Falling for Learning Podcast

How to Use UFLI Lessons & Decodable Text for Reading PracticeIn this episode, T.D. Flenaugh demonstrates how parents and teachers can use UFLI Foundations Lessons and the decodable passage to build early readers’ decoding, fluency, and comprehension.The episode highlights how repeated oral reading, focused practice with tricky words, as well as how drawing and labeling activities can help students grow into more confident readers.Episode HighlightsUsing repeated reads with the UFLI Lesson 33 “What Is a Vet?” passageUsing choral reading and immediate correction to support accurate readingTeaching irregular, or “tricky,” words explicitly before rereadingConnecting reading comprehension with drawing and labeling words from the passageExtending practice with UFLI word work chains and roll-and-read gamesResourcesExplore the UFLI Literacy Institute Toolbox.Purchase your own UFLI Foundations Teacher Manual.Visit T.D. Flenaugh’s Falling in Love with Learning resources page to purchase The R.E.W.R.I.T.E. Method & Workbook.Action itemsRead the decodable passage aloud with students several times.Ensure students sound out/read words rather than only highlight them.Teach 2-5 tricky (irregular) words in the passage.Invite students to draw a scene from the text and label it with 5 words from the passage.Extend practice with word work chains or roll-and-read games.Keep practice patient, repetitive, and encouraging.

How to Help Struggling Writers Without Shutting Them DownIn this solo episode, T.D. Flenaugh shares a practical approach to supporting students who struggle with writing—especially those who freeze at a blank page or shut down after receiving feedback. She connects classroom experiences with national writing data and introduces a framework for building students’ writing habits without overwhelming them.Using an unfinished student argument draft as an example, Flenaugh demonstrates how to start feedback with strengths and then offer one focused next step. She also explains the difference between pre-writing, drafting, revision, and editing, and makes the case for authentic audiences, intentional practice, and more room for creativity in writing instruction.Episode Highlights01:05 — What this episode will help teachers do03:10 — NAEP writing scores and the national decline04:38 — Classroom and college signs of a deeper writing crisis06:43 — Where to find R.E.W.R.I.T.E. Method resources08:59 — Reading a writing sample13:03 — Root causes and recognizing students’ talents15:22 — Effective feedback starts with strengths25:59 — Writing process, from pre-writing to editing30:49 — Real audiences improve motivation32:14 — Intentional writing goals33:47 — Treasures of writing and language of the discipline34:46 — Encouraging creativity in writing instructionThe R.E.W.R.I.T.E. Method https://fallinginlovewithlearning.com/resources/ols/products/free-ebook-falling-in-love-with-writingRoot causesRecognizing talentsEffective feedbackReal-world purposes and audiencesIntentional practiceTreasures: writing qualitiesEncouraging creativity

Food, Family, and Nutrition: Teaching Kids to Eat SmarterThis episode focuses on how parents and educators can help kids make healthier food choices in a world full of recalls, processed foods, and mixed messages about nutrition. T.D. Flenaugh and Lauren Moseley discuss practical ways to teach children about food safety, food labels, and the connection between food and how the body works.They also explore how cooking, gardening, and eating together can build healthier habits, stronger family connections, and a more informed approach to food.Episode Highlights00:43 - Lauren’s perfume-making detour and a segue into food safety03:23 - Education as a tool for health and empowerment06:11 - Connecting nutrition lessons to real-world reading and writing10:20 - Using research and documentaries to study what’s in food13:50 - Black bean sprouting as a simple at-home science lesson16:14 - Food festivals, family recipes, and cultural connections21:20 - Modeling healthy choices when family and school influences differ23:32 - Avoiding shame, reward, and punishment around food27:36 - Taste buds, food habits, and trying new things over time30:51 - How sight, smell, and taste work together in food choices33:14 - Final encouragement to help kids become informed eaters

Season 4, episode 11 Replay Show NotesThese 12th Graders Can't Read or WriteA Texas teacher’s viral reaction to finding 12th graders unable to complete a simple sentence frame sparks a larger conversation about literacy, expectations, and what schools can do when students are far behind. T.D. Flenaugh and Lauren Moseley unpack why the frustration is real, but also why giving up or over-scaffolding is not the answer.In this episode, they focus on how to assess students honestly at the start of the year, how to use scaffolds without keeping them forever, and how creativity, choice, and consistent practice can help older students close literacy gaps.Episode Highlights00:19 - Why a Texas 12th grade literacy meltdown went viral03:23 - What scaffolding means in practice08:24 - Why beginning-of-year assessment matters more than immediate scaffolding14:33 - Telling students where they need to be without shaming them16:32 - Grade-level standards and asking students to articulate them19:28 - How a five-page narrative helped eleventh graders succeed22:44 - Why choice helped get 100 percent work completion in some tasks26:12 - Setting a 10-minute writing goal and increasing expectations over time32:22 - Pulling back sentence frames as students improve40:33 - Why the conversation will continue with reading as well as writing41:02 - Closing advice: release scaffolds, raise expectations, and keep practice fun

Teaching Civic Engagement: How to Think, Vote, and LeadThis episode of Falling for Learning Podcast focuses on civic engagement and why it matters to start early with students. T.D. Flenaugh and Lauren Moseley talk about helping kids think critically, understand rules and laws, and practice participation through voting, writing letters, and solving community problems. In this conversation, they connect classroom routines to bigger democratic habits and share practical ways teachers and parents can help children use their voice without telling them what to think.Timestamps00:00 — Introducing civic engagement and helping students think critically06:30 — Writing letters and giving children a voice in public concerns13:13 — Student advocacy and how schools can respond to children’s needs19:40 — Teaching respectful disagreement, nuance, and civil discourse26:05 — Community responsibility through animal care and local action34:39 — Closing encouragement for educators and parents