Diagnostic Reading Tools Every Teacher Needs Before Summer
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
06/01/26
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What if the biggest obstacle to student success isn't summer, it's what teachers stop doing after the standardized test?
In Part 1 of my S5E40 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Dr. Katherine (Kay) Stahl, literacy consultant, clinician, and former director of the NYU Literacy Clinic, she shares what 25+ years in classrooms taught her about reading, assessment, and what actually works. Learn about effective methods for teaching reading and supporting learning to read, ensuring summer reading is a time of continued progress. This conversation offers practical education tips for teachers, emphasizing the importance of phonics and ongoing teaching, especially after standardized testing concludes.
🎯 In this episode, you'll also learn about:
• The constrained vs. unconstrained skills framework every teacher needs to understand
• Why diagnostic assessment has fallen by the wayside and how to bring it back
• What fluency really means beyond reading speed (hint: it's about comprehension)
• The case for morphology instruction in 3rd grade and beyond
• How to turn end-of-year data into something useful for families and next year's teacher
• Paired reading: the research-backed strategy parents can use at home this summer
Some resources mentioned:
- Assessment for Reading Instruction
- Paris, S. (2005). "Reinterpreting the Development of Reading Skills." Reading Research Quarterly
- Stahl, K. (2011). "Applying New Visions of Reading Development in Today's Classroom." The Reading Teacher
- Keith Topping, paired reading research and methodology
- Kay's website — specifically a parent-facing section on diagnostic assessment with 12 questions parents should ask their child's teacher
- Kay's five co-authored books
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction ➡️Dr. Kay Stahl
1:45 Who is Kay? Background & NYU Literacy Clinic
2:45 Constrained vs. unconstrained skills (Scott Paris research)
5:30 The biggest mistake teachers make at year-end
8:30 Turning data into action ➡️ end-of-year assessment tables
11:00 Why diagnostic assessment has fallen by the wayside
13:00 Science of reading & Assessment for Reading Instruction
13:45 Morphology ➡️what it is and why it matters
15:40 Fluency beyond reading speed ➡️accuracy, prosody & comprehension
18:00 The speedometer➡️teaching kids to match reading rate to purpose
20:30 Paired reading ➡️ the research-backed family strategy
22:30 Lightning round ➡️summer tips, myths & quick wins
25:30 Wrap-up & what's coming in Part 2
Part 2 drops Friday: covering summer reading plans, what counts as reading, and a comprehension finding that changes everything.
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🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
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When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Previous Episode
This June, Schoolutions is setting teachers, families, and students up for success in September all summer long. Five conversations. One month of inspiring students, empowered educators, and real education transformation.
This Month's Conversations:
📖 S5 E40: Dr. Kay Stahl | June 1 & 5
Dr. Kay Stahl brings 25+ years of classroom and clinic experience to a conversation about the 5th edition of Assessment for Reading Instruction. A must-listen for anyone who cares about student success and keeping reading alive all summer. Kay's insights on paired bedtime reading and dinner-table reading talk make the home-school connection feel completely doable and prove that summer slide is totally avoidable.
🏃 S5 E41: @CoachGelardi | June 8 & 12
Coach Tom Gelardi, New York State's P.E. Teacher of the Year, pulls back the curtain on what really happens in a gym class: managing 64 kids in a space meant for 30, and building a YouTube channel closing in on 15 million views. This conversation transforms how you see student engagement, whole child development, and the power of movement as an instructional strategy.
➗ S5 E42: Wendy Ward Hoffer | June 15 & 19
Author of All Minds on Mathematics, Wendy makes the case that summer is the most underused math classroom we have. The kitchen, the car, and the dinner table are all you need. A practical, joyful playbook for any adult who wants to grow a curious mathematician, no worksheets required. @PEBC
💛 S5 E43: Dr. Kass & Cornelius Minor | June 22 & 26
Co-founders of The Minor Collective, Cornelius and Dr. Kass Minor, have spent years building education around one radical premise: kids deserve to be truly centered. In a moment when teaching feels surveilled, exhausted, and politically complicated, this conversation is a fierce, tender reminder of why the work still matters.
🎙️ S5 E44: Season 5 Closing Reflection | June 29
I (Olivia Wahl) reflect on the big ideas from Season 5, preview what's coming this summer, and share what Season 6 is all about — for teachers, by teachers — leading up to my book release in spring 2027.
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Chapters:
0:00–0:10: Intro
0:10–0:20 Dr. Kay Stahl
0:20–0:30 Coach Tom Gelardi
0:30–0:40Wendy Ward Hoffer
0:40–0:48 Kass & Cornelius Minor
0:48–0:59 Season 5 Reflection
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #TeacherPodcast #EducationPodcast #StudentEngagement #ClassroomBelonging #ActiveLearning #InspiringStudents #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalStrategies #TeachingTips #InnovativeTeaching #InclusiveTeaching #TeacherCoaching #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherSupport #MentorTeachers #CoachingStrategies #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership #SchoolImprovement #InstructionalLeadership #EducationLeadership #SchoolCulture #PrincipalStrategies #ParentInvolvement #HomeSchoolConnection #FamilyPartnerships #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching #EquityInEducation #InclusiveClassrooms #AntiBiasTeaching #ProKidMindset #WholeChild #StudentSuccess #ThrivingStudents #EmpoweredEducators #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #SummerLearning #NewTeachers
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
Next Episode
Are all reading skills taught the same way? Not according to researcher Scott Paris and understanding the difference could transform how you teach literacy.
In this short from my S5E40 @schoolutionspodcast conversation, I sit down with Dr. Kay Stahl as she explains how Scott Paris introduced a powerful framework that every educator needs to know: the Constrained vs. Unconstrained Skills Continuum. On one end, you have constrained skills like phonics and letter names: sequential, isolated, and learned over a short period of time. On the other end are unconstrained skills like comprehension and vocabulary: lifelong learning journeys that grow incrementally and can never truly be "finished."
This distinction is a game-changer for instructional strategies and lesson planning, because it means we can't use a one-size-fits-all approach to effective teaching. When we understand that phonics has a finish line but comprehension does not, we become better equipped to support the whole child and build a path toward true student success.
Watch, reflect, and share Part 1 & Part 2 of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E40 interview.
📧 Book a coaching session with me here, if you’d like a thought partner to help you cultivate curious learners who advocate for what they believe in.
📚 CHAPTERS
0:00 – Introduction: Not All Skills Are Equal
0:08 – What Are Constrained Skills? (Phonics & Letter Names)
0:20 – The Skill Continuum Explained
0:32 – What Are Unconstrained Skills? (Comprehension & Vocabulary)
0:45 – Why This Framework Changes How We Teach
#Schoolutions #SchoolutionsPodcast #ForeverGettingBetter #CuriosityDriven #EvidenceBased #ClassroomReadyStrategies #effectiveteaching #instructionalstrategies #teachingtips #studentengagement #activeLearning #inclusiveclassrooms #culturallyresponsiveteaching #professionaldevelopment #instructionalcoaching #teachercoaching #schoolleadership #schoolimprovement #educationleadership #newteachers #mentorteachers #lessonplanning #wholesomechild #studentsuccess #empowerededucators #educationtransformation #literacydevelopment #readinginstruction #phonics #comprehension #constrainedskills #unconstrainedskills #scottparis #teacherimpact #schoolculture #equityineducation
When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.
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