The Reading Teacher's Playbook with Eva Mireles
Welcome to the Reading Teacher's Playbook—your go to source for upper elementary literacy teachers (grades 3-5) seeking evidence-based literacy practices. Listen in as Eva simplifies literacy instruction, promotes sustainable growth, and empowers you to create engaging lessons that make learning stick. Your host, Eva Mireles, will provide you with practical tips and tools for confident teaching, while fostering a love for reading in your students. Let's huddle up and learn together! Visit her website to learn more: https://evamireles.com/
Recent Episodes
140
July 1, 2026
Summer Reset Series: Time Sucks and How to Avoid Them for Literacy Teachers
Listen in as: I unpack the three most common time sucks and how to avoid them so that you are saving time in the long run. I talk about: -What time sucks are, how they fool us into thinking they are good for us and a plan for how to avoid them all together. They are: Going down the TPT rabbit whole without a clue of what we actually need or what we already have. Not knowing our grade level standards well enough to know what our students need most to understand the current reading unit. No
139
June 14, 2026
Summer Reset Series: Systems Are the Real Self-Care for Literacy Teachers
In This Episode We Discuss Many teachers think they need better time management, more productivity hacks, or stronger self-care routines. But often the real issue isn't a lack of effort. It's a lack of systems. In this Summer Reset replay, we're revisiting one of the most downloaded episodes of the podcast and exploring why systems—not willpower—are often the key to reducing stress, improving instructional consistency, and creating a more sustainable school year. You'll learn: • The differen
June 10, 2026
Season 12 Recap: The Biggest Literacy Instruction Lessons from Read Aloud, Retrieval Practice, Writing, and Learning Science
In This Episode We Discuss Why student thinking—not compliance—became a central theme throughout Season 12 How read aloud, accountable talk, writing, and learning science all connect to helping learning stick The difference between understanding something during a lesson and actually learning it over time Why retrieval practice matters and how simple instructional moves can strengthen memory What high expectations look like in literacy instruction and why they are easier to maintain than reb
137
May 26, 2026
Keeping Writing Instruction Front and Center Until the Last Day with Lanesha Tabb
Episode 137- Listen to this interview with Lanesha Tabb as we talk about: 1.Closing the gap between student thinking and student writing 2.Using grammar and sentence-level instruction to improve writing quality 3. Keeping writing instruction meaningful, manageable, and engaging through the last day of school Stay in touch with Lanesha Tabb: @lanesha_tabb on instagram If you’re ready to strengthen your instruction and design literacy lessons that actually stick, you can learn more about coach
136
May 25, 2026
Using Retrieval Practice to Keep Learning Alive Until the Last Day with Dr. Shane Saeed
Episode 136- Listen to this interview with Dr. Shane Saeed as we talk about: 1.The role forgetting plays in learning. 2. Familiar vs Known and the role it plays in student learning. 3.What retrieval strategies to use now as you wrap up the school year. Stay in touch with Dr. Shane Saeed: @drshanesaeed on everything If you’re ready to strengthen your instruction and design literacy lessons that actually stick, you can learn more about coaching and professional development below: Work With Ev
May 12, 2026
How to Maintain High Expectations in Your Literacy Classroom Until the Last Day of School
Listen to this interview with Naomi O’Brien as we talk about: 1.What high expectations are as it relates to your literacy classroom. 2. How maintaining high expectations saves your sanity and keeps end of the year chaos at bay. 3.How to hold on to high expectations all the way through to the end of the school year. 4.What having high expectations looks like in your literacy classroom at the end of the school year. Stay in touch with Naomi O’Brien: Instagram: @readlikearockstarteaching TPT S
134
May 10, 2026
Clarifying your end of the year vision for your upper elementary literacy classroom
In This Episode We Discuss Why end-of-year classroom routines often fall apart after testingHow to maintain high expectations in your upper elementary literacy classroom through the last day of schoolThe connection between teacher expectations, student behavior, and student effortWhy structure and consistency matter more than “keeping students busy” during the post-testing seasonHow to cast a realistic vision for the end of the school year without burning yourself outThe difference between react
133
May 5, 2026
Why Most End-of-Year Plans Fall Apart and What to Do Instead
In This Episode We Discuss Why most end-of-year classroom plans fall apartHow to move from reacting to intentionally designing the end of the school yearThe three patterns that lead to behavior shifts and loss of structure after testingWhy maintaining high expectations matters academically and behaviorally through the last day of schoolHow to keep learning, routines, and classroom community intact without burning yourself outA simple 4-part framework for helping upper elementary teachers finish
132
April 28, 2026
Why Students Forget What You Teach and How to Design Lessons That Stick
Listen to this interview with Dr. Pooja Agarwal as we talk about: 1.What’s actually happening when students aren’t holding on to what we have taught them from one day to the next. 2.How to think about retrieval strategies as design decisions. 3.How to use retrieval practice in order to simplify your lesson design. 4. One shift you can make this week to help learning stick during your literacy block. Past Episodes mentioned: Episode 131: Designing Read Aloud Lessons That Build Understanding (
April 21, 2026
Designing Read Aloud Lessons That Build Understanding (and Actually Stick)
Episode 131 How to design read aloud lessons that build understanding—not just engagement The difference between read aloud that supplements vs. supplants your instruction Using read aloud to teach reading skills like character motivation and author’s craft How to connect knowledge building and accountable talk into one cohesive lesson Embedding learning science strategies like retrieval practice and interleaving into read aloud Designing literacy instruction so students remember and apply what
130
April 14, 2026
Accountable Talk During Read Aloud: How to Move Beyond Turn and Talk to Real Thinking
Episode 130 Show Notes Accountable Talk During Read Aloud: How to Move Beyond Turn and Talk to Real Thinking Why student talk doesn’t always lead to deeper thinking How to structure read aloud conversations to move beyond participation The role of explanation, listening, and idea-building in student learning How accountable talk supports comprehension and long-term retention Using simple, high-impact sentence stems to guide discussion Designing read aloud instruction that builds thinking wi
129
April 7, 2026
Why Read Aloud Still Matters in Grades 3-5
Episode 129- Why Read Aloud Still Matters in Grades 3–5 Classrooms In this episode we talk about: Why read alouds still matter in your Upper Elementary literacy classrooms. How Read alouds support learning science, How Read alouds support The Science of Teaching Reading. Choose texts that build knowledge Pause for thinking, not just predictions Plan 2–3 intentional thinking stops instead of a lot of questions “How might my read aloud time become one of the most instructionally powerful pa
128
March 31, 2026
Revisiting a Conversation: Why You Should Read What Your Upper Elementary Students Are Reading
In this episode: Listen in as I interview Stacey Riedmiller of Literacy for Big Kids. We talk about the what, the why and the how of reading what your students are reading. We talk about: 1.What- What does it mean to read what your upper elementary students are reading? 2. Why- Why is reading what your upper elementary students are reading important? 3. How- How do we make reading what our upper elementary students are reading happen? Quotables: - Reading what students are reading means tha
132
March 28, 2026
Why Students Forget What You Teach and How to Design Lessons That Stick
Listen to this interview with Dr. Pooja Aragawal as we talk about: 1.What’s actually happening when students aren’t holding on to what we have taught them from one day to the next. 2.How to think about retrieval strategies as design decisions. 3.How to use retrieval practice in order to simplify your lesson design. 4. One shift you can make this week to help learning stick during your literacy block. Past Episodes mentioned: Episode 131: Designing Read Aloud Lessons That Build Understanding
127
March 24, 2026
How to Fit Science of Learning Strategies Into Your Upper Elementary Literacy Mini Lesson
Episode 127 In This Episode We Discuss How to incorporate science of learning strategies into your literacy block Using retrieval practice in reading lessons Why spaced practice improves student learning Turning learning objectives into student thinking opportunities Supporting metacognition during literacy instruction Applying research-based strategies without overwhelming your schedule Practical Strategies Mentioned • Brain dump retrieval activity • Student self-rating for understanding
126
March 17, 2026
Designing for Transfer in Reading Instruction
Episode 126 — Designing for Transfer in Reading Instruction Goal: The goal of this episode is to understand what you can do to help support student transfer of information through the application of knowledge in your upper elementary literacy classroom. We talk about: 1.How to get students to apply what they’ve learned in your classroom. 2. Recap of chapter 8 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources mentioned in the
125
March 10, 2026
What Really Drives Student Motivation?
Episode 125 — What Really Drives Student Motivation? Goal: The goal of this episode is to understand what fuels student motivation in your upper elementary literacy classroom. We talk about: 1.What really fuels student motivation. 2. Recap of chapter 7 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Episodes 110, 111, 112, 113 and 114 Episode 120 Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini
124
March 3, 2026
Teaching Students How to Take Charge of their Learning
Episode 124 — Teaching Students How to Take Charge of their Learning Goal: The goal of this episode is to help you walk away with the what, the why and the how of getting your students to take charge of their learning. We talk about: 1.The what, the why and the how of teaching students how to take charge of their own learning. 2. Recap of chapter 5 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Ep
123
Feb. 25, 2026
Designing Reading Lessons That Outlast the Pacing Guide
Episode 123 :Designing Reading Lessons That Outlast the Pacing Guide Goal: The goal of this episode is to help you design literacy lessons that promote transfer and long-term learning — even when that means making intentional decisions beyond the pacing guide. We talk about: 1.Combining interleaving and concept mapping in your literacy classroom. 2. Recap of chapter 4 and 6 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources men
122
Feb. 17, 2026
Helping Students Build Connected Meaning in Your Upper Elementary Literacy Classroom
Goal: The goal of this episode is to help you walk away with tangible tools for helping students build connected meaning within and across texts. We talk about: 1.Concept Mapping 2. Recap of chapter 6 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Grab my free guide for keeping your mini lesson mini Book a discovery call for one on one coaching or school professional development Link to the book (a
119
Feb. 10, 2026
Why- How Your Students Learn and Practice Matters in your Upper Elementary Literacy Classroom?
Episode 121 — Why- How Your Students Learn and Practice Matters in your Upper Elementary Literacy Classroom? Goal: The goal of this episode is to help you walk away with tangible tools for choosing how to teach and practice literacy skills in your upper elementary literacy classroom. We talk about: 1.Blocked Practice vs Interleave Practice 2. Recap of chapter 4 of Smart Teaching Stronger Learning 3. Strategies that you can implement in your classroom today. Links to resources mentioned in the
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