder question:

Do they WANT to read more than they did in August?

I've been thinking a lot about why both questions matter. It's what I dig into in my latest post. 👇

In the course, you’ll get tips to:

✅ Make better use of the time you have
✅ Simplify literacy instruction
✅ Reduce overwhelm
✅ Create smoother instructional flow
✅ Stop feeling like you’re racing the clock

https://coachfromthecouch.com/stop-losing-time-in-your-ela-block-20-simple-fixes-that-actually-work/

Chances are, you felt a constant feeling of racing the clock during ELA this whole school year.

Trying to squeeze in all the things: phonics, vocabulary, reading, writing, conferencing, small groups, intervention…and somehow still keep it all meaningful?

It’s exhausting!

Sadly, most teachers assume that’s just the way it has to be.

But it doesn't.

So many of the biggest daily time drains in literacy instruction are actually fixable once you know where to look. It's the things that most teachers miss.

That’s exactly why I created my new mini course:

⏳Stop Losing Time in Your ELA Instruction

Inside, I share 20 practical, classroom-tested strategies to help you:

✔ Save instructional time
✔ Simplify literacy instruction
✔ Create smoother daily systems
✔ Stop feeling buried by the clock every day

No fluff. No AI-genterated ideas.

And no unrealistic expectations.

Just realistic strategies that help literacy feel more manageable again and help you regain time!

It's the perfect course to dig into over the summer to be ready to tackle the literacy block in the fall!

➡️Grab the link for the course in the comments below!

Here's a literacy challenge no one EVER talks about:

Some students appear to be doing just fine all year long. "in the green" on all mandated assessments. In the green, that is, until the end of year state reading test results come back.

In tests of deeper reading comprehension like these, students who seemed to be fine...weren't.

Many of today’s assessments are excellent at helping us identify certain kinds of reading difficulties. But some students can still slip through the cracks, especially when comprehension struggles are much harder to detect through quick screeners and computer-based measures.

In my newest blog post, I explore why this happens, what some of the most commonly used literacy assessments in schools today may be missing, and the simple actions we can take to prevent unidentified comprehension struggles.

If you’ve ever been surprised by a student’s state reading test score, I think this conversation will resonate with you. Link is in the comments below. 👇

Raise your hand if you're a teacher who feels like there’s never enough time in your day.

Please know that you are NOT alone.

But here’s the thing:

It’s not always about needing more time.

It’s about preventing the loss of time that happens every day in ways we don’t even realize.

In my newest blog post, I break down some of the biggest “hidden” time-wasters during instruction, how to recognize if they're happening to you, and what to do about it.

And this is just the beginning.

I’m currently creating a mini course all about saving time in deep, sustainable ways.

👀 More details coming soon!

For now, you'll want to check out the tips I share in the post. The link is in the first comment below. ⬇️

We talk a lot about reading and writing in literacy.

But what about the other two pieces?

👉 Speaking
👉 Listening

And what happens when those skills are underdeveloped?

We can see it in everything:

– unclear writing
– surface-level responses
– conversations that don’t go anywhere

And yet...

Teachers just don't have time to add something new.

But there's good news!

You don’t have to.

In my latest post, I share a very effective and simple way to build speaking and listening into what you’re already doing, starting with small shifts that lead to meaningful book club conversations, where speaking and listening skills can grow and flourish.

Check it out 👇