UW Literacy Research Center and Clinic Launches Teaching Reading, Writing Podcast

The University of Wyoming Literacy Research Center and Clinic (LRCC) has launched a podcast to help teachers and families improve literacy instruction.

The “Teaching Reading and Writing” podcast will elevate the voice of Wyoming educators and allow people throughout the world to learn how literacy education is approached in the state, say the developers of the program.

Leigh Hall and Cynthia Brock, who both serve as Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Chairs in Literacy Education, developed the podcast in partnership with LRCC Director Amy Spiker.

“We wanted to capture the experiences that Wyoming teachers, students and their families have with reading and writing, and to provide a space for people to share their stories so that we can highlight the diverse ways we are coming together to support literacy in Wyoming,” Hall says.

The team hopes the podcast will help connect teachers to one another and expose the different techniques others are using across the state so that they can improve and reflect on their own practices. The team also hopes the podcast will help bridge the gap between educators and policymakers to allow lawmakers to be better informed about the impact policies make in the classroom while keeping educators in the loop about education policy initiatives.

“Teaching Reading and Writing” will debut today (Monday) and can be listened to anytime new programs are released through Acast.

The titles and release dates for the first three episodes are:

-- Today (Monday): “Creating Age-Appropriate High Interest Lessons for Struggling Readers.”

-- Monday, Jan. 24: “How Electives Are Left Out of the Discussion About Reading and How They Can Help.”

-- Monday, Feb. 7: “How Putting Content First Supports Academic Literacy Development.”