The Brain Science Behind Better Writing Instruction
Schoolutions: Curious Educators. Evidence-Based Strategies. Classrooms Where Every Child Thrives.
02/13/26
•19m
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Welcome back to Part Two of my S5E24 @schoolutionspodcast conversation with Melanie Meehan and Maggie Beattie Roberts, where we explore how understanding the brain's role can inform "how to write" instruction. This discussion makes practical connections between neuroscience and effective teaching strategies, ensuring educators can apply cognitive science principles to foster better writers. This is all about actionable education insights for every classroom.
And this isn't just theory. Maggie and Melanie break down the minute moves that unlock possibilities, the progression charts that guide your next teaching step, and how explaining brain science to students transforms their relationship with writing.
Discover why you can do transformative work in just a few minutes, how to make writing equitable for all learners, and what to do with that writer slumped over their desk, gripping a pencil in their fist. Most importantly: Writing is thinking. At this critical juncture, with AI offering to do that cognitive work for our students, we cannot let go of teaching this essential skill.
What You'll Learn:
✅ How to navigate a research-heavy book when you're overwhelmed
✅ The "minute moves" that create a big impact in just minutes
✅ Why explaining brain science to students changes everything
✅ How one seventh grader went from writing-averse to engaged
✅ Making writing accessible and equitable for all learners
✅ Practical strategies for any curriculum or writing program
💫Check out Part One
📚 Pre-order Foundational Skills for Writing now—releases February 24th!🎯 Start with the chapter that speaks to YOUR most puzzling writer.
Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: Making Research Practical
1:00 - Welcome Back: From Theory to Practice
2:00 - Addressing the "This Sounds Dense" Concern
4:00 - How to Navigate the Book's Architecture
6:00 - Using Foundational Skills with Any Curriculum
7:00 - The Bigger Vision: Equity and Access
9:00 - Speaking Brain Language with Students
10:00 - The Seventh Grader Who Became a Braver Writer
13:00 - Minute Moves: Big Impact in Small Time
15:00 - Writing is Thinking: The AI Imperative
16:00 - Final Thoughts and Pre-Order Information
17:00 - Next Week: Dr. Courtney Bishop on Neurodivergence
18:00 - Closing and Subscribe
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
Next Week: Dr. Courtney Bishop takes us deeper into the brain with her journey as a neurodivergent mom and educator. She'll reveal why traditional behavior management fails our kids and how her conscious coaching framework helps adults pause, shift their narratives, and create genuine connection—because here's the truth: children can't reach their learning brain until we regulate our own.
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
Maggie Beattie Roberts highlights brain-based, whole-child teaching at its most practical. It's exactly the kind of insight that transforms how teachers approach lesson planning, student engagement, and instructional strategies for learners who seem "stuck."
What if the reason your students struggle with writing has nothing to do with effort — and everything to do with how their brain is wired? In this clip, we break down the three core executive functions that make or break a student's writing experience: working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control.
Think of executive functions like the stagehands of a Broadway production. Nobody sees them — but without them, the whole show falls apart. When we understand and support these behind-the-scenes cognitive processes, we give students the neurological foundation they need to actually *do* the work a writing curriculum demands.
🧠 In this video, you'll learn:
➡️What executive functions are and why they matter for writing
➡️The 3 categories every educator needs to know: working memory, cognitive flexibility & inhibitory control
➡️Why low engagement or avoidance in writing may be an executive function issue — not a behavior issue
➡️How supporting executive functions builds student success from the ground up
➡️What this means for inclusive teaching, instructional coaching, and classroom practice
Whether you're a classroom teacher, instructional coach, school counselor, or school leader, understanding executive functions is one of the most powerful tools you can add to your practice.
👇 Drop a comment: Which executive function do you see students struggle with most in your classroom?
🚀📚 Watch Part One & Part Two of our @schoolutionspodcast S5E24 interview.
Chapters
0:00 - Introduction: Why Students Struggle with Writing
0:08 - The Three Categories of Executive Functions
0:20 - The Stagehand Analogy: Executive Functions Explained
0:38 - What Happens When Executive Functions Break Down
0:52 - Supporting Executive Functions to Build Writing Skills
1:05 - Engaging the Cognitive Motors for Writing Success
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#ExecutiveFunctions #WorkingMemory #CognitiveFlexibility #InhibitoryControl #WritingInstruction #BrainBasedLearning #StudentEngagement #StudentSuccess #WholeChild #ProKidMindset #InclusiveTeaching #EffectiveTeaching #InstructionalCoaching #TeacherCoaching #ClassroomBelonging #EquityInEducation #InspiringStudents #ThrivingStudents #EmpoweredEducators #SchoolCulture #ActiveLearning #TeachingTips #InnovativeTeaching #ProfessionalDevelopment #InstructionalLeadership #SchoolImprovement #EducationTransformation #TeacherImpact #NewTeachers #MentorTeachers #schoolutions #schoolutionsteachingstrategies #schoolutionspodcast #forevergettingbetter
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
What Neurodivergent Children ACTUALLY Need to Learn
February 16
•24m
Part One of my S5E25 @schoolutionspodcast conversation challenges traditional classroom management. Dr. Courtney Bishop, a neurodivergent mom, shares a vital neuroscience principle that can reshape parenting neurodivergent kids and improve IEP meetings. This insight offers a fresh perspective for parents navigating school challenges and understanding their child's needs.
What You'll Learn:
✨ Why traditional behavior systems fail neurodivergent kids
✨ The difference between regulation and resilience (and why we need BOTH)
✨ Universal tools that work for educators, parents, and leaders
✨ Red flags that schools aren't neurodivergence-informed
✨ How to shift from deficit-focused to strength-based approaches
Courtney shares her signature framework for raising regulated AND resilient humans, debunking the myth that emotional awareness creates "soft" kids. This is essential viewing for teachers, education coaches, school administrators, parents, homeschoolers, teacher mentors, instructional leaders, and school counselors committed to inclusive teaching, culturally responsive teaching, and equity in education.
Some episode mentions:
➡️John Hattie's Visible Learning
➡️Conscious Discipline
Don't miss the continuation of this powerful conversation! In Part 2, Dr. Courtney Bishop shifts from systems-level change to practical, actionable strategies you can implement immediately.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction - Why Traditional Behavior Systems Fail
1:00 Meet Dr. Courtney Bishop - Neurodivergent Mom & Conscious Discipline Coach
2:00 Research Foundation - Making Thinking Visible
3:00 The Crisis in Education for Neurodivergent Children
4:00 Why Traditional Behavior Management Fails Neurodivergent Kids
6:00 The Yes And Conscious Coaching Framework
8:00 Raising Regulated and Resilient Humans
10:00 The Truth About Regulation vs. Resilience
12:00 Empathy Over Toughness - A New Generation
13:00 Coaching Adults vs. Teaching Children
15:00 Universal Supports - Finding Common Ground
17:00 When Parents and Schools Meet Fire with Fire
18:00 Tools and Resources for Caregivers
19:00 Lightning Round - Myths About Neurodivergent Students
20:00 Red Flags - Schools That Aren't Prepared
21:00 60 Seconds with the Secretary of Education
23:00 Preview of Part Two - Tactical IEP Strategies
Join our community of educators committed to cultivating student success, inspired teaching, and creating inclusive classrooms with a pro-kid mindset focused on the whole child.
🎧 New episodes every Monday & Friday with bite-sized Wednesday reel bonus content.
📧 Connect: schoolutionspodcast@gmail.com
🎵 Music: Benjamin Wahl
Don't forget to 🔔SUBSCRIBE for more teaching tips, and 💬SHARE with fellow educators!
#schoolutions #schoolutionspodcast #schoolutionsteachingstrategies #forevergettingbetter #neurodivergent #education #teachers #classroommanagement #studentengagement #inclusiveteaching #specialeducation #teachercoaching #schoolleadership #parentingtips #ADHD #autism #professionalDevelopment #educationalleadership #teachersupport #inclusiveclassrooms #equityineducation #wholchild #studentsuccess #educationtransformation #NeurodivergenteEducation #InclusiveClassroom #TeacherSupport #StudentSuccess #EducationReform #ClassroomBehavior #ProfessionalDevelopment #SchoolLeadership
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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