Frankly Freddy Blog
TextProject president and CEO Elfrieda H. (Freddy) Hiebert blogs about important issues in reading research and practice.
Frankly Freddy entries (published from 2005 to 2014) have been sorted into five topics of literacy learning and instruction. Click here to download the ebook!
Revolutionizing Vocabulary Learning: AI’s Contributions to Word Selection in Education
October 15, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers educators a data-driven alternative to intuition-based word lists. By analyzing vast language datasets, AI tools can identify word clusters supporting text comprehension and general knowledge, as well as words with rich webs of related vocabulary.
Using Story Structure for Comprehension and Enhancing Vocabulary
September 26, 2024
By exploring vocabulary through the lens of story structure, we empower students to engage more deeply with texts and enrich their vocabularies.
Elevating Adolescents’ Literacies: Recognizing Strengths and Building on Curiosities
September 6, 2024
It’s time to shift our perspective and focus on recognizing and celebrating the literacies, curiosities, and strengths of adolescents.
ILA Webinar Q & A Highlights: Knowledge Building as the Foundation for Literacy Learning
June 20, 2024
In these clips from the Q & A session of a webinar for the International Literacy, Cervetti and Hiebert emphasize the importance of integrating content area learning with ELA, cautioning against replacing experiential learning with superficial knowledge in ELA curricula. They advocate for diverse text sets to build depth in students’ reading comprehension and vocabulary, and to foster meaningful engagement and ownership in their learning.
Reclaiming Our Field: Three Highlights from Research & Practice
June 19, 2024
Slides from Freddy’s recent presentation to Wisconsin Teacher Educators. Download presentation slides as PDF file Related Research Articles Enhancing Opportunities for Decoding and Knowledge Building through Beginning TextsCitation: Hiebert, Elfrieda HRead More »Reclaiming Our Field: Three Highlights from Research & Practice
The Usefulness of Semantic Maps in Navigating Knowledge
May 22, 2024
One learning technique has proven effective in supporting students in organizing and remembering knowledge: semantic maps. Whether the technique is called a semantic, concept, or mind map, the distinguishing feature is that words, phrases, or sentences that represent concepts are presented in a diagram-like scheme.
ILA Webinar: Knowledge Building as the Foundation of Literacy Learning
May 14, 2024
In this session, speakers Gina N. Cervetti and Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert will discuss the importance of knowledge building in the literacy instruction classroom and draw direct connections to both students’ academic success and their social-emotional well-being through developing other critical skills essential for personal growth.
“I just have to keep answering the questions I think are important”: Dr. Elfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert on the Getting Smarter podcast
May 9, 2024
My hope is that when a plaque gets put up for me some day, that people will see this unusual name and say: ‘She was committed to the kids, and to their teachers.’ And I review that commitment every single morning and every night… I just have to keep answering the questions I think are important.
TextProject celebrates Children’s Book Week May 2 – 6!
May 6, 2024
“Knowledge building as the foundation of literacy learning” is our focus this May at TextProject, and what better way to kick it off than by celebrating Children’s Book Week! After all, books are how we find out about the wider world around us. The theRead More »TextProject celebrates Children’s Book Week May 2 – 6!
AERA 2024: Considering Decodable Texts
April 16, 2024
Slides from Elfrieda H. (Freddy) Hieberts presentation at the 2024 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association