Meet Our Guest:

Meet Faith Borkowsky:
Faith Borkowsky, the founder of High Five Literacy, LLC, is an internationally respected and sought-after literacy consultant, certified dyslexia practitioner, and award-winning author and speaker. She has over thirty-five years of experience in literacy instruction – as a classroom teacher, reading and learning specialist, regional literacy coach, administrator, and private tutor.

Follow on Faith Borkowsky on Social Media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faithborkowsky/

Meet Judy Boksner:
Judy Boksner has over 25 years of New York City Education experience as an educator, classroom teacher, coach, and reading specialist. Judy works with teachers and children all throughout areas in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Greenwich Ct. She has extensive training in evidence-based methodologies such as Orton Gillingham, Wilson’s Fundations, and The Hochman Method, also known as The Writing Revolution.

Follow on Judy Boksner on Social Media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judy-boksner-478b5118/

Sound Bites to Ponder:
“We got it wrong in a lot of ways.”

“Good readers could read words in isolation.”

“It was a curriculum disability rather than a learning disability.”

“A lot of kids weren’t making the progress that they needed, even with one-on-one instruction.”

“The easy conversations where everybody’s in a silo talking about the same thing, agreeing with each other every single time saying, yeah, you’re right, you’re right. Those aren’t the kind of conversations that are actually going to shift the needle.”

“When you are teaching in those upper grades, you just can’t understand why kids are coming up to you not reading.”

Watch on YouTube:

Takeaways:

• The dominant teaching method of balanced literacy has not been effective in teaching children to read.
• Phonics and decoding skills are crucial for reading success.
• Implementing change in the education system can be challenging due to various factors, including financial interests and resistance to change.
• Open and compassionate discussions are essential for moving the field of literacy forward. The shift from balanced literacy to structured literacy has been driven by the need for evidence-based practices and improved student outcomes.
• Professional development is crucial for teachers to effectively implement structured literacy instruction.
• Parents play a vital role in advocating for their children’s literacy education and should trust their instincts if they feel something is not right.
• There is a need for urgency in improving literacy instruction and trying new approaches to meet the needs of all students.

The Host:

While students may only be 20%-25% of our population today, they are 100% of our future. That is why education is one of the most important investments a country can make and the sole purpose for the existence of the Better Learning Podcast.

The Better Learning Podcast brings on valued guests that talk about ways we can improve education for our kids. Because after all, they are 100% of our future!

Kevin Stoller:
Kevin Stoller is the host of the Better Learning Podcast and Co-Founder of Kay-Twelve, a national leader for educational furniture. Learn more about creating better learning environments at www.Kay-Twelve.com.

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If you are interested in being on the show or know someone who would be a great guest, please visit the Better Learning Podcast website.

Our Partners:

Who made this episode possible?
Association for Learning Environments (A4LE) – https://www.a4le.org/
Education Leaders’ Organization – https://www.ed-leaders.org/
Second Class Foundation – https://secondclassfoundation.org/