What Changes Matter the Most for K-2 Reading Instruction?
Reading time
Date posted
By Lizzie Hetzer, author of Rethink and Revise
Changes to K-2 reading instruction are helping educators rethink how they support young readers and build stronger literacy foundations. If you’re navigating the changing landscape of reading instruction, you’ve probably already made some moves. Maybe you’ve changed how you teach high-frequency words, maybe you’re forming small groups in new ways, maybe you’re settling into a new curriculum. But like many teachers, you may also feel that there are still some big pieces of the reading instruction puzzle that aren’t fitting together yet.
Which teaching practices should we continue, and which should we change, or even let go of entirely? And how do we hold onto the big goal (creating readers) while we rework the pathways that get us there? These are the questions literacy educator Lizzie Hetzer takes up in Rethink and Revise: A Road Map to Brave Change in K-2 Reading Instruction.
The book offers 25 powerful revision moves for K-2 reading instruction. These revision moves go beyond small tweaks and move toward bigger rethinks of some of the questions many teachers continue to wrestle with:
How to assess meaningfully without traditional running records and guided reading levels
How to structure and provide differentiated reading instruction while honoring the evidence base
How to take phonics to the next level by sweating the small stuff
How to make sure the independent or partner work kids do is purposeful, even when they aren’t with a teacher
If you’re wondering about the big moves you can make to strengthen literacy instruction for young learners while keeping joy and agency at the center, check out the free downloadable resource below to start planning your next brave moves. And then dig into the how of these changes in Rethink and Revise, written in Lizzie Hetzer’s teacher-to-teacher voice and designed to support teachers and literacy leaders as they navigate the critical work with honesty and heart.
Download Lizzie Hetzer’s free Rethink and Revise guide, featuring practical strategies to support effective GCSE revision.
About the Author
Lizzie Hetzer works with elementary and middle schools to strengthen literacy instruction and implement meaningful, large-scale change. She loves tackling challenges, designing strong systems, and working collaboratively with joy and purpose. Lizzie is a co-founder of Daffodil Hill Press, which publishes decodable books that help children learn to read. A former special education teacher and literacy coach, she lives in Brooklyn, hails from Pittsburgh, and is a proud first-generation college graduate.
Learn more at www.lizziehetzer.com
Buy The Book
Rethink and Revise: A Roadmap to Brave Change in K-2 Reading Instruction
As schools navigate the changing landscape of reading instruction, many educators are left wondering how to better align their practices to what they are learning about the science of reading. This book takes on different parts of reading instruction and examines ways teachers can rethink and revise their practice.