What Football Can Tell Us About How To Teach Reading
What Football Can Tell Us About How To Teach Reading
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When I go to my son’s football games, I can tell you which team will win — most of the time — just by watching them warm up. It’s not necessarily having the flashiest uniforms or the biggest player; it’s about the discipline, the focus and the precision of their routines.
A school is no different.
In my Texas school district, I can walk into a classroom and, in the first five minutes, tell you if effective reading instruction is happening. I don’t need to see the lesson plan or even look at the teacher. I just need to look at the kids.
Are they engaged? Are they in a routine? Are they getting the “reps” they need?
the و they و I – تفاصيل مهمة
For too long, districts have been losing the game before it starts. They buy a new playbook (i.e., a curriculum) as a “hail Mary,” hoping for a fourth-quarter miracle. Still, they ignore the fundamentals, practice and team culture required for sustainable success.
Chapel Hill Independent School District is committed to educating all children to compete in an ever-changing world. To that end, we’ve made literacy a nonnegotiable priority across all campuses. We anchor our approach in research-based practices and a culture of continuous learning for both students and staff.
We’re building for the long run: a literacy dynasty. But our literacy success hasn’t come without putting in the work. We have a relentless focus on the fundamentals and, most importantly, a culture where every player— every teacher and administrator — fits our system.
Trust the Analytics, Not Your Gut
In reading instruction, we can’t make assumptions; all instruction has to start with the fundamentals. For decades, instruction was based on gut feelings, like an old-school coach deciding whether to go for it on fourth down or punt based on a hunch.
a و the و to – تفاصيل مهمة
But today, the best coaches trust the analytics, not their gut. They watch the game film.
Chapel Hill is an analytics district; we do our research. And our game film is the science of reading.
Many years ago, we started using structured literacy for a small group of students with dyslexia. It worked so well that we asked ourselves: If structured literacy is effective for a small group of students with dyslexia, shouldn’t it be essential for all students?
We didn’t just adopt a new curriculum; we redesigned our literacy infrastructure — from structured literacy professional development for every teacher to classroom coaching and a robust tiered system of support to ensure no student falls through the cracks.
we و of و literacy – تفاصيل مهمة
That logic is our offensive strategy. It’s why we use tools like theSold a Storypodcast to show our staff whywe’ve banned the strategies of a bygone era, like three-cueing.
We have to be willing to reprogram the brain to align with what research proves works. But having the right playbook is only half the battle.
A great playbook is useless without the right team to execute it.
This is the most crucial part: “Firstwhothenwhat.” In the NFL draft, teams don’t always draft the most talented playeravailable. They conduct interviews and personality assessments and ultimately draft the player who best fits their system—the cultural fit.
Tom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, but he couldn’t run a read-option offense, which requires a fast, running quarterback. He wouldn’t fit the system, and the team would fail. But put Brady in aplay-actionoffense, sit back and watch the magic happen.
We operate the same way. When we interview, we’re not just looking for a teacher with excellent credentials and experience; we’re looking for a “Chapel Hill Way” teacher. It’s a specific profile: someone who believes in our philosophy of systematic, explicit, research-based instruction.
the و a و and – تفاصيل مهمة
This culture starts with our team captains: our campus principals. We need them to believe in our playbook, not just buy in because the district office said so.
We invest in their development so they can champion literacy daily, monitor instruction and ensure every classroom executes our playbook with fidelity. It’s their conviction that turns a curriculum on a shelf into a living, breathing part of our culture.
Talented teams win games. Disciplined, team-first organizations build dynasties.
Building a dynasty requires sacrifice. When an educator joins our team, whether they’re a rookie or a seasoned veteran, we ask them to let go of the “I’ve always done it this way”mindset. That’s the equivalent of a player prioritizing their personal stats over a team win.
a و their و our – تفاصيل مهمة
It’s a team-first mindset. It’s about a willingness to put personal preference aside to build a championship team. For Chapel Hill ISD, our championship is ensuring every child learns to read.
Our team-first philosophy has translated into measurable results: Across campuses, students are gaining the foundational skills they need, and data shows growth for every subgroup, including students with dyslexia and multilingual learners. We want students to become a product of our expectations, rather than their environment. Our district, which serves a diverse population, including a high percentage of students classified as low socioeconomic status, consistently scores above the state average in third-grade reading.
students و a و We – تفاصيل مهمة
At Wise Elementary, our largest campus(MOU1) , 56% of third graders met grade-level standards, and 23% scored above grade level on the 2023-2024 STARR assessment. And we had similar results across the district.
So to my fellow education leaders: Before you shop for a new playbook, ensure you have the right team culture in place. Define your culture. Draft the right players.
Build your team. Coach your captains. And obsess over the fundamentals.
That’s how you win.
you و the و your – تفاصيل مهمة
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Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author:Joshua Tremont
Published on:2025-11-27 15:30:00
Source: www.the74million.org
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’); fbq(‘init’, ‘626037510879173’); // 626037510879173 fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);{“@context”:”http://schema.org”,”@type”:”NewsArticle”,”dateCreated”:”2025-11-28T02:29:10+04:00″,”datePublished”:”2025-11-28T02:29:10+04:00″,”dateModified”:”2025-11-28T02:29:10+04:00″,”headline”:”What Football Can Tell Us About How to Teach Reading”,”name”:”What Football Can Tell Us About How to Teach Reading”,”keywords”:[],”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/what-football-can-tell-us-about-how-to-teach-reading-the-74/”,”description”:”Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter When I go to my sonu2019s football games, I can tell you which team will win u2014 most of the time u2014 just by watching the”,”copyrightYear”:”2025″,”articleSection”:”Education”,”articleBody”:”nnn n Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newslettern n n n nWhen I go to my sonu2019s football games, I can tell you which team will win u2014 most of the time u2014 just by watching them warm up. Itu2019s not necessarily having the flashiest uniforms or the biggest player; itu2019s about the discipline, the focus and the precision of their routines.nnnnA school is no different.nnnnIn my Texas school district, I can walk into a classroom and, in the first five minutes, tell you if effective reading instruction is happening. I donu2019t need to see the lesson plan or even look at the teacher. I just need to look at the kids. Are they engaged? Are they in a routine? Are they getting the u201crepsu201d they need?nnnnFor too long, districts have been losing the game before it starts. They buy a new playbook (i.e., a curriculum) as a u201chail Mary,u201d hoping for a fourth-quarter miracle. Still, they ignore the fundamentals, practice and team culture required for sustainable success.nnnnnnnnChapel Hill Independent School District is committed to educating all children to compete in an ever-changing world. To that end, weu2019ve made literacy a nonnegotiable priority across all campuses. We anchor our approach in research-based practices and a culture of continuous learning for both students and staff.nnnnWeu2019re building for the long run: a literacy dynasty. But our literacy success hasnu2019t come without putting in the work. We have a relentless focus on the fundamentals and, most importantly, a culture where every player u2014 every teacher and administrator u2014 fits our system.nnnnTrust the Analytics, Not Your GutnnnnIn reading instruction, we canu2019t make assumptions; all instruction has to start with the fundamentals. For decades, instruction was based on gut feelings, like an old-school coach deciding whether to go for it on fourth down or punt based on a hunch. But today, the best coaches trust the analytics, not their gut. They watch the game film.nnnnChapel Hill is an analytics district; we do our research. And our game film is the science of reading.nnnnMany years ago, we started using structured literacy for a small group of students with dyslexia. It worked so well that we asked ourselves: If structured literacy is effective for a small group of students with dyslexia, shouldnu2019t it be essential for all students?nnnnWe didnu2019t just adopt a new curriculum; we redesigned our literacy infrastructure u2014 from structured literacy professional development for every teacher to classroom coaching and a robust tiered system of support to ensure no student falls through the cracks.nnnnThat logic is our offensive strategy. Itu2019s why we use tools like the Sold a Story podcast to show our staff why weu2019ve banned the strategies of a bygone era, like three-cueing. We have to be willing to reprogram the brain to align with what research proves works. But having the right playbook is only half the battle.nnnnRelatedTen Things Iu2019m Doing After Listening to Sold a StorynnnnA great playbook is useless without the right team to execute it.nnnnThis is the most crucial part: u201cFirst whothen what.u201d In the NFL draft, teams donu2019t always draft the most talented player available. They conduct interviews and personality assessments and ultimately draft the player who best fits their systemu2014the cultural fit.nnnnTom Brady is arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, but he couldnu2019t run a read-option offense, which requires a fast, running quarterback. He wouldnu2019t fit the system, and the team would fail. But put Brady in a play-action offense, sit back and watch the magic happen.nnnnWe operate the same way. When we interview, weu2019re not just looking for a teacher with excellent credentials and experience; weu2019re looking for a u201cChapel Hill Wayu201d teacher. Itu2019s a specific profile: someone who believes in our philosophy of systematic, explicit, research-based instruction.nnnnThis culture starts with our team captains: our campus principals. We need them to believe in our playbook, not just buy in because the district office said so. We invest in their development so they can champion literacy daily, monitor instruction and ensure every classroom executes our playbook with fidelity. Itu2019s their conviction that turns a curriculum on a shelf into a living, breathing part of our culture.nnnnTalented teams win games. Disciplined, team-first organizations build dynasties.nnnnBuilding a dynasty requires sacrifice. When an educator joins our team, whether theyu2019re a rookie or a seasoned veteran, we ask them to let go of the u201cIu2019ve always done it this wayu201d mindset. Thatu2019s the equivalent of a player prioritizing their personal stats over a team win.nnnnItu2019s a team-first mindset. Itu2019s about a willingness to put personal preference aside to build a championship team. For Chapel Hill ISD, our championship is ensuring every child learns to read.nnnnRelatedHow We Outperformed National Reading Scores u2013 And Kept Students at Grade LevelnnnnOur team-first philosophy has translated into measurable results: Across campuses, students are gaining the foundational skills they need, and data shows growth for every subgroup, including students with dyslexia and multilingual learners. We want students to become a product of our expectations, rather than their environment. Our district, which serves a diverse population, including a high percentage of students classified as low socioeconomic status, consistently scores above the state average in third-grade reading.nnnnAt Wise Elementary, our largest campus(MOU1) , 56% of third graders met grade-level standards, and 23% scored above grade level on the 2023-2024 STARR assessment. And we had similar results across the district.nnnnSo to my fellow education leaders: Before you shop for a new playbook, ensure you have the right team culture in place. Define your culture. Draft the right players. Build your team. Coach your captains. And obsess over the fundamentals.nnnnThatu2019s how you win.nn n n n Did you use this article in your work?
nWeu2019d love to hear how The 74u2019s reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers. Tell us hown n nnn !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?n n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=();t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;n t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)(0);s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,n document,’script’,’https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js’);n fbq(‘init’, ‘626037510879173’); // 626037510879173n fbq(‘track’, ‘PageView’);n nnnnnDisclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification. nWe do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.nnnnnnAuthor: Joshua TremontnPublished on: 2025-11-27 15:30:00nSource: www.the74million.orgn”,”publisher”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”,”@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”uaetodaynews”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/images-e1759081190269.png”},”sameAs”:[“https://www.facebook.com/uaetodaynewscom”,”https://www.pinterest.com/uaetodaynews/”,”https://www.instagram.com/uaetoday_news_com/”]},”sourceOrganization”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”},”copyrightHolder”:{“@id”:”#Publisher”},”mainEntityOfPage”:{“@type”:”WebPage”,”@id”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/what-football-can-tell-us-about-how-to-teach-reading-the-74/”,”breadcrumb”:{“@id”:”#Breadcrumb”}},”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”uaetodaynews”,”url”:”https://uaetodaynews.com/author/arabsongmedia-net/”},”image”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://i0.wp.com/uaetodaynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/football-science-of-reading-825×495.gif?fit=825%2C495&ssl=1″,”width”:1200,”height”:495}}
Disclaimer: This news article has been republished exactly as it appeared on its original source, without any modification.
We do not take any responsibility for its content, which remains solely the responsibility of the original publisher.
Author: uaetodaynews
Published on: 2025-11-28 00:29:00
Source: uaetodaynews.com
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