The Authority Podcast — Expert Insights and Fresh Ideas for Education Leaders

Welcome to our National Literacy Month series of podcasts, presented in partnership between the Be Podcast Network and Reading Is Fundamental. 

Molly Ness, a reading researcher, teacher educator, and former classroom teacher is today’s guest. Molly earned a doctorate in reading education at the University of Virginia and spent 16 years as an associate professor at Fordham University in New York City. 

She serves on the Board of Directors for the International Literacy Association (ILA) and is a New York state chapter founder of the Reading League. She is also creator of the End Book Deserts podcast, which brings awareness to the 32 million American children who lack access to books.

We discuss Molly’s book Read Alouds for All Learners and much more:

Listen to more National Literacy Month podcasts at https://literacy.bepodcast.network. 

Learn more about Reading Is Fundamental at www.rif.org 

Molly Ness is a former classroom teacher, a reading researcher, and a teacher educator. She earned a doctorate in reading education at the University of Virginia, and spent 16 years as an associate professor at Fordham University in New York City. The author of five books, Molly serves on the Board of Directors for the International Literacy Association and is a New York state chapter founder of the Reading League. Dr. Ness has extensive experience in reading clinics, consulting with school districts, leading professional development, and advising school systems on research-based reading instruction. She is the creator of the End Book Deserts podcast, which brings awareness to the 32 million American children who lack access to books. Connect with her at http://www.drmollyness.com 

Ross Romano is a co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success. Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn 

Learn more about today's sponsor, Playworks:

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.