The Lit Six

Combine research-backed literacy instruction with classroom routines that help students find reading success

As schools embrace the science of reading, implementing evidence-based literacy practices is a must! Yet it can be challenging for busy teachers to know exactly how to put research-based approaches and strategies to work in the classroom.

In The Lit Six: What Every Teacher Needs to Build an Evidence-Based Literacy Block, author Nancy Akhavan provides a framework that equips educators with the tools and strategies to build an effective, research-backed literacy block that engages students and fosters skilled readers and writers. The book shows teachers how to integrate six essential daily elements for their literacy block: (1) read alouds; (2) shared reading; (3) small group instruction and independent reading; (4) language (including vocabulary and morphology); (5) phonemic awareness, phonics, and word work; and (6) writing.

Designed to address the practical challenges teachers face in aligning teaching practices with the latest science of reading research, this book provides actionable solutions to common questions like "What should I teach first?" and "How do I effectively organize my literacy block?" The Lit Six blends evidence-based daily reading instruction with student-centered approaches to help every learner thrive.

Written in Nancy Akhavan's signature straightforward and teacher-friendly style, this book offers

• A Comprehensive Model: Discover how to integrate six essential components of a successful literacy block into your lessons.
• Practical Tools for Teachers: Access scaffolds, decision trees, graphic organizers, and detailed guides to jump-start implementation.
• Flexibility in Application: Learn how to apply research-driven practices that create the foundation for great literacy teaching and can be used alongside mandated curriculums to help you meet the needs of all learners in your classroom.
• Data-Driven Tips: Discover how to use classroom data to refine instruction and maximize student progress.

This book is your guide to seamlessly blending the art and science of teaching. With The Lit Six, educators can design dynamic literacy blocks that not not align with the research but also respond to the unique needs of their students and foster literacy for all.

• Offers a roadmap to implementing evidence-based literacy practices, while maintaining a student-centered approach.
• Focuses on the research-based practices over reliance on specific commercial programs or materials.
• Blends the art and science of teaching, emphasizing professional judgment and responsiveness alongside data and research
• Includes strategies, tasks, scaffolds, decision trees, graphic organizers, and more to help you get started immediately.