How to switch from Balanced Reading to SOR (or a balance of the two)

SOR or Science of Reading. Have you heard this new buzz word in education? It seems like there's always a new trend or bandwagon that everyone is jumping on. But this one intrigued me so I've been reading up on things. I'm actually glad it's a become a thing. 

Why am I glad? There is some great brain research that is coming out and SOR is right on top of it. Do I think it's the end all be all? Like anything it's probably a mix of things or anything in moderation (isn't that what I'm supposed to do with chocolate?).

There are aspects of balanced literacy that work well.... and some things that I've been missing. This book was a great start to thinking about some of the things that work well. It's a great book that talks about some of the research behind parts of our literacy block and what is working and what might need some tweaking. 

Another great resource is the Not This But That series by Heineman (this publisher is usually not associated with SOR resources) and Nell Duke. Nell Duke is a great resource for research based teaching. 

I'd love to share some things that I am learning (or even things that maybe I knew but are great reminders) as I take this journey. Keep an eye out for my next posts!